Many people think of exercise as walking, running, swimming or cycling.
But a long-running Brisbane study suggests that working the muscles may be just as important when the goal is preventing chronic disease.
A University of Queensland-led research team tracked more than 8,000 middle-aged adults for nine years. People who combined aerobic activity with regular muscle-strengthening exercise generally had better health outcomes than those who did neither.
The findings were published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. The research focused on adults aged 40 to 64, a period of life when the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and other long-term conditions begins to rise.
Participants completed five surveys between 2007 and 2016. Researchers used their answers to compare exercise habits with the development of chronic diseases over time.
Aerobic exercise is activity that keeps large parts of the body moving and makes the heart work harder. Brisk walking, running, dancing, cycling and swimming are familiar examples.
Muscle-strengthening activity asks muscles to work against resistance. A person can do this at a gym with weights, but expensive equipment is not required because resistance bands, squats, lunges, push-ups and similar exercises can also strengthen muscles.
Australian guidelines recommend both forms of activity. Adults are encouraged to do moderate to vigorous physical activity for 30 minutes or more on most days and strength exercises on at least two days each week.
The study found a clear gap between those two recommendations and what many people actually do. Around half of participants achieved the aerobic target, but only about one in four met both the aerobic and strength guidelines.
About 30% met neither target. This matters because the researchers found the strongest pattern of disease protection among people who consistently did both kinds of exercise.
Compared with adults who met neither guideline, those meeting both had a 50% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Their risk of developing high blood pressure was 24% lower, and their cancer risk was 23% lower.
The researchers also saw signs that combining the activities may lower the risk of heart disease and some cancers. Lead author and Ph.D. candidate Anh Tung Pham said the findings highlight the value of promoting both types of exercise to people in middle age.
Why might strength work make such a difference? Skeletal muscle is not simply tissue that helps people lift objects or climb stairs because it also plays an important role in how the body handles glucose and uses energy.
When muscles are regularly challenged, they can become stronger and better able to use glucose from the blood. This may help explain why the study found such a large difference in the development of type 2 diabetes.
Strength is also important for healthy aging. Adults gradually lose muscle as they get older, and low muscle strength can make everyday tasks harder and contribute to loss of independence later in life.
Aerobic activity provides a different set of benefits. It trains the heart and lungs, can help control blood pressure and weight, and improves the body’s ability to deliver oxygen during activity.
Doing both may therefore create a more complete exercise program. One type mainly improves heart and lung fitness, while the other preserves muscle and supports metabolic health, although there is considerable overlap between their benefits.
Dr. Gregore Mielke, a behavioral epidemiologist at UQ’s School of Public Health, said health messages have traditionally placed greater emphasis on aerobic exercise. He argues that strength-based activity should receive a more prominent place in campaigns designed to support healthy aging.
This is particularly relevant because chronic illness is already common among Australians in this age group. National data from 2022 indicate that about six in ten adults aged 45 to 64 have at least one chronic disease, and around three in ten live with multiple conditions.
The study does have limitations. Because researchers observed people’s existing habits rather than assigning them to exercise programs, they cannot say with certainty that the exercise itself produced all of the differences in disease risk.
People who do both aerobic and strength exercise may have other healthy habits that contribute to the results. The activity information also came from surveys, which depend on participants accurately remembering and reporting what they did.
Still, the findings fit with a growing body of evidence showing that muscle health matters far beyond physical strength. The practical message is that walking and other aerobic exercise remain valuable, but adding regular resistance work may give the body an extra layer of protection as it ages.
If you care about wellness, please read studies about nutrients that could combat inflammation in older people, and essential foods for healthy aging.
For more health information, please see recent studies about the link between processed foods and chronic diseases, and a simple diet change for a healthier life after 65.
Source: University of Queensland.
