Doing this exercise once a week will help you live longer

According to experts, this level of resistance exercise can lower the risk of dying from any cause by 13% and from conditions such as heart disease and stroke by 19%.

The benefits are even more striking for neurological diseases, with a 27% lower risk observed among those who regularly engage in strength training.

The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, tracked 147,374 people (31,540 men and 115,834 women) for up to 30 years.

The simple exercise that will help you live longer

Participants reported their strength training and aerobic activity every two years.

Strength training included exercises using weights or body weight, such as dumbbell work, squats and lunges.

Aerobic exercise included brisk walking, running, jogging, swimming, cycling, tennis and squash.

The best outcomes were seen in individuals who combined high levels of both aerobic and strength training, with risk reductions of up to 58% among the most active.

Adults are advised to do muscle-strengthening activities that target all major muscle groups – legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms – on at least two days each week.

Tom Burton, strategic lead for health and wellbeing policy at Sport England, said: “Strength-based physical activity is a powerful tool, particularly in support of healthy ageing – helping prevent or delay poor health, keeping us mobile and independent and easing pressures on overstretched health and care services.

“Sport England research has found that active lifestyles prevent 3.3 million cases of chronic illness a year, as well as saving £8 billion a year for healthcare services.

“Our mission is to make physical activity accessible to all – it’s the key to healthier, wealthier and happier communities.”

The NHS also recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week.

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Moderate activities include very brisk walking (at 4mph or faster), cycling at 10mph-12mph, or badminton.

Vigorous options include jogging (at 6mph or faster), fast cycling, basketball, tennis, or hiking.

Researchers said the results reinforce the importance of including strength training alongside aerobic exercise for overall health and longevity.

They noted that while up to two hours of weekly strength training is beneficial, exceeding this amount does not appear to offer additional gains in reducing early mortality risk.

What weekly exercises do you do? Let us know in the comments.