New Atlas: One hour of weight training a week can reduce the risk of death by 20%, study finds

A new study has explored the link between muscle-strengthening activities and mortality risk and found that just 30-60 minutes of such activity per week could have a significant impact on how long we live, New Atlas reports.

The study, conducted by scientists in Japan, involved a systematic review of 16 studies on the exercise habits of adults without serious health problems. This covered muscle-strengthening activities of hundreds of thousands of men and women aged 18 to 97, and allowed the researchers to find new insights into the risk of death associated with different lifestyles.

While studies have found that regular muscle strengthening is generally associated with a lower risk of death, the authors of the new study tried to really delve into what the ideal amount might be. Their systematic review showed that 30-60 minutes of muscle strengthening activity per week had the greatest effect, reducing the risk of death from any cause by 10-20%.

Examples of muscle strengthening include weightlifting, resistance band exercises, push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and even heavy gardening with a shovel. The team also found that performing this type of activity for 60 minutes per week was associated with a sharp drop in diabetes risk. Interestingly, the study also found no solid evidence that doing muscle strengthening activities for more than an hour had any additional benefits.

Combining muscle-strengthening activities with aerobic exercise had an even more profound effect, the study found. This combination was associated with a 40% reduction in the risk of death from any cause, a 46% reduction in the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, and a 28% reduction in the risk of death from cancer.

The study has some notable limitations. The literature reviewed was based on subjective assessments of muscle-strengthening activities rather than close observations in a clinical setting, and most were conducted in the U.S. The authors hope that further research with more diverse populations will be conducted to truly solidify the findings.

The study was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.