Study Shows That Women Who Do Strength Training Live Longer
And compared to men, women get equal results with less effort.
If you're reading this newsletter, you either are a woman or have women in your life that you care about. In both cases, this issue of Thrive Science is for you!
A groundbreaking new study has shown that strength training offers significant health benefits for women, particularly when it comes to longevity.
This massive study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, examined the health data from 400,000 individuals.
The researchers found that women who engage in regular strength training exercises are significantly less likely to die from heart disease.
Key Highlights From This Study
"We were incredibly impressed by the finding," said study author Martha Gulati, who is also the director of preventive cardiology at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles.
"What surprised us the most was the fact that women who do muscle strengthening had a reduction in their cardiovascular mortality by 30%. We don't have many things that reduce mortality in that way."
Key highlights from this study include:
Women who engage in strength training exercises two to three times a week have a significantly lower risk of death from heart disease compared to those who do not.
Strength training reduced cardiovascular mortality by a remarkable 30% in women.
Even small doses of exercise were shown to be beneficial for both men and women, highlighting the importance of incorporating physical activity into daily life.
Women were found to need less exercise than men to achieve similar gains in longevity, suggesting that strength training may be particularly effective for women.
Moderate-intensity exercise such as brisk walking was also shown to reduce the risk of premature death, with women experiencing a 24% reduction and men experiencing an 18% reduction.
Strength training can be intimidating for newcomers. But you don't have to lift huge weights.
Any activity that requires your muscles to work against a weight or force counts as strength training. This includes everything from resistance bands to dumbbells to bodyweight exercises like push-ups and squats.
Strength training also helps protect joints, burns more calories, protects against injuries and falls, helps control blood sugar, and may boost mood.
How to Work Your Muscles at Home
Don't have a gym membership? Not a problem. Here are 10 strength training exercises you can do at home with minimal or even no equipment.
Squats: Strengthens legs and glutes using just body weight.
Push-ups: Targets chest, shoulders, and triceps. Modify with knee push-ups if needed.
Lunges: Builds lower body strength and balance.
Planks: Strengthens core, back, and shoulders.
Glute Bridges: Works glutes, lower back, and hamstrings.
Wall Sits: Engages legs and core muscles.
Triceps Dips: Uses a chair or bench to target the triceps.
Bicycle Crunches: Strengthens core and obliques.
Step-ups: Use stairs or a sturdy surface to build leg strength.
Supermans: Strengthens lower back and core.
"The take home message is – let's start moving," says Eric Shiroma, a prevention-focused researcher at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, which provided grant support for the research.