B2 – Upper Intermediate
A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reveals that engaging in just 75 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week about 11 minutes daily can significantly reduce health risks. Activities like brisk walking, gardening, or yoga were associated with a 17% reduction in cardiovascular disease risk, a 7% decrease in cancer risk, and a 23% lower risk of early death.
Read the article to know why even short bursts of daily activity can yield meaningful health benefits.
https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/daily-11-minute-brisk-walk-enough-to-reduce-risk-of-early-death
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does “study cohort” mean? “In total, they looked at results reported in 196 peer-reviewed articles, covering more than 30 million participants from 94 large study cohorts, to produce the largest analysis to date of the association between physical activity levels and risk of heart disease, cancer, and early death.
” Use it in a sentence. - What does “brisk walk” mean? “In a study published today in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the researchers say that 11 minutes a day (75 minutes a week) of moderate-intensity physical activity – such as a brisk walk – would be sufficient to lower the risk of diseases such as heart disease, stroke and a number of cancers.
” Use it in a sentence. - What does “pooling” mean here, “To explore the amount of physical activity necessary to have a beneficial impact on several chronic diseases and premature death, researchers from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis, pooling and analysing cohort data from all of the published evidence.” Use it in a sentence.
Discussion Questions:
- What types of physical activities qualify as moderate-intensity exercise according to the study?
- How does just 11 minutes of daily activity impact the risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and early death?
- Why is this research significant for people with busy lifestyles or limited access to fitness resources?
- What might be the long-term public health benefits if more people adopted this minimal exercise routine?
- How could governments or workplaces encourage more people to incorporate short bursts of physical activity into their daily routines?