Experts are trying to find out whether a little activity every day is better than a lot of exercise in fewer sessions. A sports science professor said the work found “going to the gym once a week is not as effective as doing a bit of exercise every day at home”. The four-week training study also found that “lowering a dumbbell slowly once or six times a day” is more beneficial than long sessions 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. Volunteers performed 30 biceps contractions on a machine each week. One group did six contractions daily for five days – another crammed all 30 into one day. Another group did just six contractions a week. Changes in muscle strength and thickness were compared across participants. The group that spread the activity over five days saw the biggest increase in muscle strength—an increase of more than 10 percent. ECU Exercise and Sports Science Professor Ken Nosaka said, “People think they have to do a long resistance workout in the gym, but that’s not the case. “Just slowly lower a heavy dumbbell once or six times a day. Read more on Sky News: Four days of storms, forecasters warn “Muscular strength is important for our health. This could help prevent the decline in muscle mass and strength with aging. “The loss of muscle mass is a cause of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, dementia, as well as musculoskeletal problems such as osteoporosis. “Muscle adaptations happen when we’re resting—if someone could somehow train 24 hours a day, there wouldn’t actually be any improvement.”
