Study: 560–610 minutes weekly cut heart risk

Researchers at Macao Polytechnic University said on May 19 that adults may need far more exercise than current minimum recommendations to achieve what the study defined as substantial cardiovascular protection. The findings, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, linked 560 to 610 minutes a week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity with a greater than 30% reduction in the risk of heart attack and stroke-related events. BMJ Group said the study was observational, based on UK Biobank data, and suggested current exercise advice may be too low for larger risk reductions. ### How much exercise did the study say was tied to bigger heart benefits? The headline number was 560 to 610 minutes a week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. BMJ Group said that range was associated with a “substantial reduction” in cardiovascular risk, which the study classified as more than 30%. (bmjgroup.com) By contrast, the current public-health benchmark cited in the coverage was at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-to-vigorous exercise. The study found that meeting that threshold was linked to a more modest 8% to 9% reduction in cardiovascular risk across fitness levels. ### What counted as “cardiovascular risk” in this analysis? (bmjgroup.com) The study followed 17,088 UK Biobank participants for an average of 7.8 years. During that period, researchers recorded 1,233 cardiovascular events, including 874 cases of atrial fibrillation, 156 myocardial infarctions, 111 cases of heart failure and 92 strokes. (bmjgroup.com) Those figures matter because the analysis was not limited to heart attacks alone. The reported risk reduction covered a broader group of cardiovascular outcomes tracked during follow-up, based on the events listed in the study coverage. ### Who was studied, and how did researchers measure activity? (bmjgroup.com) The participants were drawn from the UK Biobank between 2013 and 2015. The average age was 57, 56% were female and 96% were white, according to the study summary released by BMJ Group. Researchers used wrist-worn devices for seven consecutive days to record typical activity levels. (bmjgroup.com) They also used a cycle test to estimate VO2 max, a measure of cardiorespiratory fitness that reflects how efficiently the heart, lungs and muscles use oxygen during intense exercise. ### Why did fitness level matter in the results? (bmjgroup.com) The study said less-fit people needed somewhat more exercise to reach similar benefits. Medical Xpress, citing the study, reported that participants with the lowest fitness needed about 30 to 50 additional minutes per week compared with highly fit participants to achieve equivalent protection. (bmjgroup.com) BMJ Group said the researchers argued that one-size-fits-all exercise advice may need to be replaced with more personalized targets based on fitness level. That was the authors’ interpretation of the data, not a change in formal guidelines. ### Does this change official exercise guidance now? The study did not itself change public-health guidelines. (medicalxpress.com) BMJ Group described the research as an observational study, which means it identified associations rather than proving that the higher exercise total directly caused the lower event rate. (bmjgroup.com) The current recommendation cited in the coverage remains at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-to-vigorous activity. The new paper adds a higher range tied to larger risk reductions in this cohort, but any revision to official guidance would have to come from guideline-setting bodies, not from a single study release. That is an inference from how medical guidelines are set, based on the study’s status as an observational paper and BMJ Group’s description of it as newly published research. (bmjgroup.com) ### What should readers watch next? The next concrete step is the full journal publication record in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, where readers can review the study methods, statistical analysis and any author disclosures. BMJ Group publicized the findings on May 19, 2026, and follow-up coverage from News-Medical and other outlets has tracked the same dataset and headline figures. (bmjgroup.com)