A new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has linked regular strength training to a lower risk of dementia and longer life. Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health analyzed data from 147,374 adults and found that those who performed between 90 and 119 minutes of resistance training per week had a 13% lower risk of death from any cause compared to those who did no strength training. The same group also experienced a 19% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and a 27% lower risk of death from neurological diseases, most of which were related to dementia. The greatest benefit was seen when resistance training was combined with aerobic exercise, yielding up to a 45% lower risk of death relative to individuals with little activity.
Study Details and Findings
The study tracked participants for up to 30 years and collected repeated surveys on exercise habits, providing a detailed picture of long-term behavior. Benefits from resistance training plateaued at about 120 minutes per week, with no additional risk reduction beyond that amount. According to the research, resistance training includes weightlifting, bodyweight exercises, and resistance bands. These findings support a growing body of evidence that strength training protects brain health. As noted in a report from NaturalNews.com, resistance and strength training exercises help protect brain health by boosting memory, preserving brain volume, and improving cognitive function, even reversing signs of mild cognitive impairment in some older adults [3]. Additionally, a large meta-analysis published in PLOS One found that regular physical activity is one of the key modifiable factors that can significantly lower dementia risk [7].
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