Covid-19

This study will evaluate the effect of one minute of resistance exercise per day on muscular strength in adults. Half of the participants will undergo a 12-week home-based resistance exercise programme, while the other half will continue their usual lifestyle behaviour.

A resistance training programme can lead to a variety of health benefits including increases in muscle size and strength. Other potential health benefits of resistance training include reduction of body fat, increased metabolic rate, improve insulin sensitivity, blood glucose tolerance and blood lipid profiles. Meta-analyses indicate that while performing resistance exercise two or more times per week of resistance exercise per muscle group appears to be optimal to maximise strength gains, a single set of resistance exercise per muscle group per week, if performed to failure is sufficient to induce substantial strength changes.

The current physical activity guidelines recommend undertaking muscle strengthening activities involving major muscle groups two days a week or more, as well as undertaking at least 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity physical activity (or 75 minutes per week of vigorous intensity physical activity). However, only small portion of the population achieves the muscle strengthening aspect of the guidelines. As lack of time is often cited as a reason not to engage in physical activity, this study is seeking to investigate a low time-commitment approach to resistance exercise which could increase muscular strength. To address this, the present study will to split a typical single session of resistance exercise involving several exercises across different muscle groups into separate 1-minute micro-sessions where a different muscle group is exercised on each day of the week. The aim is to determine the effects of a one-minute-per-day home-based resistance exercise training on muscular strength.

The study is a randomized control trial in which the control group will continue their lifestyle behaviour and will be asked not to increase their physical activity levels and the exercise group will perform a 12-week home-based resistance exercise programme, involving doing one minute of resistance exercise per day on six days of the week, with a different exercise performed on each day. All participants will be measured at baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged 18-65 years

Exclusion Criteria:

• Diabetes
• Uncontrolled hypertension (blood pressure > 150/90 on medication).
• History of cardiovascular disease
• Undertaking more than 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity or undertaking any resistance exercise.
• Other significant illness that would prevent the participant to undertake physical activity.

There is no masking due to intervention characteristics (exercise training programme).