Small Study Finds Four-Minute Daily Exercises Improved Some Mobility Tests in Older Adults

A study from Penn State College of Medicine found that four minutes of daily strength exercises improved mobility, balance and leg strength in older adults. Fox News reported the results from the home-based Functional Activity Strength Training program, known as FAST-2. Ninety-seven sedentary participants aged 65 and older, with an average age of 74, took part.

Before the study they averaged 18 minutes of physical activity per week. Researchers randomly assigned them to an exercise group or a control group that received no intervention. The daily routine consisted of four movements performed for 30 seconds each, separated by 30-second rest intervals.

The circuit included push-ups against a counter or wall, chair stands, two-arm resistance-band rows and stair stepping. Participants received written instructions, modifications, four elastic bands and an adjustable step platform. After 12 weeks the exercise group performed an average of 4.2 more repetitions on a 30-second chair-stand test than the control group.

They reduced time on a five-times sit-to-stand test by 2.3 seconds and increased one-legged balance time by 3.6 seconds. Participants completed workouts on 81 percent of tracked days. Lead author Christopher Sciamanna, professor of medicine and of public health at Penn State College of Medicine, said the indicators predict future ability to avoid nursing homes, falls and difficulty walking.

Co-author Smita Dandekar, associate professor of pediatrics, noted that exercise decisions involve many variables that make programs hard to follow. The study tracked fewer than 100 individuals over 12 weeks and did not specify dropout rates or effects on seniors using walkers or canes. It was published in the journal PLOS One.