Want to Live a Longer, Healthier Life? These 2 Minutes Could Significantly Improve Your Fitness and Cut Your Mortality Risk by 40 Percent

Captain Obvious here with a news flash: People want to live longer. That’s why innovations in lifespan and healthspan are booming, from supplements and ultrasound to red light and magnet therapy, and even ice baths.

A growing number of anti-aging startups involve notable entrepreneurs like Jeff Bezos, Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The problem? There’s little scientific evidence proving the effectiveness of these cutting-edge longevity treatments.

So, here’s an old-school way to live a longer, healthier life: Run some stairs a few times a day.

A study involving over 25,000 participants, published in Nature Medicine, found that short, intense bursts of physical activity—like sprinting up two flights of stairs, walking back down, and repeating this two more times, three times a day—had a dramatic impact on longevity. This simple activity resulted in a 49 percent reduction in death from cardiovascular disease and a 40 percent reduction in death from all causes.

As the researchers state:

“These results indicate that small amounts of vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) are associated with substantially lower mortality. VILPA in non-exercisers appears to elicit similar effects to vigorous physical activity (VPA) in exercisers, suggesting that VILPA may be a suitable physical activity target, especially in people not able or willing to exercise.”

In essence, brief and sporadic bouts of vigorous-intensity physical activity—integrated into daily living, such as walking briskly while commuting or carrying heavy objects—can have significant health benefits. This is especially relevant for those who don’t enjoy traditional exercise routines.

The researchers note that structured exercise sessions, like gym workouts or sports, aren’t feasible or appealing for many middle-aged adults due to low participation rates. On the other hand, VILPA is more accessible because it requires minimal time, and no special preparation, equipment, or facility access. For most adults, VILPA might be more manageable than structured exercise.

Many everyday activities can elicit vigorous intensity efforts in physically inactive adults, who represent a significant demographic in many countries. Summing it up, you don’t need to hit the gym to enjoy the benefits of exercise. You can take the stairs a few times a day, walk briskly across the parking lot, or carry bags of mulch instead of using a wheelbarrow.

Incorporating these activities into your routine can get your blood flowing, muscles working, and your heart beating faster. Science shows that even a few minutes of VILPA, three to five times a day, can significantly improve cardiorespiratory fitness in previously inactive adults within just a few weeks—at no cost.