FITNESS

 

How long should you do weight training to increase your lifespan - what does a new study say?

New research suggests 

that lifting weights for 90 minutes,to two hours a week 

can significantly reduce the risk of premature death.

Data from decades of studies suggest that long-term consistent exercise or weight training significantly reduces the risk of death from heart disease and stroke.

These benefits also include a reduced risk of death from neurological diseases.

This is further evidence 

that strength training can help prevent or delay illness and 

may also reduce the strain on overstretched health services experts say.

Kate Hogarth 28, has started thinking about staying healthy in her later life She loves not   only weightlifting but also the confidence it gives her now. At the same time she realizes the long-term health benefits it can bring.

“I want to live my life independently.

There are many studies that confirm that strength training has various benefits for heart health muscles bones and mental health.

I want to travel the world when I’m 70, 80, 90 I want to lift my grandchildren and play with them. Having an independent self-sufficient life is very important to me,” she says.

Kate Hogarth works out regularly to improve her fitness

We all know the benefits of aerobic exercise whether it's jogging cycling or swimming.

According to the UK's National Health Service, regular aerobic exercise can reduce stress, boost self-esteem and reduce the risk of heart disease stroke and type 2 diabetes.

However it was not clear to what extent strength training also reduces the risk of death.

That is now starting to change.

Researchers writing in the British Journal of Sports Medicine looked at data from three studies involving 147,374 men and women over 30 years.

They found that those who did 90 minutes to two hours of regular weight training each week had a 13 percent lower risk of premature death from any cause

For example, the risk of death from cardiovascular disease such as heart attack or stroke  was 19 percent lower.

The drop in death rates from neurological diseases such as dementia was even greater at 27 percent lower.

The researchers concluded that the “lowest risk” of death was seen in those who did the most of both aerobic and strength training.

The most active people those who did several hours of aerobic exercise each week had a 58 percent lower risk of premature death from any cause.

However the researchers also found that doing more than two hours of strength training per week did not actually provide any additional benefits.

Bev Wilson, a personal trainer in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, sees the benefits of weight training firsthand.

“I see clients, especially women, who come in with joint pain, low energy or metabolic problems, and that’s why they gain weight.

Strength training helps them manage and control their blood sugar levels better. I also see that it helps with joint pain and strengthens their bones.

They feel stronger, more energized and have more energy.

“Bev Wilson also believes that it can help a person’s brain health. “Not only do they feel more energetic and healthy, they also see improvements in their cognitive function.

They are able to focus more at work and their memory improves.”

 Tom Burton, Sport England’s strategic head of health and wellbeing policy, said exercise is key to building healthy, prosperous and happy communities.

“Strength-based physical activity is a powerful tool, particularly in supporting healthy ageing. It can help prevent or delay health decline, keep us mobile and independent, and reduce the pressure on overstretched health and care services,” he said.