The workout that can de age you 20 years... and it takes only 16 minutes a week

A simple workout routine performed once a week could help reverse your heart health by two decades, a leading cardiologist has revealed.

Dr Benjamin Levine, a professor of internal medicine and cardiology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, is a big advocate of the 'Norwegian 4x4'.

This high-intensity workout, which he says is practiced by the Norwegian ski team, involves pushing yourself to 90 to 95 percent of your maximum heart rate for four, four-minute intervals once a week.

Some of the suggested activities include running, biking ,and rowing, pushing yourself to your limit for the allotted time.

After the four minutes are up, you then take three minutes of recovery time before doing another four-minute set. This pattern should be repeated four times.

Doing just one routine of the Norwegian 4x4 per week will reap big rewards for your heart health, Dr Levine says.

To prove how advantageous the Norwegian 4x4 can be, Dr Levine recruited 53 participants with an average age of 53, and he assigned them a fitness plan for two years.

The only vigorous part of the plan was the Norwegian 4x4, which the participants were told to perform once a week.

Other elements of their program included one hour of doing a 'fun' physical activity per week, such as dancing or playing a sport, one 30-minute session of strength training, and two to three days of moderate-intensity exercise for at least 30 minutes.

Over the two-year period, the middle-aged participants, who were previously sedentary, saw a dramatic improvement in their heart health.

Dr Levine used a heart catheterization (a diagnostic procedure a healthcare provider uses to see how well your heart is working) to measure the flexibility or 'youthfulness' of their hearts and found, after the study, their hearts were comparable to someone in their 30s.

As the heart ages, the main artery (aorta) becomes thicker, stiffer, and less flexible.

This is related to changes in the connective tissue of the blood vessel wall. This makes the blood pressure higher and makes the heart work harder, which may lead to thickening of the heart muscle (hypertrophy).

Dr Levine said the results of his study were 'quite compelling, and showed that it is possible to reverse some of the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle if you commit to a heart-healthy exercise routine in late middle age (40 to 64 years).'

He carried out a follow-up study involving patients in the same age range who had 'thickened' aortas that made them high risk for heart disease or heart failure.

He said that they were given the same exercise treatment plan for one year, and they showed a similar improvement in the elasticity, or 'youthfulness,' of their heart muscle as the research team saw in healthy middle-aged individuals.

The heart expert concluded: 'This study shows that dedicated exercise training in middle age can reverse some of the consequences of diseases such as hypertension, and can potentially stave off more serious diseases such as heart failure in the future.'

Heart disease continues to kill more people in the US than any other cause, according to the American Heart Association.

In 2022 (the most recent year for which final data is available), there were nearly 1million deaths from coronary artery disease, heart attack, and stroke - collectively referred to as cardiovascular disease - the equivalent of a death every 30 seconds.

Cancer, meanwhile, kills roughly 600,000 Americans per year, while dementia is responsible for 288,000 deaths.

Researchers from the American Heart Association say a lack of awareness compared to other diseases like cancer and an increase in risk factors may be to blame.

Additionally, heart disease can be a silent killer, lurking for decades before symptoms start to appear.

The experts also warn that while deaths from heart disease may be starting to plateau for the first time since the pandemic, risk factors for the disease are on the rise.

Nearly half of US adults have high blood pressure, for example, and almost three-quarters are overweight or obese.

The experts reveal that if trends continue, two-thirds of US adults will become obese and suffer high blood pressure by 2050, further increasing their risk of heart disease.

Exercise can reduce the risk of heart and circulatory diseases by up to 35 percent.

The US Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults should get 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity, or a combination of both, preferably spread throughout the week.

Dr Levine suggests that 'exercise should be a prescription for life'.

He adds: 'The benefits of a healthy heart for longevity and quality of life are too great to ignore.

'A regular exercise routine will help you keep your heart healthy for years to come. Jog, swim, golf, hike, play basketball, dance, do yoga - whatever you love to do. The most important thing is to get out there and do it.'