Ultra-Brief Exercise

It is well-established that as physical activity (PA) increases, physical function improves. And yet, few older adults achieve published recommendations for weekly moderate-to-vigorous activity. A very common explanation provided by those not meeting PA recommendations is having a "lack of time" (and let's face it, we've all said it before).

Fortunately, recent work suggests that even brief periods of PA can improve health and fitness. An intuitive approach to encouraging additional PA among older adults involves coaching/encouragement from their primary care physicians (PCPs). However, most PCPs receive little training related to PA, making meaningful counseling very difficult.

Based on these issues, in the current study we explore the feasibility and impact of a PCP-prescribed one-minute daily functional exercise program for older adults. Here, the burden of exercise counseling for PCPs is reduced by allowing them to simply recommend an ultra-brief routine for their inactive patients. The preliminary results for this work are impressive!

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To learn more, check out our paper (2021) (PDF link) in Preventive Medicine Reports.