You could be building serious strength in the time it takes to unload the dishwasher.

A new study from Penn State College of Medicine found that engaging in as little as four minutes of four key exercises may be enough to support overall physical function in aging folk.

“The human body is designed to improve very quickly,” said lead author Christopher Sciamanna. “And just a few repetitions of an exercise performed regularly can lead to huge improvements. Exercise is about forward thinking — think about what you want to be able to do and train for it.”

Published in PLOS One, the study examined the effects of a minimal strength-training regimen on adults age 65 and older — and found marked improvement in as little as 12 weeks.

Previous research has established that strength training can help people remain independent, recover from illness or injury, travel more easily and stay active later in life.

But less than 20% of older adults meet the recommended two days per week of muscle-strengthening activity.

Experts suspect one barrier to committing to a strength-training routine is the belief that a serious time commitment is required to reap the benefits.

Yet Sciamanna and his team found that those benefits can be reaped in a shockingly short time.

“There are huge problems with people wanting to do exercise. If we can make it short, we’re partway there,” co-author Smita Dandekar assured.

Building on earlier research that found shorter routines just as effective as longer sets, the team tested a program called FAST (Functional Activity Strength Training)-2, which included four key exercises: push-ups, chair stands, two-arm rows and stair stepping.

About 100 participants, with an average age of 74, were assigned this exercise regimen or no regimen at all.

Those doing the exercise were given resistance bands and an adjustable stepper and instructed to perform each exercise for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of rest.

Modifications, such as performing pushups with hands on a countertop or wall, or chair stands with hands on the knees, were allowed.

As the study continued and participants improved, they were asked to try more advanced versions of the exercises, dropping modifications when possible and increasing step height.

To measure progress, participants’ ability to stand up and stand on one leg was assessed at the beginning, middle, and end of the study.

“These indicators predict your future ability to go into a nursing home, your future likelihood of falling, and of developing difficulty walking,” Sciamanna said. “They give you a sense of whether or not you’re going to be able to be active in the future.”

Several studies have linked balance and stability to overall health.

A 2022 study dubbed the “flamingo challenge” found that middle-aged people who cannot balance on one foot for 10 seconds face a dramatically higher risk of early death.

In this latest study, researchers found that participants who followed the exercise regimen showed significant improvements in functional performance over three months. On average, the exercise cohort could do 4.2 more repetitions in a 30-second chair stand, 3.6 more seconds in one-legged stand time, and shaved 2.3 seconds off their sit-to-stand time.

“These changes point to related improvements in daily life fitness, such as standing up from a chair, climbing stairs, and walking,” said Sciamanna.

Results show that the brevity of the exercise program increased the likelihood that participants would commit to it, with participants completing the routine on 81% of days.

According to Sciamanna, this completion rate proves that the program can easily fit into stacked schedules and time constraints, factors that have historically discouraged aging adults from starting and maintaining a fitness practice.

“The findings are a promising indication that resistance training regimens do not have to be long to make a big difference in strength, mobility, and quality of life,” said Sciamanna.

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Industry executives held 92 meetings with lawmakers and administration officials, promoting physical activity as essential healthcare infrastructure while launching the Service Ready military fitness initiative.

By Pamela Kufahl, senior director of communications

The fitness industry was represented by 130 leaders from health clubs, studios, industry partner sponsors, and HFA staff at the three-day event that culminated on June 10 with visits to Congressional offices. The participants braved a rainy morning to pose on the Capitol steps prior to their visits with legislators.

At the 2026 HFA Fly-In and Advocacy Summit on June 8-10 in Washington, DC, 130 fitness industry leaders met with US legislators and administration officials to reinforce the health and fitness industry’s role in preventing chronic disease, reducing healthcare costs, and supporting military readiness. 

The Fly-In is an annual event organized by the Health & Fitness Association at which industry leaders travel to Capitol Hill to learn about business and legislative issues affecting the industry and to speak with their representatives about the impact of each on their businesses and on the physical and mental health of the country. Participants, who were split into groups based on the states in which they live, collectively held 92 meetings.

Participants heard from Dr. Mehmet Oz about the importance of integrating nutrition and physical activity into healthcare, learned about HFA’s Service Ready initiative, and met with lawmakers to advance policies that position physical activity as a critical component of a healthier America.

Oz, who serves as administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, US Department of Health and Human Services, delivered the dinner keynote address June 9 at the headquarters of the Daughters of the American Revolution. 

He focused on physical activity’s role in healthy aging and disease prevention and the opportunity for the fitness industry, CMS, and federal policymakers to integrate physical activity into healthcare delivery and prevention efforts.

Earlier in the day, Admiral Brian Christine, MD, assistant secretary for health and head of the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps at the US Department of Health and Human Services, offered the luncheon keynote, speaking about the importance of a healthier nation to the strength of America. 

“Health is foundational to our national strength,” he said. “Health is essential to our readiness. It shapes the vitality of our economy, the resilience of our communities. Health shapes the future of our nation.” 

Both Oz and Christine expressed appreciation for HFA’s Service Ready initiative, which was announced at the Fly-In immediately prior to Christine’s address. Service Ready is an initiative in which operators at HFA member clubs and studios can offer eight to 12 weeks of free membership to individuals who have signed up to join the military to help them prepare to complete boot camp. 

“The announcement you made shows the commitment you have to this country,” Christine said. “Your commitment to the fighting forces and the fighting readiness of the United States of America touches me deeply.” 

Oz called the initiative “the greatest gift you can give to this country.” 

Operators interested in learning more about participating in the program can fill out this form to be notified as more details become available. 

HFA also handed out its first two HFA Heavy Lifter Awards at the June 9 dinner. The awards were given to two representatives who have supported the fitness industry: Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) and Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO). 

Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, was part of a fireside chat with Mark Harrington Jr., president of Healthworks Group, on the topic of GLP-1s and how to frame physical activity as essential healthcare infrastructure in discussions with policymakers.

That discussion occurred after HFA VP of Research Anton Severin presented a preview of a GLP-1 white paper paper, From Weight Loss to Lasting Value: Structured Exercise and the Economics of GLP-1 Therapy, which will be released on June 15. 

The heart of the event occurred on June 10 when attendees took to the halls of Congress and met with 92 legislators or their staff members. Each group included constituents of the legislators. Some of the offices visited included Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Sen. Tom Tillis (R-NC), and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Some of the legislators who took time to meet personally with the groups included Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA), Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-OR), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA), and Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), among others.

Participants in the Fly-In included executives from acac Health & Fitness, Bay Club Company, Discover Strength, East Bank Club, EoS Fitness, Fitness Formula Clubs, Genesis Health Clubs, Healthworks, Life Time, Planet Fitness, Solidcore and many others. 

Also participating in the meetings were executives from the event sponsors, which were:

Premier Sponsors: Matrix, TechnoGym
Advocate Sponsors: AltaDX, Daxko, DIRECTV, Echelon, Life Fitness / Hammer Strength, PerfectGym, SECA, VIDA Fitness, Wellhub, and Woodway
Supporters: National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), ROR Partners, and Zenoti

The three days wrapped with a poolside reception at VIDA Fitness. 

“This year’s Fly-In reflected a major shift in how the industry is engaging in Washington,” said Mike Goscinski, HFA chief of staff. “The conversation is no longer about whether physical activity matters. Policymakers increasingly understand that. The focus now is on implementation, scalability, affordability, and how the fitness industry can help solve some of the country’s biggest healthcare and readiness challenges. The industry showed up in force this week with a unified message that physical activity must be treated as essential prevention infrastructure.”

More photos from the event can be viewed here.