@Nurpur India,
Published on November 18, 2025,
By Pawan
New studies reveal vigorous exercise is far more powerful than walking at reducing heart disease risk. Brief, intense bursts can provide major health benefits that are easy to fit into daily life.
 |
| New Study Reveals How Short Bursts of Vigorous Activity Can Reduce Heart Disease Risk by Up to Sixfold |
Highlights
- Vigorous exercise is six times more effective than walking at lowering cardiovascular disease risk.
- Short bursts of intense activity can be as beneficial as longer sessions of moderate exercise.
- Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity (VILPA) includes daily activities like stair climbing and carrying heavy loads.
- Moderate activities, such as brisk walking, remain important for heart health and are more accessible for many.
- Integrating brief vigorous exercise into daily life can significantly reduce risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and some cancers.
New Study Reveals How Short Bursts of Vigorous Activity Can Reduce Heart Disease Risk by Up to Sixfold
The new research shows that short bursts of vigorous exercise are up to six times more effective than walking at improving cardiovascular health and lowering the risk of heart disease.
This recent study from the University of Sydney demonstrates that vigorous-intensity activity, such as climbing stairs or quick cycling, provides a much stronger protective effect against cardiovascular disease compared to moderate-intensity activities like brisk walking.
For every one minute of vigorous exercise, you gain the same heart health benefits as six minutes of walking, making it a highly time-efficient way to boost your health.
This finding challenges previous assumptions about the relative benefits of exercise intensity and highlights how even brief, intense activity can significantly reduce the risks of heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and certain cancers.independent
While walking remains an excellent and accessible form of physical activity,
While walking remains an excellent and accessible form of physical activity, the new data highlights that vigorous exercise supports cardiovascular health at a much faster rate.
Vigorous activities cause your heart to beat faster and your breathing to become harder, often to the point where carrying on a conversation is difficult.
This intensity cannot be sustained for long periods, but even short bursts of such activity accumulated throughout the day can yield powerful health benefits.
The study defines vigorous activity as any movement causing rapid heartbeats and heavy breathing, such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT), swimming laps, or even carrying heavy grocery bags quickly up stairs.restaurants-malta+1
The implications for public health are considerable, especially for busy ,
The implications for public health are considerable, especially for busy individuals who struggle to find time for traditional exercise regimens. The study highlights that accumulating several short bursts of vigorous activity—sometimes as little as one or two minutes at a time—can drastically reduce the risks of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and mortality.
This concept, called Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity (VILPA), can be integrated into daily routines without needing dedicated gym sessions, making exercise more achievable for a wider demographic.
For example, walking quickly to the car, carrying heavy shopping bags, or climbing stairs intermittently can be part of this approach.sydney+1
Importantly, even though vigorous exercise has shown superior effectiveness,
Importantly, even though vigorous exercise has shown superior effectiveness, physical activity doesn't need to be complicated. Moderate-intensity activities like walking still offer significant benefits for maintaining cardiovascular health, weight management, and overall well-being.
The World Health Organization continues to emphasize the importance of regular physical activity of any intensity to reduce the burden of chronic diseases.
For people unable or unwilling to engage in vigorous workouts, brisk walking remains a heart-healthy habit, just requiring longer durations to achieve similar effects.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih+1
In summary,
In summary, short bursts of vigorous exercise are scientifically proven to be up to six times more powerful than walking in improving cardiovascular health, reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers, and lowering all-cause mortality.
This new evidence encourages incorporating intense activity into daily routines in manageable, intermittent bursts for maximum health impact.
Yet, simple, moderate-intensity activities like walking continue to be effective and accessible forms of exercise for promoting a healthier, longer life.medicalnewstoday+1
Tag #VigorousExercise #HeartHealth #FitnessResearch #WalkingVsExercise #HealthTips
Trusted Source Tag :
- https://www.independent.co.uk/health-and-fitness/exercise-more-effective-walking-heart-health-b2863711.html
- https://restaurants-malta.com/news/malta-study-links-heart-health-to-vigorous-activity-diet
- https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2024/12/04/tiny--daily-bursts-of-vigorous-incidental-physical-activity-coul.html
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3098122/
- https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/4-or-5-minute-bouts-of-intense-exercise-may-slash-cardiovascular-risk
- https://www.tomsguide.com/wellness/fitness/scientists-find-one-exercise-thats-6-times-more-powerful-than-walking-when-it-comes-to-protecting-your-heart
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-AHATkhn3M
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3445709/
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/short-bursts-of-activity-may-better-stimulate-weight-loss
- https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/14/well/move/walking-running-health-benefits.html
- https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2023/nov/any-activity-better-your-heart-sitting
- https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/news/a69308227/vigorous-intensity-exercise-heart/
- https://www.uhhospitals.org/blog/articles/2023/04/short-bursts-of-activity-can-have-huge-health-benefits
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/walking/art-20046261
- https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250106-why-just-two-hours-of-exercise-a-week-can-be-life-changing
- https://bmjgroup.com/small-amounts-of-incidental-vigorous-physical-exertion-may-almost-halve-major-cardiovascular-events-risk-in-women/
- https://www.bu.edu/articles/2021/moderate-vigorous-exercise-boosts-fitness/
- https://www.today.com/health/disease/short-bursts-exercise-reduce-heart-disease-rcna182803
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/fitness/why-the-6-6-6-walking-rule-is-being-called-the-gentlest-fitness-routine-that-actually-works/articleshow/125257107.cms