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Fitness research is an exercise in efficiency
“Lack of time” is an often quoted reason for not exercising enough, particularly among middle-aged people.
So University of the Sunshine Coast researcher Jodi Almond wants to make staying fit easier by developing the most time-efficient exercise program for those aged 45-65.
Jodi, 37 of Sippy Downs, is assessing the short-term physiological effects of different types of exercise training regimes as part of her PhD.
Her research is being conducted under the supervision of exercise physiologist Dr Chris Askew, sports psychologist Lisa Fraser and sports nutritionist Dr Fiona Pelly in USC’s School of Health and Sport Sciences.
Jodi is currently assessing a group of 10 middle-aged volunteers – putting them through their paces once a week for six weeks in various exercises that offer a mixture of resistance and aerobic workouts.
She is measuring the participants’ heart rates, oxygen consumption and levels of exertion and fatigue in a bid to quantify how different types of exercises achieve different results.
“In the long run, we want to find out how to get the most from an exercise program in the least amount of time or, in other words, to develop a time-efficient exercise program,” she said.
“We also will be relating the short-term responses or effects with desired long-term outcomes for strength, fitness, the burning of fat and especially cardiovascular disease prevention.”
A second group of 20 volunteers are to start in late February and Jodi requires a further eight participants for this group. They must be free from joint and muscle ailments, able to perform vigorous exercise, and are currently doing less than 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week.
The sessions will be held over six weeks, taking up to three hours for each session. Volunteers can contact Jodi via email at <jalmond@usc.edu.au>.
— Terry Walsh