A new study out of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health finds that between 90 minutes and two hours a week of strength training leads to a significant longevity benefit, reports Gretchen Reynolds for the Washington Post. That said, researchers also found that people who lifted weights even for a few minutes a week had a lower likelihood of premature death than people who never lifted weights, including people who did all kinds of aerobic exercise.
Strength training reduced the likelihood of cardiovascular disease and neurological conditions. People who lifted weights had a lower risk of dying of a heart attack or Alzheimer’s, even if they did so only occasionally. And, the researchers found that there was an ideal amount of strength training for the greatest longevity, again separate and apart from aerobic exercise.
Historically, research has focused on aerobic exercise as a way to promote good health. It has found that 150 minutes, or 20 minutes or so a day of aerobic exercise, including speed walking, promotes good health. Even less exercise is worthwhile. This new research finds that adding on strength exercises for 90 minutes to two hours a week increases people’s lifespans even more. You fare even better doing both aerobic exercise and strength training, with the lowest risk of dying prematurely!!! Though, lifespans don’t increase with more strength trainiing.
The study results are particularly compelling because the researchers were able to study nearly 150,000 people over 30 years. What the study does not reveal is whether there are better or worse ways to spend your 90 to 120 minutes of strength training–for example, whether it’s better to spend two days a week for 45-60 minutes or three or four days for less time.
What the study did show is that weekly weight lifting reduced people’s risk of dying prematurely from any cause by 13 percent. It reduced people’s risk of dying from heart disease by 19 percent. And, incredibly, it reduced people’s risk of dying from dementia and other neurological diseases by 27 percent!
Here’s more from Just Care:
- Lifting weights may help you think better
- Aerobic exercise may be best medicine for your brain and body
- How to strengthen your immune system
- Protein helps older adults maintain muscle mass
- Vigorous exercise found to ward off dementia
