Did you know weight training can increase your life expectancy by 46 percent? Here’s how

Bodybuilding is an art many admire but do not venture into for fear of becoming too muscular.

Women tend to also shy away from weightlifting because they have this perception that it will make them muscular.

Well, we might all want to change our perception of weightlifting as a study reveals that it might lead to a 46 per cent reduced risk of death.

Now, we live in a world where most of our foods are over-processed and we cannot vouch for the ‘organic’ ones as well.

We are, however, prone to so many life-threatening diseases as we age, and most people die earlier than they would have.

“Researchers at the Penn State College of Medicine, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, and Columbia University discovered that older individuals who took part in strength-training only twice per week helped the individuals who were 65 years of age or older to live longer,” writes LifeHack.

The research model they had for this particular group was small, and really only came in at 10 per cent of the age group’s overall count, but the data obtained is invaluable.

The data came to the researchers through surveys that spanned over 15 years of the partaker’s lives, and from evidence found on their death certificates from the years 1997 to 2001.

“This research found that the older adults who took part in strength training twice a week had a 41% reduction in cardiac death, and a 19% lowered chance of being killed by cancer,” writes LifeHack.

Most aged in our society are fragile and usually complain of joint aches but it doesn’t have to be so.

Strength training, steadily and consistently at your own pace, can go a long way to make you look younger and prolong your life as well.

It gives the added freedom of ageing without so many complications as you can move easily and thrive independently without much assistance.

According to the author of the study, Jennifer Kraschnewski, M.D, “strength training enables you to live a longer, healthier life by keeping you physically active, improving your balance, strengthening your muscles and increasing your bone density.

“The last one is crucial for preventing bone fractures, which are infamously detrimental to the health of older people. And finally, training helps you maintain a healthy weight, which in turn will lower the risk for developing many diseases associated with obesity.”

If you are in the habit of lifting weights at a younger age, keep it up but if you are 50 years and above and would like to start, please consult your physician and get a clear pass.

There are trained physical health experts and trainers in the gym who know exactly where to start you off.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, age shouldn’t be a barrier to strength training as older adults can make considerable improvements in strength and a reasonable growth in muscle size in only a few months of regular training.

This research is an eyeopener and it is about time we all made a conscious effort to add some weight training to our daily routines to improve our chances of living healthier, longer lives.