Latest news with #sedentary
The Independent
6 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
New study finds this 5-minute daily bodyweight workout can boost fitness and mental health
There's a common misconception that you need to spend an hour in the gym, several times per week, to make a dent on your health and fitness goals. But for most people, this simply isn't the case. Instead, any regular activity is likely to have an impact. A recent study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology supports this, finding that a five-minute strength training routine, performed daily for four weeks, led to 'significantly improved physical fitness and mental health in sedentary individuals'. As far as I can see, the routine was nothing groundbreaking either, comprising progressive variations of the bodyweight squat, press-up, sit-up and calf raise. The progressive nature and consistency with which these exercises were performed is where the magic truly lies. Though the sample size is small, what the study shows is that small amounts of exercise, and strength training in particular, can offer untold perks for beginners. I investigated why this might be the case, and how you can use this information to efficiently further your own health and fitness. The workout Chair squat x10 Wall press-up x10 Chair recline x10 (similar to a sit-up, but performed in a chair with less range of motion) Heel drop x10 (a calf raise) The 'healthy but sedentary' participants of this study – four men and 18 women aged between 32 and 69 – performed 10 repetitions of each exercise to a strict tempo. This meant elongating the eccentric (or lowering) phase of each repetition for five seconds, then completing the concentric (or lifting) phase in roughly one second. For the chair squat, for example, this would involve sitting down slowly over the course of five seconds, then standing up as normal. 'Participants were allowed to choose the time at which they completed the exercises, and the exercises could be performed together or spread throughout the day,' the research adds. Once participants could complete 10 repetitions of an exercise with an RPE (rate of perceived exertion, or how hard an exercise feels) score of five out of 10 or less for two consecutive days, they were instructed to progress to a more challenging variation of the exercise. These variations were: Again, I want to stress that this isn't a magic formula. It simply plays on tried and trusted strength training principles – progressive overload and a combination of exercises which recruit most major muscle groups – to deliver the stimulus needed for positive changes in people new to this type of exercise. The main takeaway should be that just a few short minutes of adequately challenging resistance training per day, even without weights, can make a significant difference in sedentary populations. What this means for your fitness This article isn't aimed at people who run marathons for fun or sign up to every Hyrox race going. Instead, it speaks to anyone who wants to improve their health and fitness, but struggles to find the time, energy and motivation to squeeze exercise into their busy lives. For this group, it's important to understand that small amounts of activity, performed consistently and progressively as in the study above, can have a significant impact. 'Most evidence shows that even doing very small amounts of exercise or physical activity is beneficial for health, but more is better for us,' says Dr Richard Blagrove, a senior lecturer in physiology at Loughborough University. As a case study, he cites research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which found that those burning a bonus 500 calories across the week, averaging out at just 70 calories per day, 'show reductions in risk of mortality compared to being completely inactive'. 'The same is true for resistance training,' he adds, with research finding that just one challenging set of an exercise can increase strength, thus benefitting 'functional performance' – i.e. how well our bodies can serve us in daily life. This favourable dose-response relationship is something Joe Wicks stresses in his approach too. Wicks has been visiting workplaces across the UK as part of a new initiative on movement and wellness, and says he's witnessed a night and day difference between people who did and didn't find time to exercise. 'I visited all of these companies, and you'd see people that are really struggling, people who are really busy, and people with kids who are working 12-hour shifts through the night,' says Wicks. 'What I realised is there are usually two groups; one of them is not exercising, and one of them is finding a little bit of time to do some form of exercise, whether it's 10 minutes walking to work, something on their lunch break or a 20-minute YouTube workout when they get home.' This latter group, he says, were healthier and more energised, with lower stress levels and better mental health. For this reason, he likes to highlight the importance of finding some time, however short, to move during the day. 'I want to make it really manageable and say, 'Look, you might not have a full hour today, but do you have five, 10 or 15 minutes?' It makes a difference,' he explains. Walking and home workouts like his session below are Wicks' premier prescriptions for beginners, with these accessible activities removing many of the usual barriers to entry for exercise such as time and money. Another top option is exercise snacking – the act of microdosing fitness throughout the day. It's a wellness trend that's both easy to access and adhere to, no matter your fitness level. A four-week study by the University of Essex and University of Suffolk found that just 16 total minutes of bodyweight exercises such as squats and lunges, spread across an eight-hour work day, 'can mitigate against the negative effects of prolonged sedentary time [or sitting at a desk all day]'. Subjects saw improved leg strength and balance from the minimalist exercise plan. Meanwhile, research in the Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews journal honed in specifically on the term 'exercise snacks'. It defined the phrase as 'isolated bouts of brief (<60sec) vigorous exercise performed multiple times throughout the day', and found that doing this three times per day (often via cycling or stair climbing) could be 'efficacious for improving cardiorespiratory fitness and exercise performance in inactive adults'. The foundational theory behind this is called the SAID principle, which stands for specific adaptations to imposed demands. This simply means the body will adapt over time to get better at handling the things we consistently ask it to do. If we sit in a chair all day, it might tighten our hip flexors to save us some energy. However, this is likely to feel unpleasant when we go to lengthen them again while walking or exercising. Conversely, if we're regularly raising our heart rate, cardiorespiratory fitness improvements are likely to follow, while consistent and challenging resistance exercise will lead to improvements in strength and muscle, provided we're fuelling and recovering appropriately. For this reason, any long-term change in behaviour which sees you challenging yourself physically and doing more than you were before will probably result in positive adaptations to your body. This is partly why those who have been exercising for a long time require more dramatic changes to see progress, while newcomers can make incredible headway from just a few small tweaks like those discussed above. Key takeaways – and a free workout plan to try The bottom line here is that, as far as exercise is concerned, a little goes a long way. This is especially true if you're a beginner. The title study shows how a few quick exercises can improve strength and mental health in sedentary adults, while the further research referenced above suggests these benefits also extend to cardiorespiratory fitness – the ability of the heart, lungs and blood vessels to supply oxygen to your working muscles during exercise. If you want to put this information to good use by weaving some time-savvy exercise into your hectic schedule, my best advice would be to first pick one exercise you can do for each of strength coach Dan John's basic human movements (push, pull, hinge, squat, carry). Then, perform each exercise for 8-12 repetitions, between one and three times throughout day. For example: You might do this immediately after waking up, on your lunch break or whenever you boil a kettle while working from home – I realise this may draw a few funny looks in the office kitchenette. When an exercise feels easy, find a harder variation or, in the case of the row and carry, incrementally increase the weight you're lifting so it continues to provide a challenge. Et voila: an equipment-free beginner exercise plan for even the most time-poor of people.
The Independent
7 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
New study finds doing this five-minute bodyweight workout daily can ‘significantly improve physical fitness and mental health'
There's a common misconception that you need to spend an hour in the gym, several times per week, to make a dent on your health and fitness goals. But for most people, this simply isn't the case. Instead, any regular activity is likely to have an impact. A recent study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology supports this, finding that a five-minute strength training routine, performed daily for four weeks, led to 'significantly improved physical fitness and mental health in sedentary individuals'. As far as I can see, the routine was nothing groundbreaking either, comprising progressive variations of the bodyweight squat, press-up, sit-up and calf raise. The progressive nature and consistency with which these exercises were performed is where the magic truly lies. Though the sample size is small, what the study shows is that small amounts of exercise, and strength training in particular, can offer untold perks for beginners. I investigated why this might be the case, and how you can use this information to efficiently further your own health and fitness. The workout Chair squat x10 Wall press-up x10 Chair recline x10 (similar to a sit-up, but performed in a chair with less range of motion) Heel drop x10 (a calf raise) The 'healthy but sedentary' participants of this study – four men and 18 women aged between 32 and 69 – performed 10 repetitions of each exercise to a strict tempo. This meant elongating the eccentric (or lowering) phase of each repetition for five seconds, then completing the concentric (or lifting) phase in roughly one second. For the chair squat, for example, this would involve sitting down slowly over the course of five seconds, then standing up as normal. 'Participants were allowed to choose the time at which they completed the exercises, and the exercises could be performed together or spread throughout the day,' the research adds. Once participants could complete 10 repetitions of an exercise with an RPE (rate of perceived exertion, or how hard an exercise feels) score of five out of 10 or less for two consecutive days, they were instructed to progress to a more challenging variation of the exercise. These variations were: Again, I want to stress that this isn't a magic formula. It simply plays on tried and trusted strength training principles – progressive overload and a combination of exercises which recruit most major muscle groups – to deliver the stimulus needed for positive changes in people new to this type of exercise. The main takeaway should be that just a few short minutes of adequately challenging resistance training per day, even without weights, can make a significant difference in sedentary populations. What this means for your fitness This article isn't aimed at people who run marathons for fun or sign up to every Hyrox race going. Instead, it speaks to anyone who wants to improve their health and fitness, but struggles to find the time, energy and motivation to squeeze exercise into their busy lives. For this group, it's important to understand that small amounts of activity, performed consistently and progressively as in the study above, can have a significant impact. 'Most evidence shows that even doing very small amounts of exercise or physical activity is beneficial for health, but more is better for us,' says Dr Richard Blagrove, a senior lecturer in physiology at Loughborough University. As a case study, he cites research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which found that those burning a bonus 500 calories across the week, averaging out at just 70 calories per day, 'show reductions in risk of mortality compared to being completely inactive'. 'The same is true for resistance training,' he adds, with research finding that just one challenging set of an exercise can increase strength, thus benefitting 'functional performance' – i.e. how well our bodies can serve us in daily life. This favourable dose-response relationship is something Joe Wicks stresses in his approach too. Wicks has been visiting workplaces across the UK as part of a new initiative on movement and wellness, and says he's witnessed a night and day difference between people who did and didn't find time to exercise. 'I visited all of these companies, and you'd see people that are really struggling, people who are really busy, and people with kids who are working 12-hour shifts through the night,' says Wicks. 'What I realised is there are usually two groups; one of them is not exercising, and one of them is finding a little bit of time to do some form of exercise, whether it's 10 minutes walking to work, something on their lunch break or a 20-minute YouTube workout when they get home.' This latter group, he says, were healthier and more energised, with lower stress levels and better mental health. For this reason, he likes to highlight the importance of finding some time, however short, to move during the day. 'I want to make it really manageable and say, 'Look, you might not have a full hour today, but do you have five, 10 or 15 minutes?' It makes a difference,' he explains. Walking and home workouts like his session below are Wicks' premier prescriptions for beginners, with these accessible activities removing many of the usual barriers to entry for exercise such as time and money. Another top option is exercise snacking – the act of microdosing fitness throughout the day. It's a wellness trend that's both easy to access and adhere to, no matter your fitness level. A four-week study by the University of Essex and University of Suffolk found that just 16 total minutes of bodyweight exercises such as squats and lunges, spread across an eight-hour work day, 'can mitigate against the negative effects of prolonged sedentary time [or sitting at a desk all day]'. Subjects saw improved leg strength and balance from the minimalist exercise plan. Meanwhile, research in the Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews journal honed in specifically on the term 'exercise snacks'. It defined the phrase as 'isolated bouts of brief (<60sec) vigorous exercise performed multiple times throughout the day', and found that doing this three times per day (often via cycling or stair climbing) could be 'efficacious for improving cardiorespiratory fitness and exercise performance in inactive adults'. The foundational theory behind this is called the SAID principle, which stands for specific adaptations to imposed demands. This simply means the body will adapt over time to get better at handling the things we consistently ask it to do. If we sit in a chair all day, it might tighten our hip flexors to save us some energy. However, this is likely to feel unpleasant when we go to lengthen them again while walking or exercising. Conversely, if we're regularly raising our heart rate, cardiorespiratory fitness improvements are likely to follow, while consistent and challenging resistance exercise will lead to improvements in strength and muscle, provided we're fuelling and recovering appropriately. For this reason, any long-term change in behaviour which sees you challenging yourself physically and doing more than you were before will probably result in positive adaptations to your body. This is partly why those who have been exercising for a long time require more dramatic changes to see progress, while newcomers can make incredible headway from just a few small tweaks like those discussed above. Key takeaways – and a free workout plan to try The bottom line here is that, as far as exercise is concerned, a little goes a long way. This is especially true if you're a beginner. The title study shows how a few quick exercises can improve strength and mental health in sedentary adults, while the further research referenced above suggests these benefits also extend to cardiorespiratory fitness – the ability of the heart, lungs and blood vessels to supply oxygen to your working muscles during exercise. If you want to put this information to good use by weaving some time-savvy exercise into your hectic schedule, my best advice would be to first pick one exercise you can do for each of strength coach Dan John's basic human movements (push, pull, hinge, squat, carry). Then, perform each exercise for 8-12 repetitions, between one and three times throughout day. For example: You might do this immediately after waking up, on your lunch break or whenever you boil a kettle while working from home – I realise this may draw a few funny looks in the office kitchenette. When an exercise feels easy, find a harder variation or, in the case of the row and carry, incrementally increase the weight you're lifting so it continues to provide a challenge. Et voila: an equipment-free beginner exercise plan for even the most time-poor of people.
Medical News Today
19-05-2025
- Health
- Medical News Today
Alzheimer's: Minimizing time spent sitting may help lower risk
Written by Corrie Pelc on May 19, 2025 — Fact checked by Amanda Ward Sedentary time may negate the benefits of exercise, according to research. ThePast studies show that certain lifestyle factors, such as exercising regularly, may help lower a person's risk for Alzheimer's disease. A new study says that older adults who spend more time sedentary may be at a higher risk for lower cognition and brain shrinkage in areas linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease, no matter how much they exercised. The study adds to evidence that being sedentary is more detrimental to health than not exercising often enough. 'There are no current treatments that cure Alzheimer's disease,' Marissa A. Gogniat, PhD, assistant professor of neurology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, told Medical News Today. 'Therefore, modifiable health factors that may prevent Alzheimer's disease are of great interest and need.' Gogniat is the lead author of a new study, which says that older adults who spend more time sedentary — such as sitting or lying down — may be at a higher risk for lower cognition and brain shrinkage in areas linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease, no matter how much they exercised. Study participants were directed to wear an activity-monitoring watch — called a triaxial accelerometer — for 24 hours a day for one week, and were also given neuropsychological assessment and brain MRI scans over a seven-year period. 'We know a lot about the benefits over physical activity as a preventative measure for Alzheimer's disease and this was my main area of study for most of my career,' Gogniat said. 'I started looking at the 24-hour period of activity and noticed that people also spend a lot of time sitting. I was curious to better understand the independent contribution of sitting to risk for Alzheimer's disease,' she said. Upon analysis, researchers found that participants who spent more time being sedentary were at a higher risk for experiencing cognitive decline and neurodegenerative changes, such as lower hippocampal volume, regardless of how much they exercised. 'This is significant because the common thought has always been that if you exercise regularly, it doesn't really matter what else that you do,' Gogniat explained. 'This study showed that even after accounting for how physically active people were, sedentary behavior was still predicting cognitive decline and neurodegeneration.' Additionally, the scientists discovered that these findings were strongest in study participants who carried the APOE-e4 allele , which is a known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. 'We examined whether the association between sedentary behavior, brain health, and cognition was impacted by whether someone was an APOE4 carrier,' Gogniat detailed. 'Many of the observed associations linking greater sedentary time with brain health and cognitive outcomes were present in APOE4 carriers, but not in non-carriers, suggesting that increased sedentary [behavior] may be especially harmful for people at increased genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease.' — Marissa A. Gogniat, PhD MNT spoke with Constance Katsafanas, DO, neurologist at the Marcus Neuroscience Institute and program director of the Florida Atlantic University Schmidt College of Medicine's Neurology Residency Program, about this study. Katsafanas commented that while the study's sample size was small, the results suggest that it's not just activity, but minimizing time spent sitting, that could affect cognition as we age. 'Other studies have looked at similar things before. There are studies about people who are more sedentary having smaller cortical thickness and worse episodic memory, for instance,' she continued. 'But this one looked in a slightly different direction as well, specifically seeing if these effects persisted in the face of the patients having the weekly physical activity recommended by the CDC — 87% of the patients in this study accomplished the amount and intensity of weekly physical activity recommended by the CDC — so it adds a new angle to the conversation.' — Constance Katsafanas, DO 'I'd like to see if the results are reproducible, that is, if other studies find similar results,' Katsafanas added. 'I'd also like to see studies that track activity vs. time spent sedentary for the duration of the study. This study recorded the level of activity over a week, and the patients were then followed over seven years. I'd like to see the level of activity tracked for the duration of the study.' For readers who want to learn how to move more and become less sedentary during the day, MNT asked Sanjula Dhillon Singh, MD, PhD, MSc (Oxon), instructor of neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and principal Investigator of the Brain Care Labs, for her top tips. 'The good news? If sitting too long is a risk factor, it's one we can do something about. Standing up, moving more, and breaking up long stretches of sitting might be some of the easiest ways to protect your brain as you age.' — Dhillon Singh, MD, PhD, MSc (Oxon) Singh said readers don't need a fancy gym membership to make a difference and offered these simple steps to help lower their daily sedentary time: Set a timer to stand up and stretch every 30-60 minutes if you are sitting. Take calls while walking or pace around the house during conversations. Make it social — invite a friend or loved one for a walk or join a virtual movement class. 'Doctors often ask patients how active they are — but rarely how many hours a day they spend sitting,' Singh said. 'This study suggests maybe doctors should be asking both of these questions! Even if you're hitting your step goals or going to the gym, spending too much of the day sitting may still be quietly harming your brain.' 'There's actually so much we can do to take good care (of) our brains and lower our risks of developing dementia — especially since about 45% of dementia cases may be preventable by addressing modifiable risk factors. And this research suggests that it is not just about exercising more — it's also about sitting less,' she added.
Associated Press
19-05-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
After cardiac event, people who regularly sit for too long had higher risk of another event
Research Highlights: Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET Monday, May 19, 2025 ( NewMediaWire ) - May 19, 2025 - DALLAS — People who sit or remain sedentary for more than 14 hours a day, on average, may have a higher risk of a cardiovascular event or death in the year after treatment at a hospital for symptoms of a heart attack such as chest pain, according to new research published today in the American Heart Association's peer-reviewed scientific journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. Previous research from the study authors found that people who had experienced a heart attack were spending up to 12 to 13 hours each day being sedentary, defined as any awake activity that involved little-to-no physical movement. In this study, the researchers used a wrist accelerometer to track the amount of time each participant spent moving or being sedentary for a median of 30 days after discharge from a hospital's emergency department. Wrist accelerometers measure the acceleration of motion in three directions — forwards and backwards, side-to-side, and up and down. These measurements allowed the researchers to infer the intensity of a participant's physical activity, and they provide more accurate measurements of the participants' time spent moving, rather than asking participants to remember. Some examples of moderate intensity physical activities are brisk walking, water aerobics, dancing, playing doubles tennis or gardening, and examples of vigorous-intensity activities are running, lap swimming, heavy yardwork such as continuous digging or hoeing, playing singles tennis or jumping rope. 'Current treatment guidelines after a cardiac event focus mainly on encouraging patients to exercise regularly,' said study lead author Keith Diaz, Ph.D., the Florence Irving Associate Professor of Behavioral Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, a certified exercise physiologist and a volunteer member of the American Heart Association's Physical Activity Science Committee. 'In our study, we explored whether sedentary time itself may contribute to cardiovascular risk.' Researchers followed more than 600 adults, ages 21 to 96, treated for a heart attack or chest pain in the emergency department at a single hospital system in New York City. Participants wore a wrist accelerometer for a median of 30 consecutive days after hospital discharge to measure the amount of time they spent sitting or being inactive each day. Additional cardiac events and deaths were evaluated one year after hospital discharge via phone surveys with patients, electronic health records and the Social Security Death Index. The study was focused on understanding the risk of sedentary behavior and identifying modifiable risk factors that may improve long-term outcomes in this high-risk group. The analysis found: 'We were surprised that replacing sedentary time with sleep also lowered risk. Sleep is a restorative behavior that helps the body and mind recover, which is especially important after a serious health event like a heart attack,' Diaz said. 'Our study indicates that one doesn't have to start running marathons after a cardiovascular event to see benefits. Sitting less and moving or sleeping a little more can make a real difference. More physical activity and more sleep are healthier than sitting, so we hope these findings support health professionals to move toward a more holistic, flexible and individualized approach for physical activity in patients after a heart attack or chest pain.' Physical activity and sleep are both key components of the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8, a list of health behaviors and factors that support optimal cardiovascular health. Poor sleep is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which claims more lives each year in the U.S. than all forms of cancer and chronic lower respiratory disease combined, according to the American Heart Association's 2025 Statistical Update. In addition to sleep duration, a recent scientific statement from the Association highlighted the importance of sleep continuity, sleep timing, sleep satisfaction, sleep regularity, sleep-related daytime functioning and sleep architecture in cardiometabolic health. The study had several limitations, including that the definition of sedentary behavior was based only on the intensity level of physical movement, meaning that the study may have overestimated the time participants spent in sedentary behavior. Additionally, there was no information about participants' income and characteristics of the neighborhoods where they live, which limits the study's ability to account for social and environmental factors including participants' risk of one-year cardiac events and deaths. Also, hospital discharge information about whether patients were sent home, referred to rehabilitation or referred to other care centers such as skilled nursing facilities were not collected. This limited the study's ability to fully assess whether the patients' settings had an impact on their recovery. 'This study provides further support for a 'sit less, move more' strategy and – important for patients recently hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome who may have barriers to more intense exercise – found that increasing light-intensity activities by 30 minutes a day was related to dramatic reductions in the risk of a cardiac event within the next year,' said Bethany Barone Gibbs, Ph.D., FAHA, a professor and chair of the department of epidemiology and biostatistics at the School of Public Health at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia, and immediate past chair of the American Heart Association's Physical Activity Committee. 'This study found that replacing sedentary time with light intensity activities, like tidying up the house or strolling at a slow pace, was nearly as beneficial as moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activities, like biking or doing aerobics. In addition, replacing just 30 minutes of sedentary behavior with any intensity of physical activity more than halved the risk of having a cardiac event over the one-year follow-up,' she said. 'These findings suggest sitting less and doing anything else – like taking a walk, cooking, playing with your dog or gardening – will help you stay healthier.' Study details, background and design: Co-authors, disclosures and funding sources are listed in the manuscript. Studies published in the American Heart Association's scientific journals are peer-reviewed. The statements and conclusions in each manuscript are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association's policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The Association receives more than 85% of its revenue from sources other than corporations. These sources include contributions from individuals, foundations and estates, as well as investment earnings and revenue from the sale of our educational materials. Corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations to the Association. The Association has strict policies to prevent any donations from influencing its science content. Overall financial information is available here. Additional Resources: ### About the American Heart Association The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public's health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1. For Media Inquiries and AHA/ASA Expert Perspective: 214-706-1173 John Arnst: [email protected] For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721) and
The Independent
08-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
This daily five-minute workout can significantly improve fitness, new study finds
There's a common misconception that you need to spend an hour in the gym, several times per week, to make a dent on your health and fitness goals. But for most people, this simply isn't the case. Instead, any regular activity is likely to have an impact. A recent study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology supports this, finding that a five-minute strength training routine, performed daily for four weeks, led to 'significantly improved physical fitness and mental health in sedentary individuals'. As far as I can see, the routine was nothing groundbreaking either, comprising progressive variations of the bodyweight squat, press-up, sit-up and calf raise. The progressive nature and consistency with which these exercises were performed is where the magic truly lies. Though the sample size is small, what the study shows is that small amounts of exercise, and strength training in particular, can offer untold perks for beginners. I investigated why this might be the case, and how you can use this information to efficiently further your own health and fitness. The workout Chair squat x10 Wall press-up x10 Chair recline x10 (similar to a sit-up, but performed in a chair with less range of motion) Heel drop x10 (a calf raise) The 'healthy but sedentary' participants of this study – four men and 18 women aged between 32 and 69 – performed 10 repetitions of each exercise to a strict tempo. This meant elongating the eccentric (or lowering) phase of each repetition for five seconds, then completing the concentric (or lifting) phase in roughly one second. For the chair squat, for example, this would involve sitting down slowly over the course of five seconds, then standing up as normal. 'Participants were allowed to choose the time at which they completed the exercises, and the exercises could be performed together or spread throughout the day,' the research adds. Once participants could complete 10 repetitions of an exercise with an RPE (rate of perceived exertion, or how hard an exercise feels) score of five out of 10 or less for two consecutive days, they were instructed to progress to a more challenging variation of the exercise. These variations were: Again, I want to stress that this isn't a magic formula. It simply plays on tried and trusted strength training principles – progressive overload and a combination of exercises which recruit most major muscle groups – to deliver the stimulus needed for positive changes in people new to this type of exercise. The main takeaway should be that just a few short minutes of adequately challenging resistance training per day, even without weights, can make a significant difference in sedentary populations. What this means for your fitness This article isn't aimed at people who run marathons for fun or sign up to every Hyrox race going. Instead, it speaks to anyone who wants to improve their health and fitness, but struggles to find the time, energy and motivation to squeeze exercise into their busy lives. For this group, it's important to understand that small amounts of activity, performed consistently and progressively as in the study above, can have a significant impact. 'Most evidence shows that even doing very small amounts of exercise or physical activity is beneficial for health, but more is better for us,' says Dr Richard Blagrove, a senior lecturer in physiology at Loughborough University. As a case study, he cites research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which found that those burning a bonus 500 calories across the week, averaging out at just 70 calories per day, 'show reductions in risk of mortality compared to being completely inactive'. 'The same is true for resistance training,' he adds, with research finding that just one challenging set of an exercise can increase strength, thus benefitting 'functional performance' – i.e. how well our bodies can serve us in daily life. This favourable dose-response relationship is something Joe Wicks stresses in his approach too. Wicks has been visiting workplaces across the UK as part of a new initiative on movement and wellness, and says he's witnessed a night and day difference between people who did and didn't find time to exercise. 'I visited all of these companies, and you'd see people that are really struggling, people who are really busy, and people with kids who are working 12-hour shifts through the night,' says Wicks. 'What I realised is there are usually two groups; one of them is not exercising, and one of them is finding a little bit of time to do some form of exercise, whether it's 10 minutes walking to work, something on their lunch break or a 20-minute YouTube workout when they get home.' This latter group, he says, were healthier and more energised, with lower stress levels and better mental health. For this reason, he likes to highlight the importance of finding some time, however short, to move during the day. 'I want to make it really manageable and say, 'Look, you might not have a full hour today, but do you have five, 10 or 15 minutes?' It makes a difference,' he explains. Walking and home workouts like his session below are Wicks' premier prescriptions for beginners, with these accessible activities removing many of the usual barriers to entry for exercise such as time and money. Another top option is exercise snacking – the act of microdosing fitness throughout the day. It's a wellness trend that's both easy to access and adhere to, no matter your fitness level. A four-week study by the University of Essex and University of Suffolk found that just 16 total minutes of bodyweight exercises such as squats and lunges, spread across an eight-hour work day, 'can mitigate against the negative effects of prolonged sedentary time [or sitting at a desk all day]'. Subjects saw improved leg strength and balance from the minimalist exercise plan. Meanwhile, research in the Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews journal honed in specifically on the term 'exercise snacks'. It defined the phrase as 'isolated bouts of brief (<60sec) vigorous exercise performed multiple times throughout the day', and found that doing this three times per day (often via cycling or stair climbing) could be 'efficacious for improving cardiorespiratory fitness and exercise performance in inactive adults'. The foundational theory behind this is called the SAID principle, which stands for specific adaptations to imposed demands. This simply means the body will adapt over time to get better at handling the things we consistently ask it to do. If we sit in a chair all day, it might tighten our hip flexors to save us some energy. However, this is likely to feel unpleasant when we go to lengthen them again while walking or exercising. Conversely, if we're regularly raising our heart rate, cardiorespiratory fitness improvements are likely to follow, while consistent and challenging resistance exercise will lead to improvements in strength and muscle, provided we're fuelling and recovering appropriately. For this reason, any long-term change in behaviour which sees you challenging yourself physically and doing more than you were before will probably result in positive adaptations to your body. This is partly why those who have been exercising for a long time require more dramatic changes to see progress, while newcomers can make incredible headway from just a few small tweaks like those discussed above. Key takeaways – and a free workout plan to try The bottom line here is that, as far as exercise is concerned, a little goes a long way. This is especially true if you're a beginner. The title study shows how a few quick exercises can improve strength and mental health in sedentary adults, while the further research referenced above suggests these benefits also extend to cardiorespiratory fitness – the ability of the heart, lungs and blood vessels to supply oxygen to your working muscles during exercise. If you want to put this information to good use by weaving some time-savvy exercise into your hectic schedule, my best advice would be to first pick one exercise you can do for each of strength coach Dan John's basic human movements (push, pull, hinge, squat, carry). Then, perform each exercise for 8-12 repetitions, between one and three times throughout day. For example: You might do this immediately after waking up, on your lunch break or whenever you boil a kettle while working from home – I realise this may draw a few funny looks in the office kitchenette. When an exercise feels easy, find a harder variation or, in the case of the row and carry, incrementally increase the weight you're lifting so it continues to provide a challenge. Et voila: an equipment-free beginner exercise plan for even the most time-poor of people.
