Does strength training help you live longer?

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1. 1

   Long-term resistance training with all-cause and cause-specific mortality: assessing dose-response and joint associations with aerobic physical activity.

   British journal of sports medicine (Zhang et al.)Published Jun 12, 2026Checked Oct 4, 2026

   “Compared with no resistance training, 90-119 min/week of resistance training was associated with a 13% lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.81 to 0.95), 19% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.97) and 27% lower risk of neurological disease mortality (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.92), adjusting for aerobic activity. No additional benefit was observed above 120 min/week. Reduced cancer mortality risk was seen only at lower levels of resistance training: HR 0.91 (95% CI 0.86 to 0.97) for 1-29 min/week and HR 0.88 (95% CI 0.81 to 0.97) for 30-59 min/week. In joint analyses, compared with those with inadequate aerobic activity (ConclusionUsing repeated measures of resistance training over up to 30 years of follow-up, moderate long-term resistance training was associated with lower all-cause mortality, with lowest risks plateauing at around ≥120 min/week of resistance training. Resistance training was associated with further reduced mortality risk at all levels of aerobic activity up to around ≥45 MET-hours/week of aerobic activity.”

2. 2

   Association of muscle-strengthening and aerobic physical activity with all-cause, cardiovascular disease, and cancer mortality in US adults with diabetes.

   European journal of preventive cardiology (Dai et al.)Published Sep 1, 2026Checked Oct 4, 2026

   “Muscle-strengthening activity and MVPA were derived from standardized questionnaires. Mortality by 2019 was ascertained through linkage to the National Death Index. Cox models were utilized to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs). Over 270 178 person-years, 6716 all-cause, 1995 CVD, and 1202 cancer deaths were documented in the study population (mean age, 55.7 years, 51.6% female). There were U-shaped associations of MSA with all-cause mortality risk, with ≤ 3 times/week associated with mortality benefits. Compared with no MSA, aHRs of all-cause mortality were 0.72 (95% confidence interval, 0.47-1.10) for MSA ConclusionFor adults with diabetes, performing MSA ≤ 3 times/week may be associated with lower all-cause, CVD, and cancer mortality risk, independent of MVPA. Jointly performing MSA ≤ 2 times/week and MVPA ≥ 150 min/week may confer the lowest all-cause and CVD mortality risk.”

3. 3

   Modifiable Lifestyle Factors in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: Current Evidence and Future Directions.

   Nutrients (Benjamin & Djoussé)Published Sep 21, 2026Checked Oct 4, 2026

   “Evidence from randomized trials supports cardiovascular risk-factor and event reduction with selected dietary and exercise interventions (i.e., Mediterranean and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)), whereas many estimates for sleep, sedentary behavior, alcohol and composite lifestyle scores derive from observational studies and should be interpreted as associations rather than causal effects. Conversely, unhealthy dietary habits, tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption, poor sleep quality, and prolonged sedentary behavior contribute to endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, metabolic dysregulation, and accelerated atherosclerosis and subsequent increased risk of CVD. Emerging evidence further underscores the importance of considering lifestyle behaviors collectively rather than individually, as their effects may be synergistic. Comprehensive lifestyle modification remains one of the most effective and cost-effective approaches to reducing cardiovascular risk and should be integrated into routine clinical practice and public health initiatives.”

4. 4

   Strength training (Wikipedia)

   WikipediaPublished Oct 1, 2026Checked Oct 4, 2026

   “Strength training, also known as weight training or resistance training, is exercise designed to improve physical strength. It may involve lifting weights, bodyweight exercises (such as push-ups, pull-ups, and squats), isometrics (holding a position under tension, such as planks), and plyometrics (explosive movements like jump squats and box jumps). Training works by progressively increasing the force output of the muscles and uses a variety of exercises and types of equipment. Strength training is primarily an anaerobic activity, although circuit training also is a form of aerobic exercise. Strength training can increase muscle, tendon, and ligament strength as well as bone density, metabolism, and the lactate threshold; improve joint and cardiac function; and reduce the risk of injury in athletes and the elderly. For many sports and physical activities, strength training is central or is used as part of their training regimen.”