A study involving 92 socioeconomically vulnerable elderly women has compared the efficacy of different low-cost community-based exercise programs to improve and/or maintain cardiovascular and functional parameters, such as waist circumference, blood pressure, and above all, arterial stiffness, a risk factor for atherosclerosis. An article describing the results is published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. The main conclusion is that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) combined with resistance training (RT) to build muscle strength was the most beneficial option for the women's health.
In HIIT, short periods of intense or explosive anaerobic exercise alternate with brief recovery periods. It involves whole-body exercises performed in the shortest time possible. It has been used for decades by high-performance athletes and has become a craze in recent years, mainly because sessions are short and no equipment is needed.
The other protocols tested were RT alone, and moderate-intensity aerobic training combined with RT. The study was conducted in Brazil at São Paulo State University's School of Sciences (FC-UNESP) in Bauru. The volunteers performed the exercise programs twice a week for nine months at four neighborhood community centers run by an NGO.
Clinical status, anthropometric measurements and specific health parameters (cardiovascular, functional, mobility etc.) were assessed before the first session (baseline), at the end of the nine-month intervent.