Results from a study conducted by researchers from Japan indicate that engaging in muscle-strengthening exercises for 30 to 60 minutes a week can reduce the risk of death by between 10% and 20%. The findings, which will be published in the "British Journal of Sports Medicine," show that overall muscle strengthening is associated with a decrease in deaths from all causes by 10% to 17%, along with a similar reduction in the risk of heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and lung cancer.
The study analyzed data from 16 previous studies conducted between 2012 and 2020, each involving thousands of participants, with the largest study including 480,000 individuals.
The studies focused on muscle-strengthening exercises such as resistance training, push-ups, weight control exercises, gymnastics, swimming, walking, rowing, and cycling. It did not include heavy lifting or other strenuous activities.
According to the summary available from the new study published on Medical News Today, there is no specific correlation between the mentioned exercises and certain types of cancer, such as kidney, colon, and bladder tumors. However, there are general health benefits that reduce the risk of death across a wide range of diseases, particularly heart problems.
The researchers suggested that muscle-strengthening exercises lasting between 30 and 60 minutes a week improve the body's ability to burn glucose, thus enhancing metabolism, which reduces the risk of heart diseases and diabetes. Additionally, these exercises improve skeletal muscle strength, which protects against the risk of falls and reduces injuries and accidents.
According to the research framework, the researchers did not find benefits from increasing muscle-strengthening exercises beyond 60 minutes a week, indicating a need for further study into the relationship between physical activities, public health, disease risk, and mortality.
