A recent Harvard study found that strength training may help you live longer.
Researchers followed over 147,000 Americans for thirty years and found that those who spent 90 to 120 minutes a week lifting weights or using resistance tools were 13% less likely to die from any cause.
The benefits were even higher for certain conditions: a 19% lower risk of death from heart disease or stroke, and a 27% drop in deaths related to neurological disorders.
However, the study found that doing more than two hours of strength training each week did not lead to extra benefits.
The best results came from combining strength training with aerobic exercise. People who did both saw their overall risk of death drop by as much as 58%.
The findings, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, support current NHS guidelines.
These recommend that adults do strength activities at least twice a week, along with 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise.
Examples include squats, lunges, dumbbell exercises, brisk walking, cycling, swimming, or tennis.
Tom Burton, strategic lead for health and wellbeing policy at Sport England, reinforced the message: “Strength-based physical activity is an effective tool, particularly in support of healthy ageing—helping prevent or delay poor health, keeping us mobile and independent, and easing pressures on overstretched health and care services.”
Sport England’s research shows that active lifestyles prevent 3.3 million cases of chronic illness each year and save the healthcare system £8 billion every year.
In summary, spending two hours a week on strength training along with regular aerobic exercise is linked to lower risk of death and better long-term health. This simple routine can help you live a longer, healthier life.