Strength Training Linked to 20% Lower Risk of Heart Attack, Study Finds

An international cohort study of 147,374 adults followed for up to three decades found that 90 to 119 minutes of weekly strength training—roughly 15 minutes per day—was associated with a 19% to 20% reduction in cardiovascular deaths and a 13% reduction in all‑cause mortality. The analysis, which recorded 35,798 deaths, also showed a 27% lower risk of death from neurological diseases.

The research was conducted by collaborators at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Yonsei University in South Korea, the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) in Brazil, and an institution in Chile, and was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Benefits were greatest when strength training was combined with aerobic activities such as walking, cycling or swimming, while no additional gains were observed beyond 120 minutes of weekly resistance exercise.