Just 2 Hours of Strength Training a Week May Help You Live Longer

Researchers say that 90–120 minutes of strength training per week can help reduce the risk of early death. Image Credit: People Images/Getty Images. A new study found that 90–120 minutes of strength training each week could help promote longevity. Around 1.5 to 2 hours of weekly strength training lowered the risk of death from cardiovascular and neurological diseases, and death from any cause. The findings add to the known health benefits of strength training, including bone health, improved balance, and weight management. Strength training is heralded as a valuable aspect of an exercise regimen and regular physical activity. Strength and resistance training offer myriad benefits, including improving bone strength and balance, and helping with weight management. A new study found that aiming for 90-120 minutes of strength training each week may help lower your risk of death. The 30-year study, published on June 2 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found no additional benefits from more than 120 minutes of strength training. This means for most people, around 1.5 to 2 hours per week is sufficient for overall health and longevity. “It is important to engage in aerobic exercise that increases the heart rate. This new study finds [that] another important aspect of exercise is strength training, including free weights, weight machines, and body weight exercises,” said Clarinda Hougen, MD, a primary care sports medicine specialist at Cedars-Sinai Orthopedics in Los Angeles. Hougen wasn’t involved in the study. “By training and growing your muscle mass, you can improve your metabolic health and help reduce cardiovascular risk,” Hougen told Healthline. 1.5 to 2 hours of strength training lowers death risk by 13% The researchers for this study drew on 30 years of data from three large groups of study participants: Health Professionals Follow-up Study, 1992–2022 Nurses’ Health Study, 2002–21 Nurses’ Health Study II, 2003–21 These totaled 147,374 parti