Tired of working out? There may soon be a pill for that.
A new “exercise pill” could potentially replace some — not all — of the benefits of working out, according to a new study.
Scientists from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis spent 10 years creating new compounds that seem to be able to mimic the physical benefits of a workout — at least in rodent cells — that could become ingredients for a future supplement.
The findings could result in a new way to treat muscle atrophy and other medical conditions. alones – stock.adobe.com
The team of researchers, who presented their findings at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), hope to replicate the physical effects of exercise, specifically the ability to enhance metabolism and growth, as well as improved muscle performance.
“We cannot replace exercise; exercise is important on all levels,” Bahaa Elgendy, a professor of anesthesiology and the project’s principal investigator, said in a media release. “If I can exercise, I should go ahead and get the physical activity. But there are so many cases in which a substitute is needed.”
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However, the findings could result in a new way to treat muscle atrophy and other medical conditions, including heart failure and neurodegenerative disease.
If the drug could mimic the physical effects of exercise, it could help offset the weakness in a person’s muscles that occur naturally as people age or for those affected by cancer, certain genetic conditions or any other reason a person may be unable to do regular physical activity.
Elgendy added that the “exercise pill” could potentially counter the loss of both muscle and fat caused by other drugs, such as new weight-loss medications.
When the scientists tested on mice, they found that the compound increased a fatigue-resistant muscle fiber, which in turn improved the rodents’ endurance when running on a treadmill.
But more testing needs to be done before the pill can be available for human use. The scientists will be testing the compound in other animals as the next step in the research process.
Jack Claxton has been at the sharp end of personal training for over a decade, yet even someone as well-versed in its benefits can occasionally lack the drive to exercise. “Motivation is huge,” says David Lloyd’s master trainer, who admits that his own motivation started to dip last year “even though I’ve been in this industry for 10-11 years.”
Despite committing his career to helping people fall in love with exercise, Claxton was falling out of love with it—hard.
Preity Zinta leaves no stone unturned when it comes to fitness, and her latest workout video is proof. Watch here.
Preity Zinta has shared her latest exercise regimen on social media.
Preity Zinta is known to follow a disciplined routine and consistent workouts, leaving no stone unturned when it comes to fitness. All thanks to her exercise regimen and balanced diet that she is truly ageing like fine wine. Maintaining a fit and toned physique, she has set a fitness benchmark at the age of 50. She recently took to her Instagram handle to share a workout video, proving that age is just a number. Let’s dive into her latest exercise regimen here.
Taking to her social media handle, Preity Zinta shared an inspiring working video, moving fans with her dedication towards a healthy lifestyle. She captioned the post, “It does not matter how long and how much you train over the years… One needs to keep changing it up so you can push your body further and harder.” She added, “Here I’m trying a new workout for a new project I’m working on with the one & only Yasmin Karachiwala (Celebrity fitness instructor). Hope I can inspire some of you to go to the gym now.”
Take a look at Preity Zinta’s workout video here.
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Wearing sleek black sportswear, Preity is shown in the video slaying several exercises while maintaining her distinctive natural shine and pulling her hair up into a high ponytail.
Take notes from Preity’s exercise regimen
Scrunches: To tone the abdominal muscles, perform core-focused crunches.
Cable curl: A technique for working the biceps with a cable machine.
Squats: Try this traditional bodyweight or weighted squat to work your legs and glutes.
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Crossover running plank: A version of the plank that uses a running motion to work the shoulders and core.
Arm pulldown: To strengthen the arms and back, pull down a resistance band or wire.
A side step to strengthen and stretch your inner thighs and hips is the side lunge stretch.
A few weeks ago, the Veer Zara actress shared another video from her workout session, writing, “A strong spine is a base for both good health & character (sin). Here is the hanging back extension on the Cadillac for spine mobility & strength. Joseph Pilates famously said, “You are as young as your spine is flexible.” So, whichever way possible, keep your spine flexible & keep pushing yourself the way Yasmin Karachiwala pushes me.”
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“My thesis focuses on physical activity and physical capacity in older adults, including both healthy older adults and patients with severe hip osteoarthritis. I have examined the reliability of various field-based physical fitness tests, compared physical capacity between healthy older adults and those with hip osteoarthritis, and evaluated how exercise affects physical capacity in older adults and how total hip arthroplasty affects physical capacity in patients with hip osteoarthritis”, says Manne Godhe , PhD student at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery .
Which are the most important results?
“The most important results show that field-based physical fitness tests have generally good reliability for older adults and can be used in both research and clinical practice. Structured exercise programs of just eight weeks (twice weekly) provide significant improvements in muscular endurance, strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, and motor fitness in older adults”.
“Another key finding is that severe hip osteoarthritis significantly impairs physical function and activity levels compared to healthy older adults. Total hip arthroplasty leads to substantial improvements in both physical fitness and activity patterns. One year after surgery, patients achieved international physical activity recommendations”.
How can this new knowledge contribute to the improvement of people’s health?
“This knowledge can help promote exercise for older adults in community care, recreational activities, and healthcare. Simple, cost-effective field tests enable better evaluation of physical functions in older adults and allow monitoring of changes over time. For end-stage hip osteoarthritis patients, this knowledge can improve rehabilitation strategies and set realistic recovery expectations after surgery”.
“The results also emphasize the importance of regular physical activity for maintaining health and function in older adults and demonstrate that even short-term exercise interventions can provide meaningful benefits for this population”.
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What are your future ambitions?
“In the future, I want to continue research on how exercise can be optimized for different groups of older adults. I also want to develop and validate more field-based tests that can be implemented in clinical practice and preventive healthcare”.
Dissertation
Friday May 23, 2025 at 09:00, GIH, Lidingövägen 1
Thesis
Physical Activity and Fitness Measurements in Healthy Older Adults and Osteoarthrities Patients Undergoing Total Hip Arthroplasty