New Research Reveals Why Strength Training Is Essential for Heart Health and Longevity
For decades, when we talked about exercise for heart health and longevity, the conversation was dominated by cardiovascular activities such as walking, running, swimming and cycling.
And while aerobic exercise remains enormously important, research continues to reveal that we've been overlooking another critical component of long-term health: our skeletal muscle.
In fact, maintaining muscle strength may be one of the most valuable investments we can make in our health as we age.
And some compelling new research is reinforcing exactly why.
The research: Stronger muscles, lower mortality risk
A major study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2026 examined the relationship between resistance training and mortality in more than 147,000 adults, followed for up to 30 years.
Researchers investigated how regular strength training influenced the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and other causes.
The findings were significant.
Compared with people who performed no resistance training, those completing approximately 90-119 minutes per week had:
- 13% lower risk of death from any cause
- 19% lower risk of cardiovascular death
- 27% lower risk of death from neurological diseases
Importantly, these associations remained after accounting for aerobic exercise.
The researchers also found that the benefits appeared to level off at around two hours of strength training per week.
In other words, you don't need to spend hours in the gym every day to benefit.
And while this was an observational study, meaning it cannot prove that strength training directly caused the reduction in mortality, the findings strengthen an already substantial body of evidence supporting resistance exercise for long-term health.
Your muscles are much more than a means of movement
One of the biggest misconceptions about muscle is that its primary purpose is to help us lift things, exercise or maintain an attractive physique.
In reality, skeletal muscle is an extraordinarily important metabolic organ.
It plays a central role in regulating glucose, responding to insulin, storing glycogen and supporting our overall metabolic health.
After eating, skeletal muscle is responsible for taking up much of the glucose that enters our bloodstream in response to insulin.
When our muscles become less responsive to insulin, our body may need to produce more insulin to manage the same amount of glucose.
Over time, impaired insulin sensitivity can contribute to metabolic dysfunction, including increased abdominal fat, elevated triglycerides and greater risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
This is one reason I've always emphasised that muscle isn't simply something we want to preserve for appearance. It's tissue we need to protect for our metabolic health.
Resistance training helps improve insulin sensitivity and supports our muscles' ability to use and store glucose efficiently.
And this matters enormously as we get older.
The connection between muscle and your heart
Interestingly, another important publication from the American College of Cardiology, released in October 2026 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, reinforces the role of resistance training in cardiovascular prevention.
The scientific statement recognises that strength training can improve:
- Blood pressure and cardiovascular risk factors
- Insulin sensitivity and glucose regulation
- Body composition, including preservation of lean muscle
- Functional capacity and physical independence
- Muscular strength, balance and resilience as we age
The authors recommend resistance training as a fundamental component of a comprehensive exercise program for cardiovascular health, alongside aerobic activity.
Why is this important?
Because cardiovascular health isn't determined solely by how efficiently our heart pumps blood.
It's also influenced by the metabolic environment in which that heart is functioning.
Insulin resistance, excess visceral fat, chronic low-grade inflammation, elevated blood pressure and metabolic dysfunction can all contribute to cardiovascular risk.
Maintaining healthy, metabolically active muscle helps address several of these interconnected factors.
Why muscle becomes even more important with age
From around our 30s and 40s, maintaining skeletal muscle becomes increasingly important.
Without sufficient resistance training, muscle mass and strength tend to decline as we age, with losses often accelerating later in life.
This age-related loss of muscle, known as sarcopenia when it reaches clinically significant levels, can have consequences extending far beyond physical weakness.
Reduced muscle mass and strength can affect mobility, balance, glucose regulation, metabolic health and our ability to remain independent.
For women, the menopause transition adds another layer of complexity, as changes in hormones, body fat distribution and muscle function can influence cardiometabolic health.
But here's the encouraging part.
Ageing doesn't mean we have to accept becoming progressively weaker.
Muscle remains responsive to resistance training throughout life, including into our 70s, 80s and beyond.
We can improve strength, protect function and support healthier ageing by providing our muscles with the appropriate stimulus.
Walking is wonderful, but it doesn't replace strength training
I'm a strong advocate for daily movement, and walking is one of the simplest ways to support cardiovascular and metabolic health.
But walking and resistance training provide different physiological benefits.
Walking supports aerobic fitness, circulation and energy expenditure.
Resistance training provides the progressive mechanical challenge required to stimulate improvements in muscular strength and help preserve or build muscle tissue.
We need both.
In fact, the 2026 study found particularly favourable mortality outcomes among people who combined regular resistance training with sufficient aerobic activity.
The message isn't that strength training should replace walking or other cardiovascular exercise.
It's that a well-rounded approach to longevity needs to include both.
How much strength training do you actually need?
The good news is that a substantial time commitment isn't necessary.
The latest research suggests meaningful benefits with approximately 90-120 minutes of resistance training per week.
For most people, I recommend aiming for three structured strength sessions per week, combined with regular walking and general daily movement.
The most important principles are:
- Train consistently. Regular sessions are more valuable than occasional bursts of intense exercise.
- Challenge your muscles progressively. Your muscles need an appropriate and gradually increasing stimulus to adapt.
- Include major muscle groups. Exercises targeting the legs, glutes, back, chest, shoulders and core support whole-body strength.
- Prioritise technique. Correct movement patterns and controlled progression are essential, particularly if you're new to resistance training.
- Support your muscles nutritionally. Adequate protein, sufficient overall nourishment and recovery are essential for maintaining and building muscle.
Remember, muscle adaptation takes time. Tendons and connective tissues also need an opportunity to strengthen as training progresses.
More isn't necessarily better. Consistency and appropriate progression are what matter.
Stop measuring your health by the number on the scales
This research also reinforces something I speak about regularly.
Body weight alone is a very poor measure of health.
Two people can weigh exactly the same but have dramatically different proportions of muscle and body fat, along with different levels of visceral fat, insulin sensitivity and cardiovascular risk.
This is why I encourage looking beyond the scales and considering body composition, muscular strength, waist circumference and metabolic markers.
Losing weight is not always the same as improving health, particularly if a significant proportion of that weight loss comes from muscle.
Our goal should be to improve metabolic health while preserving the tissue that supports strength, glucose regulation, function and long-term wellbeing.
The bottom line: Build muscle for the life you want to live
When we think about longevity, it's tempting to focus on how many years we might add to our lives.
But I think an equally important question is how well we want to live those years.
Can we maintain our independence? Travel comfortably? Carry our shopping? Get up from the floor? Remain active, capable and confident as we grow older?
Strength is fundamental to all of these things.
And as the latest cardiovascular research reminds us, the benefits of resistance training extend well beyond stronger muscles.
They reach into our metabolic health, cardiovascular function and potentially our longevity.
Muscle isn't just about how we look today. It's about protecting the health, strength and independence we'll need tomorrow.
And importantly, it's never too late to start.
Research references
1. Zhang Y, et al. (2026). Long-term resistance training with all-cause and cause-specific mortality: assessing dose-response and joint associations with aerobic physical activity. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 60(12), 874-883.
https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2025-110503
2. Myers J, et al. (2026). Exercise Prescriptions for Cardiovascular Health in Adults: 2026 ACC Scientific Statement. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Published 15 October 2026.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2026.09.008
