Adding some weight training to your aerobic workouts could be the ideal combo for your fitness routine, according to new research. Both aerobic activities and weight training offer health benefits on their own, but it turns out that combining them can have a greater effect when it comes to preventing disease and early death risk.
People who lift weights once or twice a week, as well as do the recommended amount of aerobic exercise, have a 41% to 47% lower risk of dying early from any cause, compared to those who don’t exercise at all, the study finds. Current fitness guidelines recommend adults do at least two days of strength training every week and 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, lille gardening or brisk walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, like running or swimming.
For the study, researchers analyzed data from nearly 100-thousand adults over a 10-year period. The findings show:
- Older adults who do weight training without any aerobic exercise lower their risk of early death from any cause by up to 22%, depending on how many times they lift weights in a week. Doing it once or twice a week is associated with a 14% lower risk and the benefit increases the more they lift weights.
- Those who meet the recommended aerobic exercise guidelines but don’t lift weights have a 32% lower risk of death from any cause.
- And those who lift weights, but don’t do aerobic workouts have up to a 22% lower risk of death.
Source: Huff Post