Short exercise bursts halve the death risk

Vacuums addict, 13, is cleaning up in business

JUST an hour of exercise in short bursts spread throughout the day can slash the risk of dying prematurely by 57 per cent, a study has found.

And those who crammed in a daily 100 minutes saw the risk cut by 75 per cent.

Whether swapping the lift for a brisk walk up the stairs or a 10-minute walk to the corner shop, these sporadic bouts of raising the heart beat are as effective as a sustained exercise session in reducing the risk of death.

People have been bombarded with advice on how much exercise they should do to combat the ill health effects of a sedentary lifestyle.

Vigorous

Scientists at Duke University School of Medicine in North Carolina said bursts of activity of fewer than 10 minutes over the day were as good as any recommended exercise regime.

In the study people who got fewer than 20 minutes of moderate or vigorous activity each day had the highest risk of death.

Those who got 60 minutes a day cut their risk of death by 57 per cent.

Getting at least 100 minutes of moderate or vigorous activity per day cut risk of death by 76 per cent, the data showed.

Professor William Kraus said: “For about 30 years guidelines have suggested that moderate to vigorous activity could provide health benefits but only if you sustained the activity for 10 minutes or more.

“That flies in the face of public health recommendations like taking the stairs instead of the elevator and parking farther from your destination.”

The study was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. them on. He has also become an internet hit with his honest reviews of new vacuum cleaners, which he shares on social media.

Matthew, of Maghull, Merseyside, said his dream is to be the next James Dyson.

He said: “I’ve been into vacuum cleaners since I was very young. I started fixing them when I was about 10.

“I’d gone to a friend’s house and his grandma was going to throw out her Henry because it was broken.

“I stripped it down and cleaned it and it worked.

“She was so made up with it because it was good as new.

“I remember in Year Four or Five having a rough idea how to take them apart and looking into how to make them run.

“That’s when the collecting started.

Matthew’s parents – teaching assistant Christine, 50, and engineer Richard, 52 – could not be more delighted with their entrepreneurial son.

Richard said: “We are very proud of his technical ability and business acumen.”

Picture: MERCURY PRESS A BOY of 13 is sweeping to success by turning his obsession for vacuum cleaners into a business. Matthew Lock, pictured above with his collection, got his first toy “Henry” when he was two and by five he was hoovering the family home. He now has a...