Vigorous exercise has the potential to health of elderly people
There are a number of studies that have started to appear since early 2012 that claim that very short bursts of regular exercise can have amazing health benefits.
A research team at Abertay University in Scotland has published a paper in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, that involved 12 pensioners going ‘all-out’ in very short bursts (6 seconds). The results showed reduced blood pressure and improved general fitness over time.
The premise is that vigorous exercise has the potential to transform the health of elderly people.
Instead of a comfortable half-hour jog or a few miles on the bike, High Intensity Training (HIT) involves pushing yourself to your limits for short six-second bursts. HIT promises the same benefits as conventional exercise but in a much shorter time. A larger study is required.
This follows other studies in HIT including work by Jamie Timmons, professor of Ageing Biology at Birmingham University. His study from several years ago looked at 3 minute episodes of exercise 3 times a week for a month.
It reduced insulin resistance by an average of 24% in the subjects on the study. This is mind blowing for those who have a family history of diabetes and promises real benefits.
This type of exercise was first used by the Japanese Olympic speed skaters in 1996 and was pioneered by Professor Izumi Tabata. Using intervals of high intensity followed by rest gave the same results as long periods of conventional exercise. Now that we know older people can benefit too.