Hoovering for just 4 minutes a day can slash your cancer risk by 32% – 7 more chores that’ll get your heart rate up

You might not think you can accomplish much in four minutes. But you would be wrong.

New studies have shown that just 4.5 minutes of intense physical activity a day noticeably reduces the risk of cancer.

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That doesn’t mean you have to lace up and stomp the tarmac.

Instead, researchers claim that activities that make you huff and puff while performing everyday tasks are sufficient.

The study, conducted by the University of Sydney in Australia, suggests that 4.5 minutes of heart-pumping activity could reduce the risk of some cancers by up to 32 percent.

On the other hand, daily physical activity of at least 3.5 minutes was still associated with up to an 18 percent reduction in cancer.

The researchers found that as little as four to five minutes of “lifestyle intense intermittent physical activity,” also known as VILPA, was associated with a significantly lower risk of cancer than those who did not do VILPA.

In addition, scientists in Sweden have now discovered that physical fitness can almost halve the risk of cancer.

Data from one million men showed that staying in shape helps protect against at least nine types of cancer.

Increase the intensity

They found that top heart and lung condition between the ages of 16 and 25 was associated with a lower risk of developing neck, throat, stomach, pancreas, liver, colon, kidney or lung cancer in middle age connected is.

The risk of lung cancer was up to 42 percent lower than in people who spend more time on the sofa than exercising.

What is VILPA? According to the Sydney researchers, it describes very short, one-minute bursts of activity that “we do enthusiastically every day.”

These are simple, everyday things like vigorous vacuuming, vigorous scrubbing, power walking, and walking up and down stairs.

This new study is great news for Brits as many of us are not exercising as much as we should.

As a physical therapist, I know that simply increasing the intensity of everyday tasks, such as Other activities such as cleaning the house can help eliminate some of the negative consequences of not exercising.

Let’s begin . . .

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LIFT & STRETCH

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FROM the tallest bookcase and kitchen cabinet surfaces to bedside tables and baseboards, dust removal is a task that needs to be done on a regular basis.

Luckily, it’s a fairly strenuous activity that also involves the whole body, including your arms, core and legs.

Really reach up on your toes to get up with the duster and crouch low.

Do this instead of bending over so your legs and glutes get a good workout.

Try moving around the house quickly to help you sweat more.

stairway

Whether it’s laundry or your kids’ toys, don’t carry everything at once, split your load up and go up and down the stairs several times.

It will take a little longer, but your body will thank you.

Your heart, lungs, and legs work hard to propel you up and down stairs, especially when you’re carrying bulky items like piles of clothes.

SCRUB ON

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From mopping the floors and windows to thoroughly applying elbow grease to remove limescale from shower screens, you can add some pizzazz to your scrubbing.

Not only will your heart rate skyrocket as you clear dirt and grime, but your arms will get a good workout too.

The harder you press, the more the muscles in your upper body are engaged.

Also, prolonged scrubbing keeps these muscles under tension.

This further increases your heart rate and helps in strengthening and strengthening.

STRIDE’N’VAC

Pushing a vacuum cleaner around the house, back and forth, into every nook and cranny can seem like a strenuous workout.

Why not increase the intensity by leaping forward while pushing the vacuum in front of you?

To do this, simply drop your back knee to the floor and work your quadriceps and hamstrings.

These are the muscles located at the back of your thighs.

SQUAT THE LOT: FOUR EASY MOVES TO TRY

tasks done? Make some space and try these heart rate boosters.

Aim for 10 reps at a time, as many rounds as you can, until you reach 4.5 minutes.

1. Squat jump: In addition to being a powerful exercise, squat jumps are great for strengthening your lower body and will help build muscle in your legs, particularly your glutes, quads, and hamstrings.

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Additionally, as a plyometric exercise — also known as a jumping exercise — they really help increase the strength of your muscles.

Start in an upright position, feet shoulder-width apart.

Bend your knees and push your hips back to squat. Keep your back flat and look ahead.

Then, using your lower body strength, jump off the floor so that both feet are off the floor.

After landing, drop back into a crouch. This is a repeat.

2. BURPEES: The exercise we hate so much, a good old burpee, is a full-body, bodyweight exercise that gets your heart rate up in an instant.

Start by standing tall before squatting by pushing your hips back and bending your knees.

Then place your hands on the floor in front of your feet and jump backwards with both feet so that you end up in a high plank position.

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Bend your elbows, lower your body until it touches the floor, then push it back up through your palms to get back onto a plank.

Jump up with both feet toward your hands, then explode back up to get back up.

If burpees are a little difficult for you, remove the jump and step your feet back and forth instead. You can also remove the push-up mid-movement.

3. Jumping Jacks: Do you remember the days when you did the classic star jumps with friends in the schoolyard?

Well, that’s pretty much what a jumping jack is, just with a fancier name.

Stand upright with your legs close together and your arms at your sides.

Maintain weak knees as you jump wide out with both feet. At the same time, raise your arms up until your hands touch at the top.

Then jump back to the starting position. This is a repeat.

4. Butt Kicks: To start, stand up straight with your hands behind your buttocks and your palms facing away from your body.

Then, simply hop from foot to foot, lifting your feet up behind you so they tap your palms as you walk.

One rep is one kick on each side.

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