Researchers have linked strength training to reducing premature death — what to know

Only 90 to 120 minutes of strength training a week may be what you need to reduce your risk of premature death, researchers at Harvard and other international institutions say.

This amount of exercise led to a 13 percent lower risk of death from any cause, a 19 percent lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and a 27 percent decreased risk of dying from neurological diseases, their new 30-year study found.

Strength training activities included exercising using weights, or activities that rely on body weight, such as push-ups, squats and lunges.

But those who saw the best benefits to their health also participated in aerobic activities, including brisk walking, running, jogging, swimming, cycling, tennis, squash, strenuous outdoor work and stair climbing.

“Our joint analysis of resistance and aerobic activity showed the lowest mortality risk among participants who engaged in both, consistent with previous studies,” the researchers wrote.

Aerobic activities were actually shown to provide a greater benefit to overall health, they said, including a 26 to 43 percent reduced risk of death for those who got above 7.5 hours a week.

The study also found that 120 minutes was the cut-off, as there was no further benefit seen after that.

The researchers used three decades of monitoring data from three large study groups that included 147,374 participants, the majority of whom were women with an average age of 54 at the start of their study.

Participants were asked about their weekly exercise time every two years for up to 30 years.

About three-quarters of them did not more than the federally-recommended 150 hours of aerobic exercise each week, and nearly half did some strength training.

The majority of people who did strength training were younger, weighed less, did more aerobic exercise and had a healthier lifestyle than people who didn’t.

The lowest risk of death was in people who got 30 to 44 hours of aerobic activity a week and 60 to 120 minutes of strength training.

Because the study is based on survey data, the researchers can’t yet say there was cause and effect.

However, the findings suggest that “different amounts of resistance training may be needed to optimize benefits across outcomes,” the study says.

The study builds on years of previous research showing the benefits of both aerobic exercise and strength training for health, and guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC says American adults need 150 hours of aerobic exercise and two days of strength training a week to stay at optimal health.