Short, sharp bouts of exercise good for the heart

Short bouts of exercise can be just as effective at protecting the heart as longer workouts, but getting the heart rate up is a key factor as light activity offers no cardiac benefit, two new studies show (Circulation 2000;102:975-80, 981-7).

Physical activity has long been associated with a decreased risk of coronary heart disease. It has been unclear, however, whether the duration of exercise episodes was important and whether accumulated shorter sessions were as predictive of decreased risk as longer sessions, provided that the same amount of energy was expended in each instance. …