High intensity training great for elderly fitness

Six second bursts of fast paced, vigorous exercise have the potential to significantly improve the health of the elderly, according to a study.
A pilot study tracked the health of 12 elderly subjects as they underwent a High Intensity Training (HIT) exercise regime, and found blood pressure reduced and an increase to overall fitness.
The pensioners in the study visited a lab twice a week for six weeks. While there, they went full pelt on an exercise bike for six seconds.
They then let themselves recover and then went again, increasing their fitness until they could manage a whole minute’s worth of exercise.
The results found that the subjects had a 9% reduction in blood pressure and an increased ability to transfer oxygen into their muscles. They also reported being able to carry out daily tasks much easier.
Dr. John Babraj of Abertay University, Dundee worked on the study, the results of which were published in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society. He told the BBC: “We’ve got an ageing population and if we don’t encourage them to be active, the economic burden of that is going to be astronomical.”
The study doesn’t just apply to the elderly however. Exercise is important for all age groups, and so is a healthy balanced diet. You need both exercise and a balanced diet to get, and stay, healthy.
Keeping active and eating well can help prevent diseases like diabetes that develop from a sedentary lifestyle. One of the major factors people cite for not exercising enough is a lack of time, something that short, intensive activity could help overcome.