Stockholm, Oct 14 (IANS) Four-year-olds who exercise for five minutes every day reap significant health benefits, Swedish researchers said on Tuesday.

Five minutes of intense physical activity is enough for children to lose fat and see marked improvements in stamina and strength, the research from Stockholm’s Karolinska Institutet showed.

“I was a little surprised that we found this correlation between physical activity, muscle strength and stamina,” Marie Lof, a senior researcher in biosciences and nutrition, said in a statement, Xinhua reported.

The results showed stronger benefits than expected for young children who exercise more than their peers, Lof said. Intense, tiresome activity delivers the greatest results, she added, but stressed that a gym membership is not be necessary.

“One can play with soft balls or balloons, anything to spur the activity in a natural way,” Lof said.