Muscle strengthening lowers risk of death from all causes, study shows

Half an hour per week of strengthening activities could help reduce the risk of dying from any cause by 20 per cent

A 2018 study also found that lifting weights was associated with a significant reduction in depressive symptoms (Getty Images)

Just half an hour of muscle strengthening activity per week, such as lifting weights or heavy gardening, could help reduce the risk of dying from any cause by a fifth, according to a new study.

A new global analysis conducted over three decades has found that 30 to 60 minutes of muscle strengthening activity each week is linked to a 10-20 per cent lower risk of death from all causes, and from cancer and heart disease.

The report, which was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, scraped data from relevant studies that included adults without major health problems who had been monitored for at least two years.

The final analysis included 16 studies, with the majority conducted in the US with participants aged between 18 and 97-years-old.

Until now, health guidance recommended muscle-strengthening activities because of the benefits to musculoskeletal health, but health professionals were unsure what the optimal “dose” was.

The study found no further evidence that more than an hour a week reduced the risk any further, however.

In addition to activities such as weight-lifting, working with resistance bands or doing exercises that use your bodyweight, such as push-ups and sit-ups, muscle strengthening activities can also including heavy gardening (such as weeding or shovelling), tai chi, carrying heavy shopping bags, yoga, pilates and carrying children.

Adults are advised to do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity each week, plus strengthening activities at least two days a week.

Researchers found that people benefited most when they regularly did both.

And it’s not just physical health that can improve from strength training.

A 2018 study by the University of Limerick found that lifting weights is associated “with a significant reduction in depressive symptoms.”

The researchers concluded that strength training could be used as an alternative or addition to therapy for depressive symptoms.

Postgraduate researcher Brett Gordon said: “Interestingly, larger improvements were found among adults with depressive symptoms indicative of mild-to-moderate depression compared to adults without such scores, suggesting RET [resistance exercise training] may be particularly effective for those with greater depressive symptoms.”