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Stirling (UK), October 2 (Conversation) It is well known that aerobic exercise, such as running and cycling, can help you live longer, but little is known about the impact of weightlifting on longevity. Now, the results of a new study suggest that adding weights to your exercise program is a smart move, even in later life, if you want to avoid an early death.
The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, aimed to find out whether lifting weights was associated with a lower risk of death from any cause, either alone or in conjunction with moderate to vigorous exercise.
Moderate-intensity exercise is described as “activity that causes you to sweat or increase your breathing and heart rate to moderate levels”, while vigorous exercise is described as “activity that is intense enough to make you sweat or increase your breathing and heart rate to a very high level” .
The researchers, led by a team at the National Cancer Institute in Rockville, Maryland, analyzed data from nearly 100,000 men and women at ten cancer centers in the United States. The mean age of the participants was 71 years, and the mean body mass index was 27.8 (overweight). They followed the group for nearly a decade, monitoring deaths from any cause, including heart disease.
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About a quarter (23%) reported lifting weights, with 16% lifting weights on a regular basis – 1 to 6 times a week. About a third (32%) achieved or did more than the recommended amount of aerobic activity.
Weightlifting and aerobic exercise were independently associated with a reduced risk of premature death from any cause other than cancer.
For adults who reported no aerobic exercise, any weightlifting was associated with a 9%-22% lower risk of premature death, depending on how often they lifted weights. For those who don’t lift weights but do any level of aerobic activity, it’s 24%-34%.
However, those who did both weightlifting and aerobic exercise had the lowest risk. For example, lifting weights once or twice a week and doing at least the recommended amount of aerobic exercise was associated with a 41%-47% lower risk of premature death.
The study also found that women benefited more from weightlifting than men.
Result description
A possible explanation for these findings is that weight lifting may have similar beneficial effects as aerobic exercise. For example, reducing heart disease risk factors by improving blood pressure and blood lipid (cholesterol and triglyceride) profiles.
Other recent studies combining studies on muscle strengthening and health outcomes have found similar results, but also a reduction in cancer risk overall. Perhaps the new study found no effect on cancer because they targeted people already at higher cancer risk because the participants were part of a cancer screening program. Combining cardio and strengthening exercises again saw the best results.
For example, measuring exercise by asking participants to recall how much they exercised in the past year is a good option for large observational studies like this, but it could mean that over- or under-reporting could affect the study result. A study using digital devices such as smartwatches to measure actual activity would provide more accurate results.
People in this study were also recruited as part of a cancer screening test, so it’s possible that the study would recruit people who are interested in health, meaning they may be more active as a result. This means that the risk of premature death associated with not exercising or lifting weights may be higher in the general population.
Findings from this study and others suggest that lifting weights, either alone or in conjunction with aerobic exercise, can help reduce the risk of premature death. Lifting weights should be a lifelong commitment. It’s never too late to start, and the result can be a healthier, longer life. (conversation)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from the Syndicated News feed, the body of the content may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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