Three Seconds Of Working Out Are Enough To Help The Maltese Pack On Some Serious Gains
Just three seconds of weight lifting per day was enough to improve muscle strength, a recent study found.
Relieving news, considering that in Malta, only 36% of young adults and 28% of our elderly are regarded as having sufficient levels of activity.
But scientists at Edith Cowan University, Australia, have got even the most triumphant Maltese couch potato covered.
The researchers made 39 students perform a single bicep curl (shown below), but at maximum effort. The exercise was done five days per week over a span of four weeks.
The result? An increase in muscle strength by over 10%. Believe it.
Pictured above: An example of a bicep curl
Perhaps people don’t really need to spend vast amounts of time exercising to improve their strength, after all.
Professor Ken Nosaka, lead researcher from ECU’s School of Medical and Health Sciences had his say:
“The study results suggest that a very small amount of exercise stimulus – even 60 seconds in four weeks – can increase muscle strength,” he said.
“Many people think you have to spend a lot of time exercising, but it’s not the case. Short, good quality exercise can still be good for your body and every muscle contraction counts.”
Nosaka said the findings were exciting for promoting physical fitness and health, such as the prevention of sarcopenia; a loss of muscle mass and strength heavily associated with aging.
“We haven’t investigated other muscles yet, but if we find the three-second rule also applies to other muscles then you might be able to do a whole-body exercise in less than 30 seconds.”
“Also, performing only one maximal contraction per day means you don’t get sore afterward.”
Presently, nearly one-fifth of all deaths on the island – 19.2%, are related to physical inactivity.
The causes of death resulting from lack of exercise include some of the nastiest: heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and various cancers.
The inactivity is often blamed on shifts in social trends, such as spending more time in cars and in front of computers, which one would call a consequence of our technological prowess.
Regardless, starting out small – really small – may be what one needs to start a new trend. One needs only the will to do so.
Tag someone who needs to start working out for three seconds!