10 minutes of energetic exercise twice a week will help reduce the risk of heart problems, stroke and blood clots in middle-aged women by 20%. This was from a recent Oxford University study that started nine years ago and involved over a million women in the United Kingdom. Women who engaged in milder exercises such as walking four to six times a week also received the same benefits. However, those who exercised more than thrice a week did not experience a further drop in risk. With the popularity of running events in Singapore these days, it is easy to mistake an active lifestyle as one that involves running a marathon every year, exercising over 5 times a week, or going to the gym every day. The truth is, adopting an active lifestyle need not be such a daunting and difficult experience. It’s all about taking baby steps. Choosing to leave the car at home and walking to the nearby supermarket. Picking the stairs over the lift. Signing up for a weekly aerobics class. These little things add up, and they will impact your life for the better. After all, it’s just 10 minutes. Probably less than the amount of time you spend waiting in line for your favourite hawker food. If you can give your taste buds that 10 minutes, why not your heart?
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