Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis studies exercise for a living at the University of Sydney in Australia, but he doesn’t like going to the gym. Instead, he told me in an interview this week, he makes a point of living a very active lifestyle: he doesn’t own a car, rides his bike everywhere, carries his grocery shopping in a backpack, and fits in a little yoga when he can.

His latest research, which was published today in Nature Medicine, backs up his approach. Stamatakis and his colleagues found that, among participants who reported not exercising, doing everyday activities vigorously for just one or two minutes three or four times a day reduced the risk of dying by up to 40%, compared to those who didn’t move as intensely. All you need to do to reap the benefits is up the intensity of your everyday habits. For instance:

• Take the stairs. “I’ve given up elevators altogether,” Stamatakis told me.
• Walk instead of driving, or park farther away from your destination.
• Step up your walking. Carry a backpack, go uphill, or pick up your pace.
• Do vigorous chores, like gardening.

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