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The Independent
29-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
New study finds this 5-minute daily bodyweight workout can boost fitness and mental health
There's a common misconception that you need to spend an hour in the gym, several times per week, to make a dent on your health and fitness goals. But for most people, this simply isn't the case. Instead, any regular activity is likely to have an impact. A recent study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology supports this, finding that a five-minute strength training routine, performed daily for four weeks, led to 'significantly improved physical fitness and mental health in sedentary individuals'. As far as I can see, the routine was nothing groundbreaking either, comprising progressive variations of the bodyweight squat, press-up, sit-up and calf raise. The progressive nature and consistency with which these exercises were performed is where the magic truly lies. Though the sample size is small, what the study shows is that small amounts of exercise, and strength training in particular, can offer untold perks for beginners. I investigated why this might be the case, and how you can use this information to efficiently further your own health and fitness. The workout Chair squat x10 Wall press-up x10 Chair recline x10 (similar to a sit-up, but performed in a chair with less range of motion) Heel drop x10 (a calf raise) The 'healthy but sedentary' participants of this study – four men and 18 women aged between 32 and 69 – performed 10 repetitions of each exercise to a strict tempo. This meant elongating the eccentric (or lowering) phase of each repetition for five seconds, then completing the concentric (or lifting) phase in roughly one second. For the chair squat, for example, this would involve sitting down slowly over the course of five seconds, then standing up as normal. 'Participants were allowed to choose the time at which they completed the exercises, and the exercises could be performed together or spread throughout the day,' the research adds. Once participants could complete 10 repetitions of an exercise with an RPE (rate of perceived exertion, or how hard an exercise feels) score of five out of 10 or less for two consecutive days, they were instructed to progress to a more challenging variation of the exercise. These variations were: Again, I want to stress that this isn't a magic formula. It simply plays on tried and trusted strength training principles – progressive overload and a combination of exercises which recruit most major muscle groups – to deliver the stimulus needed for positive changes in people new to this type of exercise. The main takeaway should be that just a few short minutes of adequately challenging resistance training per day, even without weights, can make a significant difference in sedentary populations. What this means for your fitness This article isn't aimed at people who run marathons for fun or sign up to every Hyrox race going. Instead, it speaks to anyone who wants to improve their health and fitness, but struggles to find the time, energy and motivation to squeeze exercise into their busy lives. For this group, it's important to understand that small amounts of activity, performed consistently and progressively as in the study above, can have a significant impact. 'Most evidence shows that even doing very small amounts of exercise or physical activity is beneficial for health, but more is better for us,' says Dr Richard Blagrove, a senior lecturer in physiology at Loughborough University. As a case study, he cites research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which found that those burning a bonus 500 calories across the week, averaging out at just 70 calories per day, 'show reductions in risk of mortality compared to being completely inactive'. 'The same is true for resistance training,' he adds, with research finding that just one challenging set of an exercise can increase strength, thus benefitting 'functional performance' – i.e. how well our bodies can serve us in daily life. This favourable dose-response relationship is something Joe Wicks stresses in his approach too. Wicks has been visiting workplaces across the UK as part of a new initiative on movement and wellness, and says he's witnessed a night and day difference between people who did and didn't find time to exercise. 'I visited all of these companies, and you'd see people that are really struggling, people who are really busy, and people with kids who are working 12-hour shifts through the night,' says Wicks. 'What I realised is there are usually two groups; one of them is not exercising, and one of them is finding a little bit of time to do some form of exercise, whether it's 10 minutes walking to work, something on their lunch break or a 20-minute YouTube workout when they get home.' This latter group, he says, were healthier and more energised, with lower stress levels and better mental health. For this reason, he likes to highlight the importance of finding some time, however short, to move during the day. 'I want to make it really manageable and say, 'Look, you might not have a full hour today, but do you have five, 10 or 15 minutes?' It makes a difference,' he explains. Walking and home workouts like his session below are Wicks' premier prescriptions for beginners, with these accessible activities removing many of the usual barriers to entry for exercise such as time and money. Another top option is exercise snacking – the act of microdosing fitness throughout the day. It's a wellness trend that's both easy to access and adhere to, no matter your fitness level. A four-week study by the University of Essex and University of Suffolk found that just 16 total minutes of bodyweight exercises such as squats and lunges, spread across an eight-hour work day, 'can mitigate against the negative effects of prolonged sedentary time [or sitting at a desk all day]'. Subjects saw improved leg strength and balance from the minimalist exercise plan. Meanwhile, research in the Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews journal honed in specifically on the term 'exercise snacks'. It defined the phrase as 'isolated bouts of brief (<60sec) vigorous exercise performed multiple times throughout the day', and found that doing this three times per day (often via cycling or stair climbing) could be 'efficacious for improving cardiorespiratory fitness and exercise performance in inactive adults'. The foundational theory behind this is called the SAID principle, which stands for specific adaptations to imposed demands. This simply means the body will adapt over time to get better at handling the things we consistently ask it to do. If we sit in a chair all day, it might tighten our hip flexors to save us some energy. However, this is likely to feel unpleasant when we go to lengthen them again while walking or exercising. Conversely, if we're regularly raising our heart rate, cardiorespiratory fitness improvements are likely to follow, while consistent and challenging resistance exercise will lead to improvements in strength and muscle, provided we're fuelling and recovering appropriately. For this reason, any long-term change in behaviour which sees you challenging yourself physically and doing more than you were before will probably result in positive adaptations to your body. This is partly why those who have been exercising for a long time require more dramatic changes to see progress, while newcomers can make incredible headway from just a few small tweaks like those discussed above. Key takeaways – and a free workout plan to try The bottom line here is that, as far as exercise is concerned, a little goes a long way. This is especially true if you're a beginner. The title study shows how a few quick exercises can improve strength and mental health in sedentary adults, while the further research referenced above suggests these benefits also extend to cardiorespiratory fitness – the ability of the heart, lungs and blood vessels to supply oxygen to your working muscles during exercise. If you want to put this information to good use by weaving some time-savvy exercise into your hectic schedule, my best advice would be to first pick one exercise you can do for each of strength coach Dan John's basic human movements (push, pull, hinge, squat, carry). Then, perform each exercise for 8-12 repetitions, between one and three times throughout day. For example: You might do this immediately after waking up, on your lunch break or whenever you boil a kettle while working from home – I realise this may draw a few funny looks in the office kitchenette. When an exercise feels easy, find a harder variation or, in the case of the row and carry, incrementally increase the weight you're lifting so it continues to provide a challenge. Et voila: an equipment-free beginner exercise plan for even the most time-poor of people.
The Independent
28-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
New study finds doing this five-minute bodyweight workout daily can ‘significantly improve physical fitness and mental health'
There's a common misconception that you need to spend an hour in the gym, several times per week, to make a dent on your health and fitness goals. But for most people, this simply isn't the case. Instead, any regular activity is likely to have an impact. A recent study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology supports this, finding that a five-minute strength training routine, performed daily for four weeks, led to 'significantly improved physical fitness and mental health in sedentary individuals'. As far as I can see, the routine was nothing groundbreaking either, comprising progressive variations of the bodyweight squat, press-up, sit-up and calf raise. The progressive nature and consistency with which these exercises were performed is where the magic truly lies. Though the sample size is small, what the study shows is that small amounts of exercise, and strength training in particular, can offer untold perks for beginners. I investigated why this might be the case, and how you can use this information to efficiently further your own health and fitness. The workout Chair squat x10 Wall press-up x10 Chair recline x10 (similar to a sit-up, but performed in a chair with less range of motion) Heel drop x10 (a calf raise) The 'healthy but sedentary' participants of this study – four men and 18 women aged between 32 and 69 – performed 10 repetitions of each exercise to a strict tempo. This meant elongating the eccentric (or lowering) phase of each repetition for five seconds, then completing the concentric (or lifting) phase in roughly one second. For the chair squat, for example, this would involve sitting down slowly over the course of five seconds, then standing up as normal. 'Participants were allowed to choose the time at which they completed the exercises, and the exercises could be performed together or spread throughout the day,' the research adds. Once participants could complete 10 repetitions of an exercise with an RPE (rate of perceived exertion, or how hard an exercise feels) score of five out of 10 or less for two consecutive days, they were instructed to progress to a more challenging variation of the exercise. These variations were: Again, I want to stress that this isn't a magic formula. It simply plays on tried and trusted strength training principles – progressive overload and a combination of exercises which recruit most major muscle groups – to deliver the stimulus needed for positive changes in people new to this type of exercise. The main takeaway should be that just a few short minutes of adequately challenging resistance training per day, even without weights, can make a significant difference in sedentary populations. What this means for your fitness This article isn't aimed at people who run marathons for fun or sign up to every Hyrox race going. Instead, it speaks to anyone who wants to improve their health and fitness, but struggles to find the time, energy and motivation to squeeze exercise into their busy lives. For this group, it's important to understand that small amounts of activity, performed consistently and progressively as in the study above, can have a significant impact. 'Most evidence shows that even doing very small amounts of exercise or physical activity is beneficial for health, but more is better for us,' says Dr Richard Blagrove, a senior lecturer in physiology at Loughborough University. As a case study, he cites research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which found that those burning a bonus 500 calories across the week, averaging out at just 70 calories per day, 'show reductions in risk of mortality compared to being completely inactive'. 'The same is true for resistance training,' he adds, with research finding that just one challenging set of an exercise can increase strength, thus benefitting 'functional performance' – i.e. how well our bodies can serve us in daily life. This favourable dose-response relationship is something Joe Wicks stresses in his approach too. Wicks has been visiting workplaces across the UK as part of a new initiative on movement and wellness, and says he's witnessed a night and day difference between people who did and didn't find time to exercise. 'I visited all of these companies, and you'd see people that are really struggling, people who are really busy, and people with kids who are working 12-hour shifts through the night,' says Wicks. 'What I realised is there are usually two groups; one of them is not exercising, and one of them is finding a little bit of time to do some form of exercise, whether it's 10 minutes walking to work, something on their lunch break or a 20-minute YouTube workout when they get home.' This latter group, he says, were healthier and more energised, with lower stress levels and better mental health. For this reason, he likes to highlight the importance of finding some time, however short, to move during the day. 'I want to make it really manageable and say, 'Look, you might not have a full hour today, but do you have five, 10 or 15 minutes?' It makes a difference,' he explains. Walking and home workouts like his session below are Wicks' premier prescriptions for beginners, with these accessible activities removing many of the usual barriers to entry for exercise such as time and money. Another top option is exercise snacking – the act of microdosing fitness throughout the day. It's a wellness trend that's both easy to access and adhere to, no matter your fitness level. A four-week study by the University of Essex and University of Suffolk found that just 16 total minutes of bodyweight exercises such as squats and lunges, spread across an eight-hour work day, 'can mitigate against the negative effects of prolonged sedentary time [or sitting at a desk all day]'. Subjects saw improved leg strength and balance from the minimalist exercise plan. Meanwhile, research in the Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews journal honed in specifically on the term 'exercise snacks'. It defined the phrase as 'isolated bouts of brief (<60sec) vigorous exercise performed multiple times throughout the day', and found that doing this three times per day (often via cycling or stair climbing) could be 'efficacious for improving cardiorespiratory fitness and exercise performance in inactive adults'. The foundational theory behind this is called the SAID principle, which stands for specific adaptations to imposed demands. This simply means the body will adapt over time to get better at handling the things we consistently ask it to do. If we sit in a chair all day, it might tighten our hip flexors to save us some energy. However, this is likely to feel unpleasant when we go to lengthen them again while walking or exercising. Conversely, if we're regularly raising our heart rate, cardiorespiratory fitness improvements are likely to follow, while consistent and challenging resistance exercise will lead to improvements in strength and muscle, provided we're fuelling and recovering appropriately. For this reason, any long-term change in behaviour which sees you challenging yourself physically and doing more than you were before will probably result in positive adaptations to your body. This is partly why those who have been exercising for a long time require more dramatic changes to see progress, while newcomers can make incredible headway from just a few small tweaks like those discussed above. Key takeaways – and a free workout plan to try The bottom line here is that, as far as exercise is concerned, a little goes a long way. This is especially true if you're a beginner. The title study shows how a few quick exercises can improve strength and mental health in sedentary adults, while the further research referenced above suggests these benefits also extend to cardiorespiratory fitness – the ability of the heart, lungs and blood vessels to supply oxygen to your working muscles during exercise. If you want to put this information to good use by weaving some time-savvy exercise into your hectic schedule, my best advice would be to first pick one exercise you can do for each of strength coach Dan John's basic human movements (push, pull, hinge, squat, carry). Then, perform each exercise for 8-12 repetitions, between one and three times throughout day. For example: You might do this immediately after waking up, on your lunch break or whenever you boil a kettle while working from home – I realise this may draw a few funny looks in the office kitchenette. When an exercise feels easy, find a harder variation or, in the case of the row and carry, incrementally increase the weight you're lifting so it continues to provide a challenge. Et voila: an equipment-free beginner exercise plan for even the most time-poor of people.
The Sun
13-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
A treat with your evening cuppa is ‘as good at slashing your blood pressure as drugs'
A CUP of tea and square of chocolate could be just as good as some drugs at slashing your high blood pressure, researchers claim. A new study from the University of Surrey has found that naturally occurring compounds in your daily cuppa or favourite treat may improve blood pressure and blood vessel health. Called flavan-3-ols, these compounds are found in cocoa, tea, apples and grapes. According to University of Surrey researchers, they "show promise in improving blood pressure and vascular function, but are currently not used for cardiovascular prevention". Their study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, analysed data from 145 randomised controlled studies. It found that regularly eating flavan-3-ols can lead to a reduction in blood pressure readings, particularly in people with elevated or high blood pressure. In some cases, the average blood pressure-lowering effects were comparable to those seen with some medications. Flavan-3-ols were also found to improve the function of the endothelium - the inner lining of blood vessels - which releases substances that aid blood flow and is crucial for overall cardiovascular health. Damage to your endothelium can put you at risk for a range of health problems like atherosclerosis - when plaques narrow the arteries - as well as related conditions like heart attacks and stroke. Researchers said the improvement to endothelial function happened separately to changes in blood pressure. This suggests a broader positive impact on the circulatory system, they wrote, adding that their findings support the use of flavan-3-ols for prevention of cardiovascular issues. Professor Christian Heiss, lead-author of the study and Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Surrey, said: 'The findings are encouraging for those looking for accessible ways to manage their blood pressure and support their heart health through enjoyable dietary changes." High blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes are all dubbed 'silent killers' - should we really be that worried? But this doesn't give you the green light to go ham on chocolate - having small amounts is key, as is choosing dark over milk. Nor can flavan-3-ols replace medications if you need them to bring down your blood pressure - but they can serve as a useful addition to your "healthy lifestyle", Prof Heiss went on. "Incorporating small amounts of commonly consumed foods like tea, apples, dark chocolate, or cocoa powder into a daily balanced diet could provide beneficial amounts of flavan-3-ols," he explained. 'While not a replacement for prescribed medications or medical advice, including more flavan-3-ol-rich foods in a daily routine could be a valuable addition to a healthy lifestyle, especially for those with higher blood pressure. "These are findings that, although promising, require ongoing investigation.' It's not the first time flavan-3-ols - which are a type of flavonoid - have been linked to better heart and circulatory health. Bananas may also help lower blood pressure Apples and berries aren't the only fruit that could help slash blood pressure. New research from the University of Waterloo suggests eating foods like bananas, which are rich in potassium, may be more effective than simply reducing salt intake alone. "Usually, when we have high blood pressure, we are advised to eat less salt," said Anita Layton, professor of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Pharmacy and Biology at the University of Waterloo. "Our research suggests that adding more potassium-rich foods to your diet, such as bananas or broccoli, might have a greater positive impact on your blood pressure than just cutting sodium." Sodium and potassium are essential electrolytes that your body needs to maintain fluid balance, nerve and muscle function, as well as blood pressure. "Early humans ate lots of fruits and vegetables, and as a result, our body's regulatory systems may have evolved to work best with a high potassium, low sodium diet," said Melissa Stadt, a PhD candidate and lead author of the study. "Today, western diets tend to be much higher in sodium and lower in potassium. That may explain why high blood pressure is found mainly in industrialised societies, not in isolated societies." In 2023, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommended that people 'increase consumption of nutrient-dense foods rich in flavan-3-ols and low or absent in added sugars, including but not limited to tea, apples, berries, and cocoa" to lower their risk of disease. It found that 'moderate evidence supporting cardiometabolic protection resulting from flavan-3-ol intake in the range of 400-600 mg/day was supported" by research. Ultimately, the Academy said 'consumption of dietary flavan-3-ols may help improve blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar". Previous research has also linked compounds found in cocoa, grapes and apples to a lower risk of cognitive decline and dementia. The study of 122,000 British adults found those who ate the greatest amounts of flavonoids had a 28 per cent lower risk of dementia than people who ate the least. It found a diet high in flavonoids was an even bigger boost for people with a high genetic risk of dementia, who saw a 43 per cent reduction in risk. Study author Dr Amy Jennings, from Queen's University in Belfast, said at the time: 'These results provide a clear public health message. 'They suggest that a simple increase in daily consumption of flavonoid-rich foods may lower dementia risk. 'Currently there is no effective treatment for the disease so preventive interventions to improve health should continue to be a priority.' How to lower blood pressure Persistent high blood pressure (hypertension) puts extra strain on your blood vessels, heart and other organs and it can raise your risk of serious conditions like heart disease, heart attacks and stroke. Here's how to reduce it. Reduce salt Adults are recommended to limit their salt to 6g per day (around one level teaspoon) to avoid health consequences including high blood pressure. The top tip is to swap out table salt, according to the Salt Substitute and Stroke Study, replacing it with a reduced sodium and added potassium alternative. Cut down on alcohol Excessive boozing can narrow the blood vessels, which raises the risk of hypertension. Official drinking guidelines advise that people should not regularly drink more than 14 units a week to keep health risks from alcohol low. Get moving Exercise is good for the heart and the blood vessels. Although the guidelines recommend 150 minutes of activity per week, if you're currently very inactive, just a walk to the shop every day is better than nothing, and you can work up from there. Studies suggest that isometric exercises - when you hold the body in one position without moving, such as a wall squat or plank - are best for lowering blood pressure. Stop smoking Smoking cigarettes is a killer. It makes the arteries sticky and narrow, which can cause blockages. While smoking is not a direct cause of high blood pressure, it can cause an instant rise to pressure, heart rate and reduce the amount of oxygen that gets to the body's cells. Skip coffee Sadly, caffeine can cause a short, but dramatic increase in your blood pressure - even if you don't have high blood pressure. Therefore cutting back on coffee is recommended as a lifestyle tip for those with hypertension. Lose weight The above tips can help you to lose weight, which is beneficial because being overweight in itself is a risk factor for hypertension. Being overweight forces your heart to work harder to pump blood around your body, which can raise your blood pressure. The only way of knowing whether you have high blood pressure is to have a blood pressure test. All adults over 40 years old are advised to have their blood pressure checked at least every five years.
The Independent
08-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
This daily five-minute workout can significantly improve fitness, new study finds
There's a common misconception that you need to spend an hour in the gym, several times per week, to make a dent on your health and fitness goals. But for most people, this simply isn't the case. Instead, any regular activity is likely to have an impact. A recent study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology supports this, finding that a five-minute strength training routine, performed daily for four weeks, led to 'significantly improved physical fitness and mental health in sedentary individuals'. As far as I can see, the routine was nothing groundbreaking either, comprising progressive variations of the bodyweight squat, press-up, sit-up and calf raise. The progressive nature and consistency with which these exercises were performed is where the magic truly lies. Though the sample size is small, what the study shows is that small amounts of exercise, and strength training in particular, can offer untold perks for beginners. I investigated why this might be the case, and how you can use this information to efficiently further your own health and fitness. The workout Chair squat x10 Wall press-up x10 Chair recline x10 (similar to a sit-up, but performed in a chair with less range of motion) Heel drop x10 (a calf raise) The 'healthy but sedentary' participants of this study – four men and 18 women aged between 32 and 69 – performed 10 repetitions of each exercise to a strict tempo. This meant elongating the eccentric (or lowering) phase of each repetition for five seconds, then completing the concentric (or lifting) phase in roughly one second. For the chair squat, for example, this would involve sitting down slowly over the course of five seconds, then standing up as normal. 'Participants were allowed to choose the time at which they completed the exercises, and the exercises could be performed together or spread throughout the day,' the research adds. Once participants could complete 10 repetitions of an exercise with an RPE (rate of perceived exertion, or how hard an exercise feels) score of five out of 10 or less for two consecutive days, they were instructed to progress to a more challenging variation of the exercise. These variations were: Again, I want to stress that this isn't a magic formula. It simply plays on tried and trusted strength training principles – progressive overload and a combination of exercises which recruit most major muscle groups – to deliver the stimulus needed for positive changes in people new to this type of exercise. The main takeaway should be that just a few short minutes of adequately challenging resistance training per day, even without weights, can make a significant difference in sedentary populations. What this means for your fitness This article isn't aimed at people who run marathons for fun or sign up to every Hyrox race going. Instead, it speaks to anyone who wants to improve their health and fitness, but struggles to find the time, energy and motivation to squeeze exercise into their busy lives. For this group, it's important to understand that small amounts of activity, performed consistently and progressively as in the study above, can have a significant impact. 'Most evidence shows that even doing very small amounts of exercise or physical activity is beneficial for health, but more is better for us,' says Dr Richard Blagrove, a senior lecturer in physiology at Loughborough University. As a case study, he cites research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which found that those burning a bonus 500 calories across the week, averaging out at just 70 calories per day, 'show reductions in risk of mortality compared to being completely inactive'. 'The same is true for resistance training,' he adds, with research finding that just one challenging set of an exercise can increase strength, thus benefitting 'functional performance' – i.e. how well our bodies can serve us in daily life. This favourable dose-response relationship is something Joe Wicks stresses in his approach too. Wicks has been visiting workplaces across the UK as part of a new initiative on movement and wellness, and says he's witnessed a night and day difference between people who did and didn't find time to exercise. 'I visited all of these companies, and you'd see people that are really struggling, people who are really busy, and people with kids who are working 12-hour shifts through the night,' says Wicks. 'What I realised is there are usually two groups; one of them is not exercising, and one of them is finding a little bit of time to do some form of exercise, whether it's 10 minutes walking to work, something on their lunch break or a 20-minute YouTube workout when they get home.' This latter group, he says, were healthier and more energised, with lower stress levels and better mental health. For this reason, he likes to highlight the importance of finding some time, however short, to move during the day. 'I want to make it really manageable and say, 'Look, you might not have a full hour today, but do you have five, 10 or 15 minutes?' It makes a difference,' he explains. Walking and home workouts like his session below are Wicks' premier prescriptions for beginners, with these accessible activities removing many of the usual barriers to entry for exercise such as time and money. Another top option is exercise snacking – the act of microdosing fitness throughout the day. It's a wellness trend that's both easy to access and adhere to, no matter your fitness level. A four-week study by the University of Essex and University of Suffolk found that just 16 total minutes of bodyweight exercises such as squats and lunges, spread across an eight-hour work day, 'can mitigate against the negative effects of prolonged sedentary time [or sitting at a desk all day]'. Subjects saw improved leg strength and balance from the minimalist exercise plan. Meanwhile, research in the Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews journal honed in specifically on the term 'exercise snacks'. It defined the phrase as 'isolated bouts of brief (<60sec) vigorous exercise performed multiple times throughout the day', and found that doing this three times per day (often via cycling or stair climbing) could be 'efficacious for improving cardiorespiratory fitness and exercise performance in inactive adults'. The foundational theory behind this is called the SAID principle, which stands for specific adaptations to imposed demands. This simply means the body will adapt over time to get better at handling the things we consistently ask it to do. If we sit in a chair all day, it might tighten our hip flexors to save us some energy. However, this is likely to feel unpleasant when we go to lengthen them again while walking or exercising. Conversely, if we're regularly raising our heart rate, cardiorespiratory fitness improvements are likely to follow, while consistent and challenging resistance exercise will lead to improvements in strength and muscle, provided we're fuelling and recovering appropriately. For this reason, any long-term change in behaviour which sees you challenging yourself physically and doing more than you were before will probably result in positive adaptations to your body. This is partly why those who have been exercising for a long time require more dramatic changes to see progress, while newcomers can make incredible headway from just a few small tweaks like those discussed above. Key takeaways – and a free workout plan to try The bottom line here is that, as far as exercise is concerned, a little goes a long way. This is especially true if you're a beginner. The title study shows how a few quick exercises can improve strength and mental health in sedentary adults, while the further research referenced above suggests these benefits also extend to cardiorespiratory fitness – the ability of the heart, lungs and blood vessels to supply oxygen to your working muscles during exercise. If you want to put this information to good use by weaving some time-savvy exercise into your hectic schedule, my best advice would be to first pick one exercise you can do for each of strength coach Dan John's basic human movements (push, pull, hinge, squat, carry). Then, perform each exercise for 8-12 repetitions, between one and three times throughout day. For example: You might do this immediately after waking up, on your lunch break or whenever you boil a kettle while working from home – I realise this may draw a few funny looks in the office kitchenette. When an exercise feels easy, find a harder variation or, in the case of the row and carry, incrementally increase the weight you're lifting so it continues to provide a challenge. Et voila: an equipment-free beginner exercise plan for even the most time-poor of people.
Medscape
06-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Low Childhood Vitamin D Signals High CVD Risk in Adulthood
Levels of 25-hydroxy (OH) vitamin D below 37 nmol/L during childhood were significantly associated with an increased risk for adult-onset atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. METHODOLOGY: Researchers analysed data from a prospective study in Finland to evaluate the relationship between low levels of vitamin D during childhood and adult-onset atherosclerotic CVD events. They included 3516 participants (mean age at baseline, 10.5 years; 50.9% girls) whose serum concentrations of 25-OH vitamin D were measured in 2010 from stored frozen samples collected in 1980 when the participants were 3-18 years old. The association between atherosclerotic CVD outcomes during adulthood and 25-OH vitamin D level cut points ranging from 31 to 43 nmol/L during childhood was examined. Levels < 30 nmol/L were used as a cut point for vitamin D deficiency. TAKEAWAY: By 2018, 95 participants (2.7%) had been diagnosed with at least one atherosclerotic CVD event, with 47 years being the median age at the first event. Low levels of 25-OH vitamin D during childhood were significantly associated with an increased risk for atherosclerotic CVD events during adulthood at cut points of 37 nmol/L (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.84), 35 nmol/L (aHR, 2.19), 33 nmol/L (aHR, 1.76), and 31 nmol/L (aHR, 2.07; P < .05 for all). < .05 for all). The findings remained consistent when adjusting for adult vitamin D levels or when using the vitamin D deficiency cut point of < 30 nmol/L. Nearly one fifth of the young participants did not achieve the vitamin D level cut point of > 37 nmol/L after about four decades of follow-up. IN PRACTICE: "The results may thus have implications in future prevention of ASCVD [atherosclerotic CVD], and easy and cost-beneficial CVD risk mitigation via supporting optimized 25-OH-vitamin D supplementation during childhood," the authors wrote. SOURCE: This study was led by Jussi Niemelä, MD, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland. It was published online on April 29, 2025, in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology . LIMITATIONS: The measurement of baseline levels of 25-OH vitamin D from stored serum samples may have been subject to error. The findings from this ethnically homogeneous study population may not be generalisable to other European populations. Causality could not be established from the observed associations. DISCLOSURES: No funding information was provided for this study, and the authors reported having no conflicts of interest.
