Overall , home-based resistance exercise  can improve both strength and functional ability , but the improvements are generally small .
The intensity of the exercises might not progress sufficiently enough to produce large improvements in strength as a result of less supervision or a lack of motivation to increase the intensity further
Home-based resistance exercise is commonly used for individuals who might not have access or the ability to use traditional resistance exercise .
However , the extent to which home-based resistance exercise can improve both strength and functional ability has not been investigated in healthy older individuals using a systematic analysis .
Muscle size and strength are increased following walk training with restricted venous blood flow from the leg muscle, Kaatsu-walk training.
Previous studies have shown that low-intensity resistance training with restricted muscular venous blood flow ( Kaatsu ) causes muscle hypertrophy and strength gain . To investigate the effects of daily physical activity combined with Kaatsu , we examined the acute and chronic effects of walk training with and without Kaatsu on MRI-measured muscle size and maximum dynamic ( one repetition maximum ) and isometric strength , along with blood hormonal parameters . Nine men performed Kaatsu-walk training , and nine men performed walk training alone ( control-walk ) . Training was conducted two times a day , 6 days/wk , for 3 wk using five sets of 2-min bouts ( treadmill speed at 50 m/min ) , with a 1-min rest between bouts .  Mean oxygen uptake during Kaatsu-walk and control-walk exercise was 19.5 ( SD 3.6 ) and 17.2 % ( SD 3.1 ) of treadmill-determined maximum oxygen uptake , respectively . Serum growth hormone was elevated ( P < 0.01 ) after acute Kaatsu-walk exercise but not in control-walk exercise .  MRI-measured thigh muscle cross-sectional area and muscle volume increased by 4 - 7 % , and one repetition maximum and maximum isometric strength increased by 8 - 10 % in the Kaatsu-walk group . There was no change in muscle size and dynamic and isometric strength in the control-walk group . Indicators of muscle damage ( creatine kinase and myoglobin ) and resting anabolic hormones did not change in both groups . The results suggest that the combination of leg muscle blood flow restriction with slow-walk training induces muscle hypertrophy and strength gain , despite the minimal level of exercise intensity . Kaatsu-walk training may be a potentially useful method for promoting muscle hypertrophy , covering a wide range of the population , including the frail and elderly
Overall , home-based resistance exercise  can improve both strength and functional ability , but the improvements are generally small .
The intensity of the exercises might not progress sufficiently enough to produce large improvements in strength as a result of less supervision or a lack of motivation to increase the intensity further
Home-based resistance exercise is commonly used for individuals who might not have access or the ability to use traditional resistance exercise .
However , the extent to which home-based resistance exercise can improve both strength and functional ability has not been investigated in healthy older individuals using a systematic analysis .