Is Strength Training a Key to Living Longer?

GQ features insight from exercise physiologist and Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Alexander Rothstein, Ed.D., in an article detailing how much strength training per week might lead to a longer, healthier life. According to studies, the answer is between 90 and 120 minutes; Rothstein agrees that this timing is key to promoting a more comfortable and capable lifestyle. However, he explains that best practice is a weekly combination of weightlifting and moderate-intensity aerobic exercise.

“[This will] give you the best of both worlds and really influence not only your longevity but also your quality of life,” he says of the weights and cardio split, adding that bodyweight movements are an acceptable form of strength training. “I’m a big fan since they’re very transferable to everyone’s daily life.”