The strength-training sweet spot for a longer life |
How much strength training you should do to stay fit and healthy appears to have an upper limit. In a 30-year study of more than 147,000 adults, average age 54, researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that 90 to 120 minutes of weekly resistance work was linked to a 13% lower risk of dying from any cause. Beyond two hours, the benefit stopped accumulating.
That same weekly dose was linked with a 19% lower risk of cardiovascular death and a 27% lower risk of dying from a neurological disease. Corresponding author Edward Giovannucci noted that a neurological issue such as early dementia can itself reduce how much a person exercises, which blurs cause and effect.
The strongest signal in the data wasn’t strength training alone. High aerobic activity plus 60 to 119 minutes of weekly resistance work carried the lowest mortality of all. For the many patients who treat exercise as a choice between cardio and weights, the lesson isn't to do more, but to do both. And for anyone new to lifting, it’s important to know how to start without getting hurt.
To learn more about this research into the ideal exercise program for health and longevity, jump to “Want to live longer? Study finds sweet spot for cardio and strength training.”
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