The ultimate answer to workouts!

So, should I exercise a little every day, or once a week?

This is the dilemma faced by many health-conscious individuals - and new research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) is answering that question

This new study suggests that a small amount of exercise per day may be the most beneficial approach, at least for building muscle strength

Happily, it also suggests that you don't have to put in a lot of work every day

The study, in collaboration with Niigata University and West Kyushu University in Japan, had three groups of participants perform arm resistance exercises during a four-week training study to measure and compare changes in muscle strength and muscle thickness

The exercise involves performing "maximal voluntary eccentric biceps contractions" on a machine that measures your muscle strength with each contraction in the gym

Eccentric contractions occur when a muscle lengthens; in this case, it's like dropping a heavy dumbbell in a biceps flex

Two groups of patients had 30 contractions per week, one group had 5 days per week and 6 contractions per day (6x5 group), while the other group had 30 contractions per week and 30 contractions per day (30x1 group) )

The other group performed only six contractions per week

After four weeks, the group that did 30 contractions in one day did not show any increase in muscle strength, despite a 5.

The group that contracted 6 times a week showed no change in muscle strength or muscle thickness

However, the 6x5 group showed a significant increase in muscle strength -- over 10% -- and the increase in muscle thickness was similar to the 30x1 group

frequency, not volume

Importantly, the gains in muscle strength in the 6x5 group were similar to those in the group in a previous study, which performed only one three-second maximal eccentric contraction once a day, 5 days a week, for four weeks

Ken Nosaka, a professor of exercise and exercise science at ECU, said these studies continue to show that regular, small amounts of exercise can have tangible effects on a person's strength

"People think they have to do long resistance training sessions in the gym, but that's not the case," he said

"Slowly lowering a heavy dumbbell one to six times a day is enough
.
"

Professor Nosaka said that while the study required participants to exert their best effort, early findings from the ongoing research show that similar results can be achieved without requiring as much force as possible
.

"We only used the biceps flexion exercise in this study, but we believe other muscles will do the same, at least to some extent," he said
.

"Muscle strength is important to our health
.
This helps prevent muscle mass and strength from declining with age
.

"Decreased muscle mass is the cause of many chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, dementia, and musculoskeletal problems such as osteoporosis
.
"

rest

It is unclear why the body responds better to resistance exercises with small doses of eccentric contractions, rather than more frequent heavy loads
.

Professor Nosaka said this may have something to do with how often the brain is asked to make muscles work in specific ways
.

However, he stressed that it is also important to include rest in your exercise program
.

"In this study, the 6x5 group rested two days a week," he said
.

"Muscle adaptation happens when we rest; if someone is somehow able to train 24 hours a day, there won't actually be any improvement at all
.

"Muscles need rest to improve strength and muscle mass, but muscles seem to like to be stimulated more frequently
.
"

He also stressed that if a person is unable to exercise for a period of time, there is no value in "making up" for a longer period of time later
.

"If someone is sick and can't exercise for a week, that's fine, but it's better to resume normal exercise when you feel better," he said
.

clear advice  

Current Australian government guidelines already state that adults should be active every day, with 2.
5-5 hours of moderate physical activity per week
.

Professor Nosaka said more emphasis needs to be placed on making exercise a daily activity, rather than hitting the one-minute-a-week goal
.

"If you're just going to the gym once a week, it's not as effective as doing a little exercise at home every day," he says
.
 

"Both this study and our previous studies show the importance of exercising in small amounts each week, rather than just spending a few hours a week exercising
.
 

"We need to know that every muscle contraction counts, and the frequency of exercise counts
.
"