Scientists found the strength training sweet spot for a longer life
Key takeaways
- A long-running study suggests that 90 to 120 minutes of strength (resistance) training each week may be the ideal range for reducing the risk of death.
- The benefits were even greater when strength training was combined with aerobic exercise.
- While the life-extending benefits of aerobic exercise are well established, the impact of muscle-strengthening activities on overall mortality and specific causes of death has been less clear.
Why this matters: new research or scientific developments with potential real-world impact.
A long-running study suggests that 90 to 120 minutes of strength (resistance) training each week may be the ideal range for reducing the risk of death. The research, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, followed participants for up to 30 years.
The benefits were even greater when strength training was combined with aerobic exercise. However, researchers found no additional advantage from doing more than 120 minutes of strength training per week. That level of exercise was linked to a 19% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and a 27% lower risk of death from neurological disease.
While the life-extending benefits of aerobic exercise are well established, the impact of muscle-strengthening activities on overall mortality and specific causes of death has been less clear. Researchers wanted to determine whether strength training alone, or combined with aerobic exercise, could influence those risks.