NEW RULE OF THREE

Scientists have developed a simple new three-minute exercise formula that has been proven to extend the length and quality of your life

Three minutes is not long enough to boil an egg, or to make it through most songs on Spotify, but new research suggests it is more than enough time to save your life.

A global team of scientists, led by Glasgow Caledonian University, found that performing three minutes of moderate exercise for each hour of the day you spend sitting down could cut your chances of an early death by 30 per cent. Although guidelines suggest we do 30 minutes of exercise per day, the experts found that did not correlate with a reduced mortality risk for anyone who spends extended periods sitting down. However, when those people did three minutes of exercise for every hour spent sitting, their odds of an early death were slashed. The four-year study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, is the largest of its kind in the world, featuring data from more than 130,000 people.

SHAKE THINGS UP

“We wanted to find out what the perfect cocktail of physical activity throughout a day was for maximum health, in terms of the time spent sitting, exercising, just moving around, and sleeping, and how these all work together,” explained Professor Sebastien Chastin. “Our new formula found that three minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per hour of sitting will get the balance right and help you live a longer, healthier life.”

Given that most of us spend between 50-70 per cent of our time sitting down, this is important news. It suggests a regular sprinkle of exercise during the day could be more important for your health than one longer workout.