Four minutes of daily resistance training can quadruple fitness in older adults
Just 4 minutes of daily strengthening exercise dramatically increases key factors in quality of life for older adults, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine. Results published in PLOS One show that strength—which affects fall risk, longevity, independent living and more—significantly improved for adults 65 and older in as little as 12 weeks.
Mobility, a component of physical fitness, is a critical indicator of quality of life for adults 65 and older, allowing them to complete daily tasks and move around. Unintentional injuries such as tripping or falling are among the leading causes of death for adults 65 and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A lack of physical fitness in older age persists because people believe they can reap the benefits of exercise only through more extensive resistance training workouts—but that’s not the case, according to lead author Christopher Sciamanna, professor of medicine and of public health at Penn State College of Medicine. He said a short, 4-minute workout is enough to improve several critical mobility indicators.
“The human body is designed to improve very quickly,” Sciamanna said. “And just a few repetitions of an exercise performed regularly can lead to huge improvements. Exercise is about forward thinking—think about what you want to be able to do and train for it.”
While resistance training can greatly increase strength in just a few months, fewer than 1 in 5 older adults exercise for the recommended 2 days per week of muscle-strengthening activity, partly because of routine length, pain and other limitations.
“Exercise is actually really complicated, because you have to decide how many repetitions, how far, how many sets, how much rest and how many times per week,” said co-author Smita Dandekar, associate professor of pediatrics at Penn State College of Medicine.
“It’s hard work, so there are huge problems with people wanting to do exercise. If we can make it short, we’re part of the way there.”
Previously, the team conducted a study called FAST (Functional Activity Strength Training)-1, a smaller-scale experiment in which 24 older adults performed 30 seconds of pushups and squats daily, resulting in improved squat performance over 6 months. Other studies also have shown that a few sets of exercise per week can lead to nearly the same improvements as longer routines.
Building on those findings, Sciamanna’s team decided to test the effectiveness of a shorter routine.
In the current study, researchers from Penn State tested the effects of a program called FAST-2 to see if it improved mobility and physical capability in adults older than 65. A total of 97 participants with an average age of 74 were randomly assigned to receive either the exercise regimen or no intervention.
Before the study, participants reported performing an average of about 18 minutes of total exercise each week, much lower than the recommended amount of at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise for adults, Sciamanna explained.
The FAST-2 program included four exercises: pushups, chair stands, two-arm rows and stair stepping. Participants performed each movement for 30 seconds, followed by a 30-second rest. Participants received four elastic resistance bands and a stepper with an adjustable height.
Written explanations and modifications were provided for the exercises, such as performing pushups with hands on a countertop or wall, or chair stands with hands on the knees.
As participants improved, they were encouraged to progress to higher levels of difficulty, such as performing the original version of the exercise if they were doing a modified version or increasing the step height on the stepper. To measure participants’ progress, the researchers assessed their ability and speed in standing up, and their ability to stand on one leg, at the beginning, middle and end of the study.
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