What it is
Minutes spent at a pace that raises your breathing — a brisk walk, a bike ride, anything harder than strolling. This is time at that pace, measured by an accelerometer in the evidence here. It is a companion to daily steps, not the same number.
How it is modeled (not scored)
Technical notes
The curve is Ekelund 2019 BMJ: harmonised individual-participant-data meta-analysis of 8 cohorts, n=36,383, 2,149 deaths. All-cause mortality by accelerometer-measured MVPA quarter vs quarter 1 (least active): quarter 2 HR 0.64 (0.55–0.74), quarter 3 HR 0.55 (0.40–0.74), quarter 4 (most active) HR 0.52 (0.43–0.61) — most of the benefit lands by quarter 2/3, with diminishing returns at the top. Main source: Ekelund 2019. Supporting: Samitz 2011 (80 studies, self-reported pre-accelerometer era, RR 0.86 at 150 min/week vs 0.74 at 300 min/week, larger effect size than the device-measured quarters) / Polo-López 2024 (UK Biobank continuous curve, L-shaped, benefit from 10 min/week, plateauing past ~500 min/week) / Ekelund 2020 BJSM (joint MVPA/sedentary analysis: about 30–40 min/day of MVPA is the dose that most blunts a high-sitting day, not a full antidote at any amount). No estimate is plotted for Polo-López — its shape is a continuous curve, not a single ratio.
How to improve it
- Add brisk walking, cycling or swimming most days
- Turn a few of your regular walks into a faster pace
- Break activity into 10-minute chunks if a long session doesn't fit
- Sit a lot? Break it up with brisk minutes