Experts say exercising at home just as effective as hitting the gym
| Jun 24, 2019, 12:42 IST
A new study has found that home-based high-intensity interval training (Home-HIT) programme can be extremely beneficial, suggesting working out at home can be as effective as hitting the gym. The study was conducted by a team of researchers from the Liverpool John Moores University in the UK.
For the study, researchers studied how Home-HIT could benefit obese participants who have a high risk of heart disease. The team also wanted to find out if this programme is time-efficient. 32 obese individuals had to participate in an exercise programme for 12 weeks. Researchers made note of each participant's body composition, cardiovascular disease risk, as well as their ability to regulate glucose.
The participants were then divided into three groups:
- One group took part in a supervised, lab-based cycling HIT programme.
- The third group has to do the home-based HIT programme, which included simple bodyweight exercises that required no equipment.
The results showed the home-based HIT programme proved to be extremely effective as it helped participants improve their fitness levels and health.
“An exercise regimen such as Home-HIT that reduces barriers to exercise such as time, cost, and access, and increases adherence in previously inactive individuals gives people a more attainable exercise goal and thus could help improve the health of countless individuals,” study author Sam Scott from Liverpool John Moores University, told a news portal. The study's findings were originally published inThe Journal of Physiology.
This is good news for people who don't have the time to hit the gym often or just want to save their money for other expenses. "People with busy schedules that cannot seem to justify a gym membership or commute time to get to and from a gym may recognize that a workout regimen at home is more realistic for their schedule and budget," certified personal trainer and holistic nutritionist, Ashley Walter, told a news portal. Adding, "[An at-home workout] is amazing for people who want to keep up a regular workout regimen to get to their goals and can devote 30+ minutes to a workout guided from an app or online."
For the study, researchers studied how Home-HIT could benefit obese participants who have a high risk of heart disease. The team also wanted to find out if this programme is time-efficient. 32 obese individuals had to participate in an exercise programme for 12 weeks. Researchers made note of each participant's body composition, cardiovascular disease risk, as well as their ability to regulate glucose.
The participants were then divided into three groups:
- One group took part in a supervised, lab-based cycling HIT programme.
- The third group has to do the home-based HIT programme, which included simple bodyweight exercises that required no equipment.
The results showed the home-based HIT programme proved to be extremely effective as it helped participants improve their fitness levels and health.
“An exercise regimen such as Home-HIT that reduces barriers to exercise such as time, cost, and access, and increases adherence in previously inactive individuals gives people a more attainable exercise goal and thus could help improve the health of countless individuals,” study author Sam Scott from Liverpool John Moores University, told a news portal. The study's findings were originally published inThe Journal of Physiology.
This is good news for people who don't have the time to hit the gym often or just want to save their money for other expenses. "People with busy schedules that cannot seem to justify a gym membership or commute time to get to and from a gym may recognize that a workout regimen at home is more realistic for their schedule and budget," certified personal trainer and holistic nutritionist, Ashley Walter, told a news portal. Adding, "[An at-home workout] is amazing for people who want to keep up a regular workout regimen to get to their goals and can devote 30+ minutes to a workout guided from an app or online."