Frequent spurts of intense activity, such as taking the stairs or walking rather than driving, may cut your risk of heart disease by as much as one-third. In a recent study published by physicians at the University of Ulster in Belfast, a group of 12 women, ages 18–22, exhibited a significant increase in their health and fitness levels after just seven weeks of climbing stairs two minutes per day, five days a week. As compared to a non-participatory group of 10 women, the study group lowered their cholesterol level and improved their resting pulse rate with these brief interludes of exercise. The findings were reported in a recent article by Reuters Health (April 25, 2000).