Strength Training and Longevity: 1.5–2 Hours Weekly Cut Death Risk by 13%

Regular strength training of 90 to 120 minutes per week reduces the risk of premature death by 13%, reports infohub.kz.

This conclusion was reached by American scientists in a large 30-year study involving nearly 150,000 nurses and medical professionals. About 36,000 deaths were recorded during the observation period, allowing researchers to assess the impact of strength training on life expectancy.

Analysis of data from three long-term studies showed that the optimal duration of strength training is 90 to 120 minutes per week. This amount of exercise lowers the overall risk of early death by 13%. The most pronounced benefit was seen for the cardiovascular system: the risk of death from these diseases drops by 19%. The risk of neurological diseases, including dementia, also decreases significantly—by 27%.

Increasing strength training beyond two hours per week provides no additional benefits. The maximum reduction in mortality risk—about 45%—is observed when strength training is combined with 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week.

Scientists attribute the positive effect to the role of skeletal muscle: muscles absorb up to 80% of glucose from the blood and release myokines—hormone-like substances that reduce background inflammation in the body.