You know you are not getting any younger and you need to get some exercise, but something keeps you from getting into the gym or yoga studio, or scheduling a regular run.

“We found that a minimum of 1.5 minutes to an average of four minutes of daily vigorous physical activity, completed in short bursts lasting up to one minute, were associated with improved cardiovascular health outcomes in middle-aged women who do no structured exercise,” said lead author Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, of the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney, in Australia.

The research, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, looked at high-intensity physical activity that forms part of a daily routine, known as “vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity”, or Vilpa. Longer Vilpa sessions, it found, are linked to significantly lower cardiovascular disease risk.

The World Health Organization recommends that all adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week – which can include walking, cycling or even household chores – or at least 75 minutes of more vigorous exercise such as running or competing in sport.