Does Six Second Exercise Trend Work? (Fingers crossed)

I was trying to figure out what to blog about this week. I thought about "sex and the septuagenarian"(for my older friends, of course. My son suggested I write about sleep since there are plenty of studies on our need for it, even as we get older. (If you are hoping I am going to comment on his focus on (lack of sleep) or my focus on sex, I’m sure it’s purely co-incidental.) Ultimately, I asked my step-daughter who is wise in more ways than I have ever been. Her suggestion: "That six second exercise stuff that's all over the place is what I want to know about. Does that really do any good?"
To be honest, I haven’t followed the” six-second" exercise program. Had I been paying more attention, I wouldn’t have been slaving away for at least half an hour of heavy breathing and sweating every day. (We are still talking about exercise here.)I’d love a faster regimen-- even sixty-seconds, let alone six. Here’s what I found regarding the six second craze.
According to Newser (newser.com), a study from Abertay University in Scotland had twelve people over sixty do six seconds of high intensity exercise on a stationary bike, followed by at least a minute of rest. They progressed to repeating this ten times. The participants had a 9% decrease in blood pressure and discovered an easier time walking their dogs. The article states, " The broad message is you are never too old, too frail, too ill to benefit from exercise, as long as it is carefully chosen.
Dr. Oz's new magazine, The Good Life, promises that ten basic moves is all it takes to fix many problems. I quote , “ Do this set of ultra basic moves in the time it takes to brew a cup of coffee. You'll transform your body, bolster your health, and make exercise a joyful habit." Oz suggests you add 5 exercises or 5 seconds per week per exercise. . The plan begins with 100 seconds, 10 exercises times 10 reps the first week, and progresses to 250 seconds; 10 exercises times 25 reps by week four. My anecdotal experience is that if I miss even a few days of strength or flexibility type work on myself, I not only fail to see gains but find myself headed in the other direction. This body does not rebound or retain strength and flexibility like it used to.
Here's what the 'experts' at The Center for Disease Control recommend:
" Older adults need at least:
2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., brisk walking) every week and muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).
or
1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., jogging or running) every week and
muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).
or
An equivalent mix of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity and
muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms.”

They continue:

“10 minutes at a time is fine. We know 150 minutes each week sounds like a lot of time, but it's not. That's 2 hours and 30 minutes, about the same amount of time you might spend watching a movie. The good news is that you can spread your activity out during the week, so you don't have to do it all at once. You can even break it up into smaller chunks of time during the day. It's about what works best for you, as long as you're doing physical activity at a moderate or vigorous effort for at least 10 minutes at a time."(cdc.gov)

A recent article in Arthritis Care & Research By Daniel White, PT, ScD, and his colleagues, found that older persons with osteoarthritis in their knees benefit greatly from walking with a goal of 6000 steps per day. Participants improved and maintained function but an increase of even 1000 steps/day reduced the chance for developing functional problems. It takes longer than six seconds though.

The clinical evidence is pretty clear. I regret to inform you that appears the six second thing is not going to be the panacea for functional maintenance or optimal health. However, for you my brilliant step-daughter, the experts agree--any exercise, even six seconds of it, IS better than nothing.