Research shows time and time again that the health benefits of weight training go far beyond the quest for an ideal dream body. The latest study on this topic examines the relationship between muscle-strengthening activities and the risk of death and comes to the conclusion that just 30 to 60 minutes of this activity per week can have a significant impact on our longevity.

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The investigation was carried out by scientists in Japan and included a systematic review of 16 studies on the exercise habits of adults without serious health problems. The muscle-strengthening activities of hundreds of thousands of men and women between the ages of 18 and 97 were recorded, and the researchers were able to gain new insights into the risk of death associated with different lifestyles.

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Countless other research has shown that regular muscle training generally results in a lower risk of death. The aim of this new study was to determine exactly how high the ideal measure could be. Their systematic review found that a maximum effect was associated with 30 to 60 minutes of muscle-strengthening exercise per week, reducing the risk of any cause of death by 10 to 20%.

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Examples of muscle strengthening include weightlifting, resistance band exercises, push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and even heavy gardening with a shovel, for example. The team also found that this type of activity of up to 60 minutes per week was associated with a significant reduction in diabetes risk. Interestingly, researchers also found no conclusive evidence that more than an hour of muscle training has any added benefit.

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Combining muscle training with aerobic exercise had even more profound effects and was linked to a 46% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and a 28% lower risk of death from cancer.

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The study has some limitations: The literature examined is based on subjective assessments of muscle-strengthening activities and not on close observation in a clinical setting. Most studies were also carried out in the USA. However, the authors hope that they can conduct further research on more diverse populations to back up the findings.