High Life Highland (HLH) and the University of the Highlands and Islands join forces to run a new study on the benefits of online exercise
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The new study will look at whether the benefits from online exercise classes are different to the benefits from in-person classes by asking volunteers to take part.
The university is looking for men and women over the age of 50 who are not regular exercises, but are medically fit to work out.
HLH head of Health and Wellbeing, Lynn Bauermeister, said: “There can be various barriers to physical activity and HLH is keen to better understand if offering online exercise classes can help to overcome some of these barriers.
“We started running online classes due to the pandemic and they remain popular so it will be interesting to understand in more detail if or how online classes differ from face-to-face classes in terms of people’s experiences from participating.”
The study will involve a mixture of stretching, aerobic and resistance activities.
It is being carried out by the university's Divisions of Biomedical Sciences and Department of Nursing and Midwifery.
Dr Matthew Fraser, a post-doctoral researcher at the university, said: “It is a really exciting study which looks to build on previous work which we conducted last year which investigated the role of online exercise classes.
“It is also a great chance for members of the public to get a taster into both styles of class for free.”
Volunteers will need to attend four exercise classes over a four week period in March.
For more information and to take part, head to https://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/research-enterprise/res-themes/health/biomedical-sciences/active-health/volunteer-for-our-studies/online-vs-face-to-face-exercise-class-study/.
