Resistance training may boost longevity. But how much do you need?
Resistance training may boost longevity. But how much do you need? Weight lifting and other forms of resistance training can increase bone density, lower diabetes risk and boost mental health By Jackie Flynn Mogensen edited by Claire Cameron Science shows that regular strength
Resistance training may boost longevity. But how much do you need?
Weight lifting and other forms of resistance training can increase bone density, lower diabetes risk and boost mental health
Science shows that regular strength training —whether it be weight lifting or other forms of resistance work—can boost mental health, stave off disease and increase bone and muscle mass, all of which adds up to a longer, healthier life . But how much strength training you need to achieve those benefits is less clear.
Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend that most adults do at least two sessions of “muscle strengthening activity” per week, as well as 150 minutes of cardio, to see health benefits such as a lower risk of death.
More recent research builds on those recommendations: last week a study found that people who performed between 90 and 119 minutes of resistance training each week had a 13 percent lower death rate from any cause than people who did none. In other words, people who worked regularly over time to strengthen their muscles tended to live longer, the study found.
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Two hours of resistance training may sound like a lot. But even doing as little as half an hour or less each week is linked to a lower risk of dying from any cause, says Edward Giovannucci, one of the paper’s co-authors and a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. And performing any more than 120 minutes of resistance training doesn’t seem to accrue additional benefits, Giovannucci and his team found.
The reasons why resistance training may help us live longer may be as much about the physical effects as they are about the mental effects. Weight lifting is known to increase glucose metabolism and boost bone density, for example, which could help people stay healthy even as they age. In turn, aging healthily means greater independence and quality of life, Giovannucci says.
