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."
