This can help delay any kind of age-associated decline in muscle strength and reduce “bad fat.”
Strength training is a type of exercise that helps you get stronger by working your muscles. It’s also known as weight training or resistance training, and it’s an important component of a fitness regimen, particularly if you’re in it for the long haul and aren’t just working out to remain in shape or tone your abs.
To see results from strength training, you need to dedicate at least 20-30 minutes, three times a week.
And those who already have muscular weakness, and pain have additional difficulties in the beginning.
The good news is, according to a recent experiment in Singapore, receiving magnetic muscle treatment once per week can prevent any age-related declines in muscle strength.
Following a twelve-week period, senior citizens experienced notable enhancements in their functional mobility and reductions in body fat.
In this investigation, the researchers enlisted 101 individuals, spanning the ages of 38 to 91, who took part in weekly sessions of muscle therapy using low-level proprietary pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) technology.
The device employed, known as BIXEPS, was introduced in 2019 and primarily focuses on the leg muscles, stimulating them with a unique magnetic signature. This results in metabolic activity within the cells, mimicking the effects of physical exercise. Earlier studies had indicated that those who received magnetic muscle therapy on a single leg post-knee surgery witnessed a significant improvement in their overall body metabolism.
With the present research, it has been found that participants not only regained their muscle strength over a period of three months but also reported improvements in their mobility and experienced less bodily pain.
“We are very encouraged by the positive results of this community trial,” remarks NUS researcher Alfredo Franco-Obregón.
“PEMF-associated improvements were experienced by 85% of participants, irrespective of age, with the greatest benefits reported in older and more frail participants.”
The results of the study published in the journal Aging “suggest that PEMF therapy can produce comparable results to exercise in older persons and therefore holds potential therapeutic value for the older adult population.”
The extensive research trial spanned a period of 34 months, from the first day of 2020 until October 31, 2022. A significant portion, or 87 percent, of the participants entered the study with some level of mobility impairment. The therapeutic intervention consisted of a 10-minute session each week on alternative legs, over a three-month period. Progress was measured by a series of performance evaluations and the participants’ self-reported discomfort from the initial week through to the twelfth week.
After two-thirds of the treatment regimen was completed, a noteworthy 72 percent of participants demonstrated enhanced skeletal muscle retention, coupled with a reduction in overall and visceral fat. The latter, a form of “bad fat,” is notoriously difficult to lose and is associated with numerous metabolic health issues, including diabetes.
Upon concluding the twelve-week period, the therapy resulted in improved functional mobility for 85 percent of the participants, with the most marked enhancements observed among the senior members of the study group.
“Prior to the BIXEPS program, I had a lot of weakness in my legs,” recounts 79-year-old retiree George Teo.
“It was painful in my hip and feet when I took even a few steps. I could not climb the stairs the normal way, and had to rely on the handrails to balance myself.
“At the end of 12 sessions, I felt that my leg movement had returned to normal, and I could go up and down the stairs without using the handrails.”
At present, the investigative group is engaging in discussions with researchers from both the United States and China, with a view to expanding the scope of their trials internationally.
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