Scrubbing the floor helps you live longer, scientists reveal It might be the worst household chore, but getting down on your knees and scrubbing the floor could be a […]

It might be the worst household chore, but getting down on your knees and scrubbing the floor could be a life saver according to new research.

Vacuuming is another daily activity that provides enough exercise to protect the heart and extend life, a study has shown.

Scientists found that 30 minutes of activity per day, or 150 minutes per week – the same amount Public Health England recommends all adults should do – reduced the risk of death from any cause by 28 per cent and rates of heart disease by a fifth.

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“Going to the gym is great, but we only have so much time we can spend there. If we can walk to work, or at lunch time, that will help too.” Dr Scott Lear, McMaster University, Canada

The findings will be especially welcome for people who splash out small fortunes each month on gym membership as the researchers said doing the chores would provide the same benefits as running, swimming, or working out in the gym.

Of the more than 130,000 people from 17 countries who took part in the international study, published in The Lancet journal, fewer than 3 per cent who achieved high levels of activity did so through leisure pursuits. In contrast almost 40 per cent of highly active participants benefited from commuting, having a physical job, or domestic chores.

No ceiling

Lead investigator Dr Scott Lear, from McMaster University in Canada, said: “By including low and middle-income countries in this study, we were able to determine the benefit of activities such as active commuting, having an active job or even doing housework.

“Going to the gym is great, but we only have so much time we can spend there. If we can walk to work, or at lunch time, that will help too.”

The Pure (Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology) study found that if everyone was active for at least 150 minutes per week, 8 per cent of global deaths over seven years would be prevented. It also showed there appeared to be no ceiling to the health benefits of taking exercise.

People who did more than 750 minutes of brisk walking per week reduced their risk of death by 36 per cent.

Professor Metin Avkiran, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said: “In an age where we’re living increasingly busy but often sedentary lives in the west, weaving physical activity into our daily routines has never been more important, not only to improve our physical health but also overall well-being.

“Increased physical activity could have an even greater beneficial impact in lower income countries, due to its low its cost and the high incidence of heart disease in those countries.”