Mowing lawn for 11 minutes a day could cut the odds of dying early

Cutting the grass doesn’t merely leave your garden in tip-top condition – it could just save your life.

Researchers claim one in ten early deaths could be avoided if inactive people mowed the lawn for 11 minutes a day.

Short bouts of moderate exercise such as brisk walking, dancing, water aerobics or gardening each day could reduce the risk of early death, heart disease and cancer.

The University of Cambridge team said 75 minutes of moderate exercise a week – half the recommended amount – can cut risks compared with no exercise.

Experts analysed 196 research articles about the health benefits of exercise involving more than 30 million adults. 

The risk of early death, cardiovascular disease and cancer decreased the more someone exercised. 

The team estimated one in ten early deaths could be prevented if inactive people did at least 75 minutes of moderate exercise a week. 

Up to 2.5 hours a week further reduced the risk of an early death. 

However, more than 2.5 hours gave only small additional gains, and there was little extra benefit from more than five hours a week. 

The NHS recommends at least 2.5 hours of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity every week.

But Soren Brage, one of the authors of the study, which was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, said: ‘If you are someone who finds the idea of 2.5 hours of activity a week daunting, then our findings should be good news.’