Exercise frequency rather than long individual sessions is more beneficial to health, new research suggests.
Experts have been trying to figure out if a little bit of activity every day is better than getting a lot of exercise in fewer sessions.
A sports science professor said the work found that “if you only go to the gym once a week, it’s not as effective as doing a little bit of exercise every day at home.”
The four-week training study also found that “simply lowering a dumbbell slowly one to six times a day” is more beneficial than long periods in the gym.
Research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Australia in collaboration with Niigata University and Nishikyushu University in Japan saw three groups of participants perform arm resistance exercises.
The volunteers performed 30 biceps contractions on a machine each week. One group did six contractions a day for five days, another crammed all 30 into one day. Another group performed only six contractions per week.
Changes in muscle strength and thickness were compared between all participants.
The group that spread the activity out over five days saw the greatest increase in muscle strength, an increase of more than 10%.
ECU Professor of Sport and Exercise Science Ken Nosaka said: “People think you have to do a long resistance training session in the gym, but that’s not the case.
“Simply lowering a heavy dumbbell slowly one to six times a day is enough.
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“Muscle strength is important to our health. This could help prevent a decline in muscle mass and strength with aging.
“A decrease in muscle mass is the cause of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer, dementia, as well as musculoskeletal problems such as osteoporosis.
“Muscular adaptations happen when we’re resting: if someone could somehow train 24 hours a day, there wouldn’t really be any improvement.”
