A 30-year study found that 90 to 120 minutes of strength training a week was linked to a lower risk of early death.
Strength training may do more than build muscle. A new study suggests that around 90 to 120 minutes of it each week is tied to a lower risk of dying, including from cardiovascular and neurological disease.
The research was published on June 2 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. It drew on 30 years of data and found no added benefit beyond 120 minutes a week. For most people, that puts the useful range at roughly 1.5 to 2 hours weekly.
The findings add to the known benefits of strength training, which include stronger bones, better balance, and weight management.
Researchers pulled data from three large groups: the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and two Nurses’ Health Studies. The combined total was 147,374 participants, most of them women. The average age at the start was 54.
Participants reported their weekly strength training and aerobic exercise every two years for up to three decades. Aerobic activity covered brisk walking, running, swimming, cycling, and similar exercise. Strength training included weights and body weight moves such as push-ups, lunges, and squats. During the study, 35,798 participants died.
The data showed that 90 to 119 minutes of weekly strength training was linked to a 13 percent lower risk of death from any cause. No further benefit appeared above 120 minutes. The same weekly range was tied to a 19 percent lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and a 27 percent lower risk of dying from neurological disease. A lower cancer risk appeared only at smaller amounts, with a 9 percent drop at 1 to 29 minutes a week and a 12 percent drop at 30 to 59 minutes.
The study was observational, so it cannot prove cause and effect. The researchers noted limitations, including self-reported data, the exclusion of activities like calisthenics and Pilates, and a lack of detail on session length and intensity.
Mary Greene, a board certified cardiologist with Manhattan Cardiology in New York who was not involved in the study, said the 90 to 120 minute range was reported as optimal, though benefits may appear at lower targets. She said the findings add to a growing body of evidence on strength training.
Strength Training and Its Wider Benefits
Strength training does not require a gym or weights. According to Healthline, options include resistance band work, push-ups, squats, lunges, gardening, yoga, and Pilates.
Clarinda Hougen, a primary care sports medicine specialist at Cedars-Sinai Orthopedics in Los Angeles who was not involved in the study, said both aerobic exercise and strength training matter. “By training and growing your muscle mass, you can improve your metabolic health and help reduce cardiovascular risk,” she said.
The wider benefits run beyond longevity. Greene listed lower blood pressure, improved cholesterol, reduced type 2 diabetes risk, better insulin sensitivity, increased bone density, and gains in mental health and sleep.
It is recommended to pick activities you enjoy and easing in gradually with small goals.Stay fit, stay healthy!
