A new study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health suggests that moderate strength training can significantly reduce the risk of death from major causes, including heart disease and neurological conditions like dementia.
Researchers analyzed data from 147,374 adults and found that those who performed 90 to 119 minutes of resistance training per week had a 13% lower risk of death from any cause compared to those who did none. The same group also saw a 19% lower risk of cardiovascular death and a 27% lower risk of death from neurological diseases, primarily dementia.
The greatest benefits came from combining resistance training with aerobic exercise. Adults who did both had up to a 45% lower risk of death than those who did little to no exercise.
More wasn't better, however. The study found no additional mortality reduction beyond about 120 minutes of resistance training per week.
Experts say the findings reinforce strength training as essential for healthy aging. Josephine Hunt, a fitness educator not involved in the study, emphasized that the goal isn't bodybuilding but preserving mobility, independence, and vitality.
For women, strength training becomes especially critical after menopause, when muscle mass and bone density decline more rapidly.
While the study shows a strong association, it cannot prove causation. It relied on self-reported data and primarily included white, middle-aged health professionals, which may limit generalizability.