One-minute exercise can boost OAPs' health

30 July 2014 09:19

It only takes a minute, girl … to get fit: new research suggests that pensioners can radically improve their health with a mere one minute's vigorous exercise twice weekly

It only takes a minute, girl … to get fit: new research suggests that pensioners can radically improve their health with a mere one minute's vigorous exercise twice weekly

Exercising for one minute twice per week can dramatically improve the health of pensioners, according to researchers.

Experts in Scotland say short, sharp bursts of exercise can deliver serious health benefits to older people - improving fitness and lowering blood pressure.

Abertay University researchers believe this could provide an alternative to the current exercise guidelines for older people.

A holiday is as good a time as any to take exercise - and pensioners can enjoy boosting their fitness with the peace of mind afforded by seniors' travel insurance.

The Dundee-based researchers found that pensioners' blood pressure dropped and their fitness improved considerably in a six-week timeframe under their 60-second exercise bike sprints programme.

You don't need to sprint like Usain Bolt, as long as you are expending maximum effort, they say.

Abertay claims such monitoring of the impact on pensioners' health of high-intensity training (HIT) has not been done before.

But the establishment's Dr John Babraj urged pensioners to consult with their GP before embarking on such HIT regimes.

Dr Babraj says whatever a person's speed, maximum effort alone will help enhance pensioners' health under the 60-second plan.

He says pensioners should see a real difference not only to their health, but their life quality too.

Such a schedule could also change the perceptions of pensioners of their ability to do such strenuous exercises, the doctor adds.

He says that many pensioners are not able to fit present physical activity guidelines into their diaries. Instead of carrying on with something that isn't succeeding, they should find new methods of exercising, Dr Babraj concluded.

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