Researchers at Umeå University found that high-intensity exercise lowered blood pressure as much as moderate exercise in untrained older adults, but required half the exercise time. Research published Journals of Gerontology: Series A.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) alternates between intense exercise with short intervals and moderate exercise with longer intervals. Despite promising results in young adults, high-quality research on HIIT in older adults is lacking.
In a new study, scientists adapted HIIT for older people. The experiment involved 68 older men and women who did not exercise regularly. Half of them did moderate-intensity exercise regularly for 40 minutes. Others did HIIT for 20 minutes. They all worked on exercise bikes and were examined by a cardiologist before starting the experiment.
After 12 weeks of training twice a week, the scientists evaluated the results. People from both groups had reduced blood pressure and stamina. But the HIIT group also saw improvements in muscle strength and working memory, despite the half-length training sessions.