Study Links 90 to 119 Minutes of Weekly Resistance Training to Lower Death Risk

A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine examined the relationship between resistance training and death rates among more than 147,000 U.S. adults who took part in three large health studies lasting up to 30 years. More than 35,000 participants died during the study period.

Researchers compared self-reported minutes spent on weightlifting and weight machines each week with later deaths from any cause, cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease, and neurological disease. The clearest reduction appeared at 90 to 119 minutes of resistance training per week.

That range was associated with a 13 percent lower risk of death from any cause, a 19 percent lower risk of death from heart disease, and a 27 percent lower risk of death from neurological disease.

Even smaller amounts of resistance training showed an association with lower cancer death risk. Thirty to 59 minutes per week corresponded to a 12 percent decrease. The lowest overall death risk occurred among people who combined higher levels of aerobic activity with moderate to high levels of resistance training.

For those already completing roughly five to six hours of jogging or 11 hours of brisk walking per week, adding resistance training did not appear to reduce risk further.

The study reports only an association, not a direct cause.

Researchers noted that participants self-reported their exercise habits, which may affect accuracy, and the study did not measure exercise intensity. A fitness trainer quoted by Fox News said strength training should form the basis of routines and recommended working at 60 to 80 percent of capacity to reach fatigue with moderate intensity.