Just 11 Minutes of Exercise a Day Can Help You Live Longer

A longer, healthier life takes less effort than you might think.

According to new research from the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, just 11 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity can give you some long-term health benefits and longevity.

The study itself sampled over 44,000 men and women for a period between four and 14 and a half years, during which 3,451 participants died (7.8% mortality rate). Using activity monitors to measure "moderate-to-vigorous" physical activity, scientists used these calculations and compared them to participants' time while sedentary.

Overall, people who worked out about 30-40 minutes a day saw the biggest results in terms of health, but the study also showed that people who exercised at least 11 minutes a day, combined with low levels of sedentary time, could see similar benefits.

Sedentary lifestyles certainly have a strain on people's health. While sitting may seem harmless, being stuck in a chair at least eight hours a day for work could be hazardous to long-term health. In fact, a study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine showed that people who work desk jobs are twice as likely to die early.

11 minutes is definitely a lot less time than most previous studies reported to have real health benefits, however, this recent study concluded that past studies relied on "self-reported exposure data," which means they worked off of people's recollections of physical activity rather than hard data. And, of course, human memory can prove faulty.

"Self-reported assessment of physical activity and sedentary behaviors is prone to misclassification and socialdesirability bias, likely underestimates sedentary time, and has limited validity for estimating both light-intensity and total amount of physical activity," the study says.

So, luckily, moving around and breaking a light sweat every day is easier than committing to 90-minute workouts. Some examples of moderate exercise include brisk walks, major cleaning (such as vacuuming or mopping), mowing the lawn, or taking a light bike ride, according to Harvard University.