Older people should lift weights or do press-ups once a week to live longer, research shows
Taking up strength training in old age provides health benefits above and beyond simply doing cardiovascular exercise such as walking or swimming, a study found.
Older adults who combined weekly weightlifting with aerobic exercise were about 47 per cent less likely to die over a ten-year period than those who did no exercise.
Sticking to aerobic exercise alone cut the risk of death by up to 34 per cent, while focusing solely on strength training reduced deaths by 22 per cent.
The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, said that lifting weights helped preserve muscle mass which reduces the risk of age-related illnesses and frailty.
Older adults may also get social and cognitive benefits from regularly going to the gym, the study said. Experts stressed that people did not need to pick up heavy weights, and could get similar benefits from other types of muscle strengthening exercise such as pilates or push-ups. The benefits of weightlifting were greater in women, who tend to have less muscle mass than men.
Researchers looked at 100,000 adults in the US, who had an average age of 71. They were followed for a decade, with researchers monitoring deaths from all causes including heart disease.
The participants were asked how often they exercised, including doing weights in a gym, going for a run or lighter activity such as walking a dog.
One in four reported some weightlifting activity in the past year. One in three did at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, when you build up a light sweat, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, when you are breathing heavily, every week.
Death rates were overall 9 per cent lower in people who reported any strength training — even just once a month. Those who took part in regular weightlifting at least once a week had a 14 per cent lower risk of death, while people who did it most days were 22 per cent less likely to die.
The greatest benefits were in those who did strength training on top of the recommended weekly guideline of 150 minutes moderate exercise.
Deaths were 41-47 per cent lower in people who combined lifting weights once or twice a week with this regular aerobic activity.
Dr Jessica Gorzelitz, the report author from the University of Iowa, said: “Our finding that mortality risk appeared to be lowest for those who participated in both types of exercise provides strong support for current recommendations to engage in both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities. Older adults would probably benefit from adding weightlifting exercises to their physical activity routines.”
NHS exercise guidelines urge adults aged 65 and over to aim for activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility on at least two days a week, as well as 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity each week.
The study is observational, therefore cannot prove cause and effect.
It said: “There are several potential pathways by which weightlifting could be associated with mortality, including the influence of weightlifting on body composition, leading to more lean mass and thus improved function. Total lean mass is also independently associated with lower mortality risk.
“Finally, weightlifting, in particular, could be a socially related behaviour in that those who weight-lift participate in social networks, assuming that this behaviour is done in a gym with others.
“Consistent weightlifting is associated with other improvements, including functional strength gains and improved musculoskeletal health.”
