"Invest Just 3 Seconds a Day"... This Exercise Defeats the 'Silent Killer'

Proposal for '3-Second Muscle Training Method'
30% Strength Increase Effect in 60s and 80s

A Japanese rehabilitation medicine expert has proposed a '3-second muscle training method' that can improve muscle strength even in people in their 60s to 80s.

Squat. The photo is not directly related to the content of the article. Pixabay

On the 24th, Fuji News Network (FNN) introduced an exercise method proposed by Masatoshi Nakamura, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Rehabilitation, Nishikyushu University, Japan. This exercise, called the '3-second muscle training method,' is a very light muscle exercise. The exercise only requires performing 'slowly sitting down on a chair' and 'slowly lowering the heels.' It has the effect of strengthening the leg and hip muscles. Nakamura claimed that even seniors in their 60s to 80s increased their muscle strength by about 30% in just two and a half months. He emphasized the need for regular training because the leg and hip muscles account for two-thirds of the body's total muscle mass.

'Slow Chair Sitting' Exercise Method. FNN

'Slowly sitting down on a chair' means slowly sitting down on any chair for 3 seconds with your arms crossed over your chest. This movement strengthens the quadriceps muscles at the front of the thigh, the hamstrings at the back of the thigh, and the gluteus maximus muscles of the hips. 'Lowering the heels' involves placing your hands on the backrest of a chair, raising your heels, and then slowly lowering them over 3 seconds. This stimulates the triceps muscles in the lower part of the calves, helping to improve muscle strength.

'Slowly Lowering the Heel' Exercise Method. FNN

Nakamura warned, "Muscle weakening is a 'silent killer,'" explaining that if you do not exercise after the age of 30, muscles deteriorate by 1-2% annually, and by the age of 80, muscle mass decreases by 30-40%. Muscle weakening is also known to cause high blood pressure, diabetes, dementia, and other conditions.

Nakamura explained that if you meet even one of the following conditions, it is a sign of muscle weakness: ▲unable to stand on one leg for more than 30 seconds ▲unable to stand up from a chair using one leg ▲difficulty squatting in the bathroom.

Although the movements seem easy, seniors in their 60s to 80s find it difficult to perform them 'slowly.' Nakamura emphasized, "The reason for insisting on 3 seconds is to minimize obstacles to muscle exercise," and added, "Since difficult exercises are hard to continue, try incorporating the 3-second muscle training into your daily life." He also noted that if you count numbers in your head instead of using a clock, you tend to count faster than actual time, so it is better to count up to 5 seconds.

Nakamura also published an international paper last year on the effects of the '3-second muscle training' conducted at Niigata University of Health and Welfare. This paper attracted attention, including being featured in The New York Times (NYT).