If you’re too busy and can’t spend a continuous 30 minutes exercising, this might be a useful solution to help you maintain your health.
In a busy life, between work and family obligations, it’s hard to find a 30-minute slot to exercise every day. According to researchers from the Healthy Lifestyles Research Center at Arizona State University, three 10-minute workouts might even be more beneficial for your heart than a single 30-minute session. That’s good news for all of us.
Researchers are looking for an effective way to help people fit exercise into their lives. They gathered a group of generally healthy adults, but who had a condition called prehypertension, characterized by early signs of high blood pressure. Hypertension can lead to high blood pressure, which is one of the major risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Prehypertension can be prevented with exercise — but many people struggle to find time for the recommended 30-minute workout sessions.
Segmented exercise refers to shorter workout sessions repeated throughout the day — and it may be a more practical approach for some people who don’t have time for continuous exercise.
To compare segmented exercise with continuous exercise, the researchers asked volunteers to briskly walk — with a maximum heart rate of around 75% — for 10 minutes three times a day. On another day, the same volunteers briskly walked for 30 minutes. And finally, there was a group of volunteers who did not exercise at all. During the study, participants wore a device that continuously monitored their blood pressure for 24 hours.
Segmented exercise and blood pressure
It’s no surprise that exercise is helpful in managing blood pressure — but interestingly, segmented exercise seems to be a better strategy for controlling this condition. In fact, this approach reduced the average blood pressure over a 24-hour period. In other words, shorter exercise sessions lowered blood pressure during both the day and evening — and even into the next day.
Moreover, segmented exercise resulted in lower “blood pressure load.” This is important because high blood pressure load often indicates that prehypertension is likely to progress into full-blown hypertension.
Why do just 10 minutes of exercise offer such benefits? Research suggests that walking — even for a short time — reduces blood pressure after each session. This means that walking more frequently will provide a more noticeable reduction in blood pressure.
In terms of cardiovascular health, shorter exercise sessions are sufficient to make a difference. Of course, this method won’t turn you into a professional athlete — but it will help you stay healthier.
If you can’t find 30 minutes for a brisk walk, set aside 10 minutes — and repeat it three times.
Incorporate 10-minute walks into your day:
Mental break: Take a 10-minute break at your desk. You’ll reap the benefits of exercise and be mentally refreshed to return to work.
Lunchtime: Dedicate 10 minutes of your lunch break to walk around the block.
Waiting time: If you’re waiting for someone, stand up and move around.
Commute: Park a bit farther from work to walk for 10 minutes to reach your destination.
