We ignore this type of exercise but there is good reason why we shouldn't

The humble push-up is often underrated when compared with racier forms of exercise, but the old faithful may pave the way to a longer life.

New research, from the University of Sydney, looking at more than 80,000 adults, compared different forms of exercise and found that those who did strength-based exercise just twice a week had a 23 per cent reduction in risk of premature death by any means, and a 31 per cent reduction in cancer-related death. 

On the other hand, a reduced risk of cancer-related death did not apply to those who only met the WHO aerobic guidelines of 150 minutes a week and not the twice-weekly strength training recommendation (which was only introduced in 2010).

While strength training has received some attention lately for its important role in muscle maintenance, metabolism, bone density as we age and cognitive function there was “a gap in the literature”. 

READ MORE:
* Why pushups are your new favourite exercise
* Push-ups - better than a bench press (yes really)
* Great workouts that don’t need a gym membership

“There was very, very little research looking at the association between participation in strength-promoting exercise and long-term outcomes related to mortality,” said lead author Emmanuel Stamatakis from the School of Public Health and the Charles Perkins Centre.

For the study, published on Wednesday in the American Journal of Epidemiology, Stamatakis and his team looked at different types of strength-based exercise including using machines or free weights at the gym as well as bodyweight exercises â€“ sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups – that people can do from home. 

On average, those who regularly participated in strength training, did two sessions a week totalling 50 to 60 minutes and the researchers adjusted for other “confounding” lifestyle factors such as diet and demographics. 

“A very encouraging finding and a finding I’m very keen to promote more was that there was not much difference [between gym-based or home-based strength exercise], the association was pretty much the same,” Stamatakis said. 

from Olivia W’s Blog Rss http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/well-good/teach-me/98440146/We-ignore-this-type-of-exercise-but-there-is-good-reason-why-we-shouldn-t

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