Exercise
Strength training 2–3×/week
Muscle is the organ of longevity: 30–60 minutes of strength work a week tracks with 10–17% lower mortality, and it's the one thing that reverses sarcopenia.
Impact 5/55/5· Replicated RCTs, guidelinesEffort: a habit
First step today
Today: 3× 10 squats to a chair, 3× 10 push-ups against a wall or on knees.
How
6–8 compound movements (squat, hinge, push, pull, lunge, carry), 2–3 sets of 6–12 reps, with the last reps hard. 2–3× a week, 40 minutes.
Evidence
Momma 2022 meta-analysis (16 cohorts): 30–60 min/week of strength work –10–17% all-cause mortality, –40% combined with cardio. Grip strength alone predicts mortality better than blood pressure (PURE, n=139,691).
Goals
Muscle, strengthHealthy yearsBody weightHeart, blood sugarBrain, memory
Related studies
- Strength training and mortality: meta-analysis of 16 cohorts · 2022
- FINGER: a multidomain lifestyle programme slows cognitive decline · 2015
- TRAVERSE: testosterone replacement doesn't raise cardiovascular risk · 2023
- SELECT: semaglutide cuts cardiovascular events 20% in overweight non-diabetics · 2023
- Studenski: gait speed as the “sixth vital sign” of survival · 2011
- Sherrington (Cochrane): exercise programmes mean 23% fewer falls in older people · 2019
Sources
Last reviewed: 6 September 2026
This site is educational and does not replace medical advice. Start any supplement or drug only after consulting a doctor or pharmacist.