Tiny bursts still count: one-minute efforts in daily life

Not everyone has time for, or likes, formal workouts. A 2026 study in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity looked at people who reported no exercise at all, and asked whether short bursts of vigorous everyday movement still made a difference.

What the researchers did

The team analysed wrist-tracker data from 3,293 adults in a nationally representative US health survey who said they did no structured exercise. They counted brief bursts of vigorous activity lasting up to about a minute, such as climbing stairs fast, walking briskly uphill or carrying heavy shopping. They called this vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA). Participants were followed for an average of 6.7 years.

What they found

• The typical participant did about 5 bursts a day. That level was linked to a 44% lower risk of death from any cause compared with no bursts at all.
• Most of the benefit came from going from zero to a few bursts a day. The curve flattened beyond about 8 bursts.
• When the researchers removed people who already had heart disease or cancer, the pattern looked similar but became statistically uncertain. The authors say the results may partly reflect illness reducing activity, rather than activity improving health.

What it means for you

• Make everyday movement a little harder. Take the stairs briskly, walk fast to the bus, carry the shopping instead of wheeling it, play actively with the kids.
• Treat it as a starting point. If formal exercise feels out of reach, short bursts are an easy first step.
• Don't stop there if you can do more. The authors stress that bursts are not a replacement for the physical activity guidelines.

Source

Koemel NA, Ahmadi MN, Biswas RK, et al. Vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) and mortality risk among US adults: a wearables-based national cohort study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 2026. Read the study