Short, intense workouts — involving as little as six-second bursts of vigorous exercise — have the potential to transform the health of seniors, say researchers in Scotland.
A pilot study involving 12 seniors found going all-out in very short bursts reduced blood pressure and improved general fitness over time,
BBC News reports.
Abertay University researchers who conducted the study say such short, intense workouts help avert the "astronomical" costs of ill health in people over 65, who require twice as many healthcare services as those under that age.
High Intensity Training (HIT) has gained traction among many workout buffs, as scientific studies have shown it may confer many of the same benefits as traditional 30- to 60-exercise routines in a much shorter time. HIT involves pushing yourself to your absolute limits for short periods of time.
For the latest study, seniors exercised twice a week for six weeks — sprinting as fast as they could on an exercise bike for six seconds. They would allow their heart rate to recover and then cycle again at maximum speed, eventually building up to one minute of exercise by the end of the trial.
"They were not exceptionally fast, but for someone of that age they were," said researcher John Babraj, M.D.
The results, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, showed participants were able to reduce their blood pressure by 9 percent, increase their ability to get oxygen to their muscles significantly, and had an easier time with day-to-day activities such as getting out of a chair or walking the dog.
"We've got an ageing population and if we don't encourage them to be active, the economic burden of that is going to be astronomical," Dr. Babraj told the BBC. "A lot of diseases are associated with sedentary behavior — like cardiovascular disease and diabetes — but if we can keep people active and functioning then we can reduce the risk.
"Also on the social side, they are less likely to be socially active and will interact with people more."
Larger HIT trials are now planned.
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