We often think heart health depends on long workouts or formal exercise routines. But for many of us, life doesn’t leave much time (or motivation) for the gym.

New research suggests there’s another way — and it starts with how you carry your shopping or take the stairs.

A 2024 study led by Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis at the University of Sydney tracked more than 25,000 self-described non-exercisers using wrist-worn activity monitors.

The researchers wanted to know: Can brief bursts of everyday movement — even if they last just seconds — lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes?

The answer was a clear yes.

Tiny Movements, Big Impact

These quick, unplanned bursts of effort — such as rushing to catch a train, carrying heavy bags, or scrubbing the bath — are known as incidental physical activity (IPA). They happen during daily routines: at home, at work, or while commuting.

Although they might not feel like exercise, they raise your heart rate and breathing — and over time, they appear to offer major cardiovascular benefits.

Participants in the study were, on average, 62 years old and didn’t do structured workouts.

Yet even their ten-second movement bursts were recorded by AI-based tracking tools. After nearly eight years of follow-up, hospital records showed:

• 908 major heart-related events — about 3.6% of participants

• 223 deaths from cardiovascular causes — fewer than 1% of the group

When researchers crunched the data, they found a clear pattern: the more daily IPA, the lower the risk.

Just a Little Makes a Difference

Those who managed around:

• 4–5 minutes of vigorous activity per day, or

• 24 minutes of moderate activity

…cut their risk of heart attack or stroke by up to 50%, compared with those who stayed mostly sedentary. That means risk could drop from about 4 in 100 people to just 2 in 100 over the 8-year study period.

And benefits increased rapidly with even small efforts. The first few minutes offered the biggest improvements — what researchers described as an “L-shaped” curve of risk reduction.

Why It Works

Even short bursts of movement help regulate blood pressure and blood sugar, improve circulation, and reduce inflammation — all major contributors to heart disease.

In contrast, long periods of sitting cause these markers to rise. Over time, this stiffens arteries and increases the chance of dangerous clots.

IPA Doesn’t Need a Gym or Gear

Unlike formal workouts, incidental activity:

• Doesn’t require special equipment

• Fits into your existing routine

• Costs nothing

• Doesn’t need you to set aside extra time

It removes the common barriers — time, travel, cost — that stop many people from meeting exercise recommendations.

And you don’t have to do it all at once. Movements as short as 10 seconds count, and they build up across the day.

Examples of Incidental Physical Activity

• Walking up stairs instead of taking the lift

• Carrying groceries, boxes, or a child

• Brisk walking between bus stops or during errands

• Scrubbing, mopping, or vacuuming quickly

• Speeding up your pace while walking the dog

  
  

Even if you don’t feel out of breath, if your heart rate increases and talking becomes a little harder, it’s likely beneficial.

Should You Still Aim for Workouts?

Yes — formal exercise offers added benefits like better balance, stronger muscles, and improved mental health. But if you don’t currently exercise, increasing your incidental activity is a proven and powerful place to start.

And if you already do regular workouts, adding in more daily movement still helps.

A Final Thought

This new evidence reinforces a powerful idea: you don’t need to overhaul your life to protect your heart.

Moving more — in small, natural ways — can be enough to cut your risk of heart attack or stroke in half. And most of us can start today, right where we are.