Just 2 Hours of Strength Training a Week May Help You Live Longer

• A new study found that 90–120 minutes of strength training each week could help promote longevity.
• Around 1.5 to 2 hours of weekly strength training lowered the risk of death from cardiovascular and neurological diseases, and death from any cause. 
• The findings add to the known health benefits of strength training, including bone health, improved balance, and weight management. 

Strength training is heralded as a valuable aspect of an exercise regimen and regular physical activity.

Strength and resistance training offer myriad benefits, including improving bone strength and balance, and helping with weight management. 

A new study found that aiming for 90-120 minutes of strength training each week may help lower your risk of death. 

The 30-year study, published on June 2 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found no additional benefits from more than 120 minutes of strength training. 

This means for most people, around 1.5 to 2 hours per week is sufficient for overall health and longevity.

“It is important to engage in aerobic exercise that increases the heart rate. This new study finds [that] another important aspect of exercise is strength training, including free weights, weight machines, and body weight exercises,” said Clarinda Hougen, MD, a primary care sports medicine specialist at Cedars-Sinai Orthopedics in Los Angeles. Hougen wasn’t involved in the study.

“By training and growing your muscle mass, you can improve your metabolic health and help reduce cardiovascular risk,” Hougen told Healthline.

1.5 to 2 hours of strength training lowers death risk by 13%

The researchers for this study drew on 30 years of data from three large groups of study participants: 

• Health Professionals Follow-up Study, 1992–2022
• Nurses’ Health Study, 2002–21
• Nurses’ Health Study II, 2003–21

These totaled 147,374 participants, of whom 31,540 were males, and 115,834 were females. The average age at the beginning of the study was 54. 

Participants were questioned every 2 years about the time they spent on strength training and aerobic exercise each week for up to 30 years. 

Aerobic exercise included: 

• brisk walking 
• running or jogging 
• swimming 
• cycling 
• tennis and squash, 
• strenuous outdoor work 
• stair climbing

Strength training included exercises using weights or body weight, such as push-ups, lunges, and squats. 

During the course of the study, 35,798 participants died. A higher weekly and long-term level of strength training was associated with a lower risk of death. 

The researchers found that 90–119 minutes per week of strength training was associated with a 13% lower risk of death from any cause. No further benefits were seen above 120 minutes per week. 

Lower risk of cardiovascular, neurological deaths

The researchers found that 90–120 minutes of weekly strength training was associated with a 19% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.

The same amount of strength training also lowered the risk of death from neurological disease by 27%. 

A lower risk of cancer was only seen at lower levels of strength training. A 9% lower risk was observed at 1–29 minutes per week, and an 12% lower risk at 30–59 minutes per week. 

As this is an observational study, no firm conclusions of cause and effect can be drawn. The researchers also acknowledge the study’s limitations. 

These limitations include the self-reported nature of the data, the exclusion of strength-training activities such as calisthenics and Pilates, and the lack of information on the duration of each exercise session or the intensity of strength training, any of which might have influenced the findings.

However, the findings still show an association between regular strength training and mortality rates and overall health. 

“This particular study reported an optimal range of 90–120 minutes per week, although benefits may be seen with lower targets. This adds to a growing body of already established evidence touting these benefits,” said Mary Greene, MD, board certified cardiologist with Manhattan Cardiology in NYC. Greene wasn’t involved in the study. 

Other health benefits of strength training

This study focuses on the mortality benefits of strength training. But there are various other benefits of this type of exercise as well. 

Greene told Healthline some of the other benefits of strength training include:

• cardiovascular benefits, such as lowered blood pressure, improved cholesterol, improved endothelial function (blood flow, inflammation control, and cardiovascular health)
• metabolic health, such as a decrease in type 2 diabetes risk and improved insulin sensitivity
• musculoskeletal health, such as increased bone density, reduction of osteoporosis risk, reduced osteoarthritis, and prevention of functional limitations 
• mental health and sleep benefits 
• body composition, such as increased lean mass

“When planning to start a new exercise regimen, it can be useful to first consult with your doctor if you have any health concerns that may need to be addressed first,” said Hougen. 

“You should also try to find exercises or activities that you will enjoy, as this will make it more likely that you will stick with the routine. Finally, you should plan to ease into the routine gradually, setting smaller goals initially that can improve your confidence to eventually get to higher activity levels.”