Strength training and longevity: how much you need to live longer
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Across 16 large studies, people who trained strength had a 10 to 17% lower risk of death, and the biggest benefit came with just 30-60 minutes a week. What the evidence says, how much strength training you need, why to combine it with cardio and how to start with two half-hour sessions.
In 2022, Haruki Momma and colleagues at Tohoku University (Japan) pooled in the British Journal of Sports Medicine the 16 cohort studies that had followed healthy adults to see whether strength training was linked to living longer, independently of aerobic exercise. The answer was yes: people who trained strength had a 10 to 17% lower risk of death from any cause, cardiovascular disease, cancer overall, diabetes and lung cancer.
The most useful finding came next: the biggest benefit, a 10-20% lower risk, appeared with just 30-60 minutes of strength training a week. Here is what the large studies say, how much strength training you need, why more is not always better for this goal and how to start with very little time.
Strength and longevity: what the large studies say
| Study | People | Main finding |
|---|---|---|
| Momma (2022), 16 cohorts | Healthy adults from several countries | A 10 to 17% lower risk of death; maximum benefit with 30-60 minutes a week |
| Saeidifard (2019), 11 studies | 370,256 | 21% lower mortality; 40% lower when combined with aerobic exercise |
| Stamatakis (2018), 11 cohorts | 80,306 | 23% lower all-cause mortality and 31% lower cancer mortality |
| Liu and Lee (2019) | 12,591 | 1 to 3 sessions or under 60 minutes a week: a 40 to 70% lower risk of cardiovascular events |
The work by Farzane Saeidifard and colleagues at the Mayo Clinic (2019) pooled 11 studies with 370,256 people followed for an average of 8.85 years: strength training was linked to 21% lower mortality, and to 40% lower mortality when combined with aerobic exercise. However, they found no clear association with cancer mortality, a reminder that studies do not always agree.
Emmanuel Stamatakis, of the University of Sydney, analysed in 2018 the data of 80,306 adults over 30 in England and Scotland. Any strength training, in the gym or with bodyweight, was linked to 23% lower all-cause mortality and 31% lower cancer mortality. To reduce the bias that people who are already ill do not train, the analysis excluded deaths in the first 2 years.
How much strength training do you need each week?
The 2020 World Health Organization physical activity guidelines, presented by Fiona Bull, head of its physical activity unit, recommend that all adults do muscle-strengthening work for the major muscle groups on at least 2 days a week, in addition to 150-300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week.
Studies suggest that a little already goes a long way. In the analysis by Duck-Chul Lee's team (Iowa State University) of 12,591 adults, even a single session or under 60 minutes a week was linked to lower cardiovascular risk, and beyond 4 sessions or 60 minutes a week there was no additional reduction. Momma found a similar J-shaped curve: the maximum benefit came at around 30-60 minutes a week, and the effect of much higher volumes on mortality is unclear.
| Weekly dose | What the evidence suggests |
|---|---|
| 1 session or under 60 minutes | Already linked to lower cardiovascular risk (Liu and Lee, 2019) |
| 2 sessions, the WHO guideline | Meeting it was linked to 21% lower mortality (Stamatakis, 2018) |
| 30-60 minutes | Maximum benefit for mortality (Momma, 2022) |
| More than 4 sessions or 60 minutes | No additional benefit for mortality in those studies, though there is for strength and muscle |
The practical idea: you do not need to train like a bodybuilder to live longer. Two strength sessions of 30 minutes a week already put you in the zone of maximum benefit in these studies. If you train more because you want to build muscle or strength, great; it is simply not what you need for health.
Strength and cardio: better together
The studies agree that the combination protects the most. In Saeidifard's work, strength training alone was linked to 21% lower mortality and strength plus aerobic exercise to 40% lower; in Stamatakis's, meeting both guidelines at once was linked to 29% lower all-cause mortality. They do not compete with each other: we explain it in cardio and strength: how to combine them, and if you want cardio that does not eat into your recovery, see zone 2 cardio.
Correlation is not causation, but there are good reasons
All these studies are observational: they compare people who say they do strength training with people who do not, so on their own they cannot prove that strength training extends life. People who train tend to look after themselves in other ways too. Researchers adjust for age, smoking, diet or aerobic exercise, and the association still holds.
There are also clues about how it might work. In Liu and Lee's study, part of the effect of strength training on cardiovascular risk was explained by a lower body mass index. We cover the effects on blood sugar and blood pressure in strength training and type 2 diabetes and in exercise to lower blood pressure. And strength itself is a marker of health, as we saw with grip strength.
It is never too late: strength training after 65
Jennifer Kraschnewski (Penn State College of Medicine) followed 30,162 people aged 65 or over in the United States for 15 years. Only 9.6% met the guideline of strength training 2 times a week, and those people had 36% lower odds of dying during the study period (an adjusted odds ratio of 0.64), even after accounting for their medical history and other habits.
If you are starting from zero later in life, the gym routine for over-40s is designed for exactly that.
How to start with 2 sessions of 30 minutes
| Day | Exercises | Sets |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Squat or leg press, bench press or push-ups, row and plank | 2-3 of each |
| Day 2 | Romanian deadlift or hip thrust, shoulder press, lat pulldown and farmer's walk | 2-3 of each |
How to fit each session into half an hour is covered in how long a workout should last. If you have never done strength training, start with the beginner strength routine.
The Progrevia generator creates a free strength routine for the days and minutes you have.
- Momma H, Kawakami R, Honda T, Sawada SS. Muscle-strengthening activities are associated with lower risk and mortality in major non-communicable diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2022;56(13):755-763.
- Saeidifard F, Medina-Inojosa JR, West CP, et al. The association of resistance training with mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. 2019;26(15):1647-1665.
- Stamatakis E, Lee IM, Bennie J, et al. Does strength-promoting exercise confer unique health benefits? A pooled analysis of data on 11 population cohorts with all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular mortality endpoints. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2018;187(5):1102-1112.
- Bull FC, Al-Ansari SS, Biddle S, et al. World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2020;54(24):1451-1462.
- Liu Y, Lee DC, Li Y, et al. Associations of resistance exercise with cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2019;51(3):499-508.
- Kraschnewski JL, Sciamanna CN, Poger JM, et al. Is strength training associated with mortality benefits? A 15 year cohort study of US older adults. Preventive Medicine. 2016;87:121-127.
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Frequently asked questions
Does strength training help you live longer?
It is linked to living longer: across 16 cohort studies, people who trained strength had a 10 to 17% lower risk of death. These are observational studies, so they show an association, not proven cause and effect.
How much strength training a week do you need for health?
The WHO recommends at least 2 days a week. In the studies, the maximum benefit for mortality appeared with 30-60 minutes a week, and above about 60 minutes there was no additional reduction.
Is strength training or cardio better for longevity?
Combining them is best. In Saeidifard's meta-analysis (2019), strength training alone was linked to 21% lower mortality and the combination with aerobic exercise to 40% lower.
Is it worth starting strength training after 65?
Yes. In a study of 30,162 people aged 65 or over, those who did strength training 2 times a week had 36% lower odds of dying during the study period.
Is training much more even better for health?
For mortality, it does not seem so: the benefit levels off at around 30-60 minutes a week. Training more does help you gain more strength and muscle.
Informational content based on the available scientific evidence: it does not replace advice from a healthcare professional. If you have an injury or a medical condition, or are pregnant, check with one before changing your training or diet.
