Weekly weightlifting may have longevity benefits, study suggests

Weekly weightlifting could cut the risk of early death, research suggests.

Spending between 90 and 120 minutes a week on strength training was linked to a 13 per cent lower risk of dying from any cause.

The findings also suggested a 19 per cent lower risk of death from heart disease or stroke.

Researchers at Harvard University followed 147,373 people in the US for 30 years.

People who did weight training or used fitness tools such as resistance bands also had a 27 per cent lower risk of dying from neurological disease, even after other activity such as aerobic exercise was taken into account.

The study suggested that doing more than two hours of strength training a week did not appear to bring extra benefits.

The researchers recommended combining aerobic and strength-based exercise to support a longer life.

Sport England research has found that active lifestyles prevent 3.3m cases of chronic illness a year, as well as saving £8bn a year for healthcare services.

Tom Burton, strategic lead for health and wellbeing policy at Sport England, said: “Strength-based physical activity is a powerful tool, particularly in support of healthy ageing, helping prevent or delay poor health, keeping us mobile and independent and easing pressures on overstretched health and care services.

“Our mission is to make physical activity accessible to all, it’s the key to healthier, wealthier and happier communities.”

Current NHS guidelines say adults should aim to do strength activities that work all the major muscle groups on at least two days a week.

These include the legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms.

Adults are also advised to do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week.

Examples of moderate activity include very brisk walking at 4mph or faster, cycling at 10mph to 12mph, or badminton.

Vigorous activity includes hiking, jogging at 6mph or faster, fast cycling, basketball or tennis.

People in the study were asked every two years how much time they spent on strength training and aerobic exercise.

Aerobic exercise in the study included brisk walking, running, jogging, swimming, cycling, tennis and squash, while strength training included exercises using weights or body weight, such as dumbbell work, squats and lunges.

The lowest risks were seen among people with both high aerobic activity and strength training levels, with risks falling by up to 58 per cent among the most active.