David Fairlamb

THE FIT FACTOR

- 

AEROBIC activities and the weight training each have significant health benefits on their own, but new research shows that combining them can cut the risk of premature death in older adults by nearly half.

The study analysed health and lifestyle data from nearly 100,000 men and women and found:

■ weight training alone lowered the risk of early death by up to 22%, depending on frequency;

■ lifting weights once or twice weekly was linked to a 14% reduction, with greater benefits for more frequent sessions;

■ aerobic exercise alone lowered risk by up to 34% compared to those who did neither.

The greatest benefit came from combining both. Weight training once or twice weekly plus recommended aerobic activity reduced the risk of early death by 41%.