30 minutes of strength training can reduce your risk of these diseases

We often discuss the effects of cardio and how it can help you live a longer, healthier life, not to mention lose weight. However, a new study shows that muscle-building exercises have their own benefits, including preventing them and reducing your chances of developing and dying from a variety of medical conditions.

The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, showed that muscle-building activities are associated with a 10% to 20% lower risk of dying from a chronic disease and offer protection from serious conditions such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and more.

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Photo by Mark Timberlake via Unsplash

Researchers from Japan compiled data from various studies published between 2012 and 2020 and compared people’s movement trends with the corresponding mortality rates of these particular diseases. The results showed that those who did between 30 and 60 minutes of muscle training per week were less likely to die from one of these conditions. When subjects combined muscle training with cardio, their chances of avoiding and surviving these diseases were even better.

The term weightlifting implies long sweaty sessions with big weights and protein shakes to build muscle, and while that’s part of it, there are dozens of activities that can build and tone muscle without going to any extremes. Exercises like squats, push-ups, and using resistance bands can help you tone your muscles while promoting a healthier life and lifestyle.

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Like other recent studies, this data shows that smaller and more frequent workouts can be healthier in the long run than scheduled workouts at the gym. A closer look at this specific data reveals that muscle training for more than an hour per week provides no additional benefits, meaning that a few minutes of muscle-building sets per day can give you all the health benefits you need.

These studies and an evolving sports culture prove that exercising and leading an active lifestyle is worthwhile, regardless of people’s ability or how many hours they spend in the gym.