UK Health Radio Medical News Update - six seconds of exercise is as good as a longer work out.

UK Health Radio Medical News Update

Surprising news from the BBC today that, according to researchers in Scotland, a short six-second burst of vigorous exercise has the potential to transform the health of elderly people.

A study involving 12 pensioners showed that, over time, going all-out in very short bursts reduced blood pressure and improved general fitness.

The research team at Abertay University believe this exercise approach could help avert the "astronomical" costs of ill health in elderly people.

High Intensity Training (HIT) has attracted a lot of attention because it promises some of the same benefits that can be achieved by conventional exercise but in a much shorter time. It involves pushing yourself to your limits for a short period of time only.

A group of pensioners were invited to the lab twice a week for six weeks and went hell for leather on an exercise bike for six seconds under the supervision of the research team.  They would then allow time for their heart rate to return for normal and then go for it again, building up overall to one minute of exercise at the end of the trial.

"Although the participants were not very fast, for their age they were." researcher Dr John Babraj said.

The results, that appeared in the Journal of American Gerontology showed the group had reduced their blood pressure on average by 9%, and had also increased their ability to get oxygen into their muscles.  They also reported that day-to-day activities were easier.

Dr Babraj told the BBC the benefits could be huge: "We've got an ageing population and if nothing is done to keep them active,  the economic burden of caring for them will be astronomical.” He said

" If we can keep people active and functioning then we can reduce the risk of a lot of diseases associated with sedentary behaviour - like cardiovascular disease and diabetes.”

More than 10 million people in the UK are over 65 and that figure is set to rise.

Dr Babraj said people could try this exercise at home, but should see their doctor first to ensure they had no underlying health issues. There is an argument that short and strenuous exercise may be safer than conventional exercise.

The message seems to be that you're never too old, too frail or too ill to benefit from exercise, as long as it's chosen carefully.

It has been suggested that even into your 80s and 90s there's a benefit to developing a very slight sweat by exercising on multiple occasions each week."

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio Medical News Update

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