{"id":687224,"date":"2026-06-06T03:24:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T03:24:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/687224\/"},"modified":"2026-06-06T03:24:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T03:24:21","slug":"90-120-minutes-of-strength-training-per-week-may-help-extend-lifespan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/687224\/","title":{"rendered":"90-120 minutes of strength training per week may help extend lifespan"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AShare on Pinterest<\/a>Can 90 minutes of weight lifting weekly actually help protect against heart and brain disease? Oleg Breslavtsev\/Getty ImagesBeing physically active has been linked to a longer, healthier life.However, questions remain about what types of exercise are best and how many minutes a week to spend on it for the best results. A new study found that a combination of both high aerobic activity and between 60 and 119 minutes per week of strength training may be best for lowering a person\u2019s mortality risk from any cause.Scientists also found that between 90 and 120 minutes a week of resistance training may also possibly lower a person\u2019s risk of dying from cardiovascular or neurological diseases. <\/p>\n

Researchers found that a combination of both high aerobic activity and between 60 to 119 minutes a week of strength training may be best for lowering a person\u2019s mortality risk from any cause. <\/p>\n

Scientists also found that between 90 to 120 minutes a week of resistance training may also possibly lower a person\u2019s risk of dying from cardiovascular or neurological diseases. <\/p>\n

Study participants were asked questions about their weekly aerobic exercise and strength training regimen every two years, for up to 30 years total. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe benefits of aerobic activity for longevity are already well established,\u201d Edward Giovannucci, MD, ScD<\/a>, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and corresponding author of this study, told Medical News Today. \u201cWhat has been less clear is how resistance training relates to long-term mortality risk, especially at different volumes and in combination with aerobic activity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPhysical activity is not one single behavior,\u201d added Yiwen Zhang, PhD<\/a>, postdoctoral research fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the first author of this study. \u201cAerobic activity and resistance training may benefit health through different pathways, so it is important to study them separately and together.\u201d <\/p>\n

At the study\u2019s conclusion, researchers found that participating in 90 to 120 minutes a week of strength training was correlated with a 13% lower risk of dying from any cause. And, scientists note, no further benefit was observed above 120 minutes a week. <\/p>\n

Additionally, that amount of weekly strength training was also associated with a 19% lower risk of dying from a cardiovascular disease, and a 27% lower risk of dying from a neurological disease.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor cardiovascular disease mortality, this finding is generally consistent with previous studies showing that resistance training is associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk, particularly for myocardial infarction<\/a>,\u201d Giovannucci explained. \u201cFor neurological disease mortality, there has been growing evidence<\/a> suggesting that strength training may help preserve cognitive function.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, this finding should be interpreted cautiously,\u201d he added. \u201cNeurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer\u2019s<\/a> can begin many years before diagnosis, and early symptoms may reduce a person\u2019s ability or motivation to exercise. Also, neurological causes of death, especially dementia<\/a>, can be difficult to classify accurately. More research is needed before drawing firm conclusions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Researchers also found that the lowest mortality risks were found among study participants who combined both high aerobic activity and between 60 to 119 minutes a week of resistance training every week. <\/p>\n

\u201cSome randomized trials<\/a> in patients with coronary artery disease<\/a> also found that, compared with aerobic activity alone, combining aerobic and resistance training yields greater improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Giovannucci said for the next steps in this research, they will be looking for opportunities to examine resistance training in a more diverse population and in relation to outcomes beyond mortality, such as physical function, independence, and quality of life. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt will also be important to study resistance training more precisely, including exercise type, intensity, load, and using more objective measures if possible,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n

MNT spoke with Swapnil Patel, MD, MHCM, FACP<\/a>, vice chair of the Department of Medicine at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, and assistant professor at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine in New Jersey, who was not involved in this study, about these research findings. <\/p>\n

Patel commented that these findings reinforce something we have been emphasizing in preventive medicine for years: exercise should not be viewed as an \u201ceither-or\u201d choice between cardio and strength training.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany patients focus heavily on walking, running, cycling<\/a>, or other aerobic activities because they are often associated with heart health and weight loss. This study provides compelling long-term evidence that resistance training offers independent benefits and appears to further reduce mortality risk when combined with aerobic exercise.\u201d
\u2014 Swapnil Patel, MD, MHCM, FACP<\/p>\n

\u201cDifferent forms of exercise affect the body through different biological pathways,\u201d Patel continued. \u201cAerobic exercise improves cardiovascular fitness, blood pressure<\/a>, insulin sensitivity,<\/a> and metabolic health<\/a>, while resistance training helps preserve muscle mass<\/a>, improve functional strength, enhance glucose metabolism, and reduce frailty,\u201d he explained. <\/p>\n

\u201cUnderstanding how these exercise modalities influence specific disease outcomes allows clinicians to provide more targeted recommendations to patients,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis study is especially important because it highlights a potential association between resistance training and reduced neurological disease mortality, an area that has received far less attention than cardiovascular disease,\u201d Patel added. <\/p>\n

\u201cAs our population ages and conditions such as dementia and neurodegenerative diseases become increasingly prevalent, identifying lifestyle interventions that may help preserve neurological health is a major public health priority. The findings suggest that strength training may play a meaningful role in healthy aging beyond simply maintaining muscle mass and mobility.\u201d
\u2014 Swapnil Patel, MD, MHCM, FACP<\/p>\n

MNT also spoke with David Cutler, MD<\/a>, a board certified family medicine physician at Providence Saint John\u2019s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, who was also not involved in this study, who said that for patients who only focus on aerobic exercise, it\u2019s an eye opening study for them. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is something that\u2019s been known for a long time of the benefits of strength training, but this certainly brought it home how profound that benefit can be,\u201d Cutler continued. <\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people just focus on one form of exercise, whether it be strength training exercise as in this study, or on aerobic exercise. A lot of people focus on core exercise<\/a> because they\u2019re bothered by back pain<\/a> \u2014 they know that core exercises can be helpful for that. And a lot of people focus a lot on stretching exercise<\/a>, which can also be very helpful in terms of maintaining mobility. And this program, nor others, have focused on how important a comprehensive exercise program is, which incorporates strength training, aerobics, core, and stretching.\u201d
\u2014 David Cutler, MD<\/p>\n

For readers who may want to start strength training but aren\u2019t sure where to start, Cutler advised getting guidance from a physical fitness trainer. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere are some dangers in strength training exercise regarding injury, and I think getting some guidance from a trainer is actually a very good idea and money that\u2019s very well spent to avoid injury and avoid incurring extra costs,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Share on PinterestCan 90 minutes of weight lifting weekly actually help protect against heart and brain disease? Oleg…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":687225,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[337,97],"class_list":["post-687224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-fitness","tag-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/687224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=687224"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/687224\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/687225"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=687224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=687224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=687224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}