Can two hours of strength training a week reduce the risk of dying early?

A new review study reported by the BBC indicates that adults who perform around two hours of strength training a week reduce their risk of dying early by a measurable amount compared to those who do none. The findings suggest that, alongside cardiovascular exercise such as running and cycling, resistance-based activity also has a significant long-term impact on health outcomes.

The study combined data from 16 cohort investigations carried out across the United Kingdom, the United States and Japan since September 2024. More than 1.2 million adults were analysed. Lead author Dr Haruki Momma, a researcher in public health epidemiology at Tohoku University, told the BBC, 'we observed the protective effect of strength training across almost every age group'.

The study reports that people who completed between 30 and 60 minutes of strength training a week showed a 10 to 17 percent reduction in mortality risk compared to those who did none. When the weekly volume was raised to 60 to 130 minutes, the reduction rose to between 20 and 25 percent. After 130 minutes, the benefit appeared to plateau, with longer training providing no extra advantage.

The impact on cardiovascular prevention was particularly notable. The study showed a 17 percent reduction in mortality risk from heart and circulatory disease among those who trained regularly. In adults with Type 2 diabetes, those who carried out resistance work showed a clear reduction in diabetes-related complication risk.

The senior science adviser at the British Heart Foundation, Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, told the BBC the findings 'indicate that public-health guidance should focus not only on aerobic exercise but also on strength-based work'. She added that home-based programmes could also be brought within this framing.

Strength training does not, contrary to a common impression, mean only lifting weights in a gym. The study's methodology notes that participants who used resistance bands, performed body-weight exercises such as planks and press-ups, or did Pilates were all included in the 'strength training' category. That breadth strengthens the applicability of the findings to a wider population.

The process of muscle loss with age, known as sarcopenia, is a central theme of the study. After the age of 50, muscle mass declines by roughly 1 to 2 percent a year on average, contributing to falls and a broader loss of mobility. Resistance training has clinical importance in slowing that decline.

The study's limitations were also acknowledged. The research is observational, and participants were assessed using self-reported exercise duration, which carries a risk of self-reporting bias. The data also drew from a majority-White population, so the authors stressed the need for confirmation in other ethnic groups.

Professor Charlotte Edwardson, a member of the NHS exercise guidance committee, said the study was important for public-health policy: 'Only 28 percent of adults in the United Kingdom currently meet the existing strength training guidance. Raising that figure may have a measurable long-term impact on mortality.' The remark will be considered in the upcoming National Institute for Health and Care Excellence review.

Specialists say that adults new to strength training should start with light weights and progress with sessions of 20 to 30 minutes spread across three days a week. The general recommendation is to use resistance exercises that work the major muscle groups. This is not medical advice; people with specific health conditions should consult their own physician.