FITNESS-phobics can take heart – a new study says just a few minutes of light activity lowers the death risk.

The finding relates to older men and follows work with thousands of men in 24 towns across the UK. All were participants in the British Regional Heart Study, which began in 1978-80 and took in Ayr, Dunfermline and Falkirk as well as locations in England and Wales.

Almost 8000 men aged between 40 and 59 signed up for the project at its inception, with more than 3100 survivors invited for a check-up and lifestyle interview from 2010-12.

Close to 1,200 subjects with an average age of 78 agreed to wear a gadget to track the volume and intensity of physical activity for a seven-day period and their health was tracked until June 2016.

Current guidelines recommend the completion of at least 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous physical activity in bouts of ten minutes or more, but analysis of data collected by the digital devices indicated that overall volume of exercise is what matters, not the vigorousness or duration.

Researchers from University College London found every half hour of gentle activity like dog walking or light gardening was associated with a 17 per cent reduction in the risk of death. The connection was found even when lifestyle factors like the amount of time spent sitting down were taken into account.

At 33 per cent, the risk of death was further reduced for those clocking up more vigorous activity, but the team found less intensive pursuits may also prolong life. Meanwhile, no evidence was found to suggest that bursts of ten minute or more were more beneficial to lifespan than shorter periods of work.

The team says it is unclear whether the same results would apply to younger age groups or older women. However, writing in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, they said: “Results suggest that all activities, however modest, are beneficial.”

“The pattern of accumulation of physical activity did not appear to alter the associations with mortality, suggesting that it would be beneficial to encourage older men to be active irrespective of bouts.”