It’s no secret that exercise is one of our most effective weapons in the fight against heart disease. But for women who are either unwilling or unable to make it a regular habit, a study from the University of Sydney offers some welcome news.

The research, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found that middle-aged women who don’t take part in structured exercise could almost halve their risk of a major adverse cardiovascular event by engaging in just 3.4 minutes a day of vigorous routine tasks, such as carrying heavy shopping, power walking or briskly climbing a set of stairs.