Could stronger muscles lead to a longer life? According to a recent study out of Japan, the answer is yes! The study found that lifting weights at the gym for just 30 minutes per week cuts the risk of dying early by up to 20%.

Today’s blog will discuss the findings of this study and the many strength training options we offer at our Thornton gym to help our members live longer, healthier lives.

The Surprising Link Between Strength Training at the Gym and Disease Prevention

Experts have been saying for years that exercise increases lifespans and reduces the risk of developing chronic diseases down the road, but there’s always been debate about exactly how much exercise is needed to see these benefits. Governmental agencies tell us to get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week, while some researchers say that we should log about 60 minutes per day of moderate-intensity exercise.

While historically there’s been an intense focus on how cardiovascular exercise helps keep our hearts and lungs stronger as we age, a study published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine showed that regular muscle-strengthening activity like weightlifting is linked to a 10%-20% lower risk of dying from serious chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

In the study, researchers from three universities in Japan — Kyushu University, Tohoku University, and Waseda University — reviewed data from 16 other studies published between 2012 and 2020. These studies compared exercise habits with death rates from major illnesses.

Participants in the studies who did some type of strength training exercise for 30-60 minutes per week were significantly less likely to die from any cause during the studies. These participants also had a 17% lower risk of heart disease, a 12% lower risk of cancer, and a 17% lower risk of diabetes.

Researchers also found that participants who combined their strength training with some type of cardio exercise experienced an even greater reduction in disease risk.

So it turns out, both types of exercise — strength training and cardio — can boost your health and longevity, and you don’t necessarily need hours per day in the gym to enjoy these benefits.

More Studies that Found Links Between Strength Training at the Gym and Lowered Disease Risk

While few studies have reported on the long-term health effects of strength training, there is other research that supports the link between muscle-building and a reduced risk of chronic disease.

Metabolic disease

Research published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings showed that less than one hour per week of resistance training lowers the risk of developing metabolic disease. What is metabolic disease? It’s a group of symptoms like high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol levels, and large fat deposits around the waist that can lead to diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. The study reviewed almost 7,500 healthy Americans who were monitored between 1987 and 2006. Participants were told to report how often they exercised, and for how long, each week. Researchers found that those who said they lifted weights two or more times per week (for any amount of time) had a 17% reduced risk of developing metabolic disease symptoms. Participants who reported hitting the weights less than an hour per week dropped their risk by 28%. Those who said they did strength training more than an hour per week didn’t show any extra benefits of lowered disease, but a mix of strength training and cardio showed the best results for preventing metabolic syndrome. With benefits like a trimmer tummy, bigger muscles, and lowered risk of metabolic syndrome, you can’t go wrong with strength training!

Diabetes

In another study published by Mayo Clinic Proceedings in March 2019, researchers reported that study participants who had a moderate amount of muscle strength showed a 32% reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes, independent of their cardiovascular fitness levels.

Heart disease

Research published in the March 2019 issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that study participants who did any amount of strength training each week had a whopping 40%-70% reduced risk of suffering from a stroke, heart attack, or death related to heart disease compared to those who did no strength training at all. These findings were independent of how much cardiovascular exercise the study participants did.

There Are Many Ways to Build Muscle Strength at the Gym

Lifting weights is an ideal way to build muscle, since it allows you to progressively challenge your muscles to grow bigger and stronger over time. Weightlifting is also accessible for people of nearly all ages and skill levels who want to start a strength training program at the gym.

However, these studies found that any muscle-building exercise will reap the benefits of reduced disease risk. After all, your muscles don’t know if you’re lifting a dumbbell, carrying heavy shopping bags, shoveling snow, or flipping a tire.

A wide range of activities and equipment at the gym can assist with your muscle-building goals, including:

You Don’t Have to Spend Hours Strength Training the Gym Each Week to Reduce Disease Risk

How much time you invest in strength training depends on your goals. If you’re trying to build a lot of muscle, increase your metabolism, lose body fat, and change your body composition, then it makes sense to commit to full-body strength training 2-3 times per week.

However, even a small amount of strength training weekly appears to be linked to reducing the risk of chronic diseases. People who did resistance training once per week for any amount of time had lower disease risk compared to people who didn’t do resistance training at all. As a matter of fact, the apparent disease-prevention benefits of strength training seemed to max out at about 30-60 minutes per week for most health risks. Beyond an hour per week, the additional benefits of strength training gradually decreased over time.

Combining Aerobic and Strength Exercise at the Gym Maximizes Health Benefits

Many studies have found that cardiovascular training (also known as aerobic exercise) is linked to many benefits like a healthier heart, reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, increased energy levels, and improved mental health.

Researchers have also discovered that combining strength training and cardiovascular exercise led to more disease risk reduction than either exercise alone. Study participants who did both types of exercise had up to a 28% lower risk of cancer and 46% lower risk of heart disease.

Thankfully, if you’re a member of AFAC gym, you have access to all the strength and cardiovascular training opportunities you need to achieve your fitness goals and enjoy all the other benefits that exercise provides. Our personal trainers and staff are here to support you, so please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have any questions.

To learn more about becoming a member of AFAC gym — the best gym in Thornton, Colorado — please stop by or give us a call anytime. We’ll be happy to assist you. You can also contact our gym owner, Susan, at 720-849-0245 or susan@adventurefitness.club for assistance.