The team at Abertay University believes it could help avert the "astronomical" costs of ill health in elderly people. Experts said the study emphasized the benefits of exercise at any age. High Intensity Training (HIT) has attracted a lot of attention for promising some of the same benefits as conventional exercise but in a much shorter time.
Instead of a comfortable half-hour jog or a few miles on the bike, HIT involves pushing yourself to your limits for a short period of time. The team in Scotland say they were conducting the first trials in older people.
A group of pensioners came into the lab twice a week for six weeks and went hell for leather on an exercise bike for six seconds. They would allow their heart rate to recover and then go for it again, eventually building up to one minute of exercise by the end of the trial.
The results, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, showed participants had reduced their blood pressure by 9%, increased their ability to get oxygen to their muscles and found day-to-day activities like getting out of a chair or walking the dog easier.
Dr. Babraj says older people struggle to exercise, as many are in full-time careers, but argues High Intensity Training would be easier to fit in. He said people could try it at home, but should see their doctor first to ensure there were no underlying health issues.
There is an argument that short and strenuous exercise may be safer than conventional exercise. Larger trials are now planned.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
