Canberra - SABA:
A new research study has revealed that irregular daily exercises and simple household movements can help lengthen muscles and provide greater health benefits compared to structured, routine workouts.
Researchers found that individuals who did not exercise regularly but engaged in sporadic, unorganized movements or exercises at home or in their daily lives experienced improved muscle strength, endurance, and flexibility. This is because eccentric exercises (which focus on muscle lengthening during movement) benefit the body more, enhancing muscle size and strength while reducing physical stress. Examples of such random exercises include arm extensions, bicep curls, and squats.
Benjamin Kiric, the study’s lead author and a researcher at Edith Cowan University in Australia, explained that the study involved 22 healthy but inactive individuals (mostly women) aged 32 to 79. Over two to four weeks, they followed an irregular exercise routine consisting of repeated random movements, such as:
- 10 squats
- Chair leans
- Wall push-ups
- Heel drops
- Chair-assisted stretches
- Regular walking for daily tasks
Doctors monitored their heart rate, cholesterol, blood levels, blood pressure, and mental health, while also assessing their physical fitness. The results showed improved performance in sit-and-reach and push-up tests, better mental health, and benefits from eccentric stretching exercises.
The study confirmed that irregular, unstructured exercises are beneficial for physical fitness, aligning with previous research indicating that short bursts of exercise offer significant health advantages.
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