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Just 30 To 60 Minutes Of This Type Of Exercise Supports Longevity, Study Says

Author:

Sarah Regan

March 02, 2022

mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor

By Sarah Regan

mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor

Sarah Regan is a Spirituality & Relationships Editor, and a registered yoga instructor. She received her bachelor's in broadcasting and mass communication from SUNY Oswego, and lives in Buffalo, New York.

Image by Felix Hug / Stocksy

March 02, 2022

It's no secret that staying active as we age is important for our overall health—but just how much time should be spent on specific kinds of exercise? That's what a new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine1 looked to figure out. Here's what the researchers found.

How much strength training do we really need?

It's been well understood that strength training has benefits that support longevity, so for this research, the team wanted to figure out exactly how much strength training is needed to see those positive effects.

When thinking about strength training, things like lifting weights and bodyweight exercises should come to mind, as opposed to aerobic exercises like running or swimming.

The researchers analyzed 16 existing studies related to exercise and its effects—some of which had up to nearly 480,000 participants, with a range of adult ages included. In other words: The data pool was vast.

What they found.

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Upon reviewing the data, not only did the researchers find that strength training was associated with greater cardiovascular health outcomes, and in turn, greater longevity, but they also realized that it didn't require too much exercise to see those effects.

Based on the numbers, just 30 to 60 minutes of muscle-strengthening exercises per week can have a positive effect on heart health, among other health benefits, supporting a long and healthy life.

The study authors note: Doing more than one hour of strength training does not seem to increase the health benefits—which is good news if your time to work out is limited. They also add that coupling strength training with aerobic exercise resulted in even greater positive effects, as far as heart health and longevity go.

The bottom line.

The bottom line is, staying active as we age is essential, and based on this research, it only takes an hour (or less) of strength training per week to get those heart-healthy benefits. And when paired with aerobic exercise, as well as other healthy aging essentials like taking multivitamin with longevity-supporting ingredients; getting consistent, quality sleep; and eating a healthy diet, getting older just got a lot easier.*