Personalised Prescription of Scalable High Intensity Interval Training to Inactive Female Adults of Different Ages

Using Focus Groups and Interviews to Inform the Design of a Workplace Exercise Programme: An Example From a High-Intensity Interval Training Intervention

OBJECTIVE

Using a formative evaluation of a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) intervention, we illustrate how qualitative data can inform the development of workplace exercise interventions.

METHOD

Eight focus groups and four interviews were conducted with employees (n = 38) and management (n = 4) from six office-based organisations before intervention implementation.

RESULTS

Some participants thought workplace-based HIIT would be practical, given the limited time required. Others perceived it may not be acceptable for all individuals, given the exercise intensity. With consideration of identified barriers (workload/family commitments effecting time availability) and facilitators (flexible working conditions) participants' perspectives were incorporated into the intervention protocol. A short-term group-based intervention was preferred, with a choice of exercise modes (based on stair climbing, stepping or boxing).

CONCLUSION

This study provides a framework to incorporate stakeholders' perspectives into the development of workplace exercise interventions.

Low Volume, Home-Based Weighted Step Exercise Training Can Improve Lower Limb Muscle Power and Functional Ability in Community-Dwelling Older Women

Stepping exercise can be used as a scalable form of high intensity exercise to enhance important aspects of physical fitness in older populations. The addition of supplementary weights increases the resistive element of stepping, with the potential for training improvements in muscular strength, power, and functional abilities alongside other fitness outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a low-volume, home-based weighted step exercise programme on muscular strength, power, and functional ability in previously inactive community-dwelling older women. Eleven participants, aged between 65⁻74 years, independently completed a six-week individualised and progressive step exercise training programme wearing a weighted vest. Knee extensor strength, lower limb power output, and physical function using a battery of functional tests were measured at baseline, following a 6-week control period, and again following the 6-week training programme. Following training, lower limb power output improved by 10⁻11% (p < 0.05) and was accompanied by a corresponding 9% (p < 0.01) improvement in stair climb time and 10% (p < 0.01) improvement in normalised stair climbing power, highlighting the beneficial effects of weighted stepping for transferable improvements in functional fitness. The magnitude of observed training improvements suggest that weighted step training has the potential to prolong independence and prevent age-related health conditions such as sarcopenia.

High Intensity Interval Training Improves Physical Performance and Frailty in Aged Mice

Sarcopenia and frailty are highly prevalent in older individuals, increasing the risk of disability and loss of independence. High intensity interval training (HIIT) may provide a robust intervention for both sarcopenia and frailty by achieving both strength and endurance benefits with lower time commitments than other exercise regimens. To better understand the impacts of HIIT during aging, we compared 24-month-old C57BL/6J sedentary mice with those that were administered 10-minute uphill treadmill HIIT sessions three times per week over 16 weeks. Baseline and end point assessments included body composition, physical performance, and frailty based on criteria from the Fried physical frailty scale. HIIT-trained mice demonstrated dramatic improvement in grip strength (HIIT 10.9% vs -3.9% in sedentary mice), treadmill endurance (32.6% vs -2.0%), and gait speed (107.0% vs 39.0%). Muscles from HIIT mice also exhibited greater mass, larger fiber size, and an increase in mitochondrial biomass. Furthermore, HIIT exercise led to a dramatic reduction in frailty scores in five of six mice that were frail or prefrail at baseline, with four ultimately becoming nonfrail. The uphill treadmill HIIT exercise sessions were well tolerated by aged mice and led to performance gains, improvement in underlying muscle physiology, and reduction in frailty.