For those seeking a long, healthy life there is one routine you really need to adopt.
Research has recently found that taking up weight training (in other words using weights to enhance the force applied to muscles during exercise) can significantly boost your chance of longevity – and you don’t even need to do that much of it to make a difference.
A new study by Harvard University found that doing just an hour-and-a-half to two hours of this type of exercise every week – that’s just 13 minutes per day – can reduce the risk of premature death from any cause by 13 per cent.
In fact, the study, which collected data from 147,374 men and women over 30 years, found that weight training alone reduced the risk of dying from heart attack or stroke by 19 per cent, while death due to neurological disease such as dementia, was reduced by 27 per cent.
That’s not to say you can do weight training instead of other exercises – the study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found that participants doing regular aerobic exercise (such as running or cycling) alongside weight training saw their risk of an early death from any cause fall the most – by up to 58 per cent.
‘This study reinforces a message long championed by clinicians and exercise scientists: maintaining muscle strength is fundamental to healthy ageing and longevity,’ says Adam Haque, a vascular and endovascular surgeon at the University of Manchester, who has conducted research into exercise physiology.
‘As we get older, we naturally lose muscle mass and strength in a process known as sarcopenia. At the extreme end this contributes to frailty, loss of independence, falls and hospitalisation – all of which are strongly associated with an increased risk of death. Resistance exercise [i.e. weight training] is one of the most effective ways of slowing or even reversing this decline.’
But it is not a habit that should be restricted to young gym-goers – in fact, ‘it arguably becomes even more important as we age’, says Mr Haque.
Lucy Gornall has devised a weight-training regimen you can do in the comfort of your home, using just what you have around the house as weights
But why is weight training so beneficial?
When you challenge a muscle with additional weight, you’re putting it under a level of tension that it’s not used to.
This forces your body to adapt, so it repairs and reinforces your muscle fibres, making them stronger and more able to cope with that weight in the future. (That’s why ideally you need to steadily increase the weight you use).
Stronger muscles protect against falls and injuries, but weight training also helps build stronger bones and joints.
When muscles (which are attached to bones with tendons) pull on bones during exercise, they put stress on the bone tissue which signals the bones to build more density, so they become stronger.
This may slow down or even offset that loss of bone that occurs with age and which can hit women in particular after the menopause, leaving them at risk of fractures.
For the millions of Brits on slimming jabs, weight training can help protect against muscle loss.
‘A lot of weight lost while on jabs such as Ozempic or Mounjaro, is muscle,’ says Will Duru, a personal trainer and founder of at-home strength training app, 12Reps.
‘Dropping muscle this quickly can lead to weak bones and slow metabolism, because muscle uses up more calories than fat – so without it, your body burns less energy at rest. With this in mind, any fat you’ve lost will likely just pile back on once you’re off the jabs.’
There are further benefits, too.
Increased muscle mass helps pull glucose from the blood into cells – helping to protect against damaging blood sugar spikes and type 2 diabetes.
So for those too shy to join the gym – or who want a cheaper way to reap the benefits – Will Duru and I devised a weight-training regimen you can do in the comfort of your home, with no fancy equipment, using just what you have around the house as weights.
Do our eight at-home weight-training exercises to help boost your longevity, ideally at least three times per week.
Carrier bag farmers carry
Great for: Arms, core stability, posture, upper back and grip strength
‘Staying upright while carrying weight switches on lots of the stabilising muscles in your core,’ says Will Duru.
‘Your back muscles, essential for posture, also work to keep you in a strong, upright position.’
You’ll be training your grip strength too. Various studies have found high grip strength to be a strong indicator of longevity.
A 2012 study in the journal Age revealed that a person’s grip strength might even indicate their likelihood of living past 100. Of the 2,239 participants who had their grip strength measured when they were between 56 and 68-years-old, those with the strongest grip were 2.5 times more likely to reach the age of 100.
How to do it: Fill two carrier bags (ideally the stronger bag-for-life variety) with tins or full bottles. Place the same weight in each bag. (It should feel like you’re carrying two heavy shopping bags.)
Walk slowly around your home, keeping shoulders back, gaze forward and core tight. Arms should be straight down by your side. Aim to walk in 30-second blocks, or as long as you can until your grip gives in!
Work your way up to a heavier bag over time.
With an added weight, lunges will also work your core, as it has to work harder to keep you stable. So it’s a double whammy, core and leg exercise
Paint tin lunges
Great for: Legs and core
Lunges are a unilateral exercise, meaning they work one side at a time. Walking and climbing stairs are also unilateral exercises and lunges help build the strength needed to make these everyday movements easier.
‘Lunges also help address imbalances in your legs and test your balance and coordination,’ says Will Duru.
‘With an added weight, lunges will also work your core, as it has to work harder to keep you stable. So it’s a double whammy, core and leg exercise.’
How to do it: Hold a paint tin (or similar weight item) by its handle in each hand, keeping your arms by your side.
Step back with the left foot, bend both knees and drop down into a lunge.
Push up through the front heel to stand – then repeat on the other side. Repeat 12 times on each leg, three times per week.
Melon squats
Great for: Glutes (in the buttocks), hamstrings (in the back of your thigh), quads (in the front of thigh)
Compound exercises are movements that work several muscles at once, so they offer a lot more bang for your buck.
‘They also get your heart rate up more than isolation exercises, meaning you’ll burn more calories and work your heart too,’ says Will Duru.
How to do it: Stand with a melon (alternatively try water bottles, milk cartons or fabric softener bottles) on each shoulder or hold one to your chest with both hands, depending on what you have to hand.
Feet should be just wider than hip-width apart, toes slightly pointed out. Push your bottom back, bend your knees and drop into a squat, keeping your gaze forward.
Pause when your thighs are parallel to the floor, then drive up through your heels. Complete 12 reps.
Compound exercises are movements that work several muscles at once, so they offer a lot more bang for your buck
Baked beans bicep curls
Great for: Biceps
This works your biceps, the muscles we need every day to pull open doors and carry the shopping. Any tin you can get your hands on will work for these curls – from beans to chopped tomatoes, even pineapple chunks.
How to do it: Hold a tin in each hand, keep arms down by your side and slowly curl the tins towards your shoulders. Elbows should stay tucked in. Aim for 12 reps.
Ideally with this move and all the others, the last couple of reps should feel very tough. If they’re too easy, try heavier tins or other household items – or add extra reps. Over time, look to increase the weight so you’re continually challenging your muscles.
Broomstick row
Great for: Back and posture
The average Briton sits for 9.5 hours each day, according to the British Heart Foundation, often hunched over a phone or laptop, leaving you with rounded shoulders and back pain. A strong back helps counteract this.
‘Rows specifically target your upper back muscles which pull your shoulders back into a more upright position,’ says Will Duru.
‘Rows specifically target your trap muscles (which run from the base of your skull, down the middle of your spine and out to the shoulders); the rhomboids (which connect your shoulder blades to your spine); and rear delts (on the very back and sides of your shoulders).’
How to do it: Holding a broomstick with both hands, hinge at the hips with a flat back. Keep a very slight bend to your knees and let your arms hang down. Then, drive the broom up to your ribcage, bringing the elbows up behind you. Slowly lower the broom down. Aim for 12 reps.
If the broom feels too light, try using milk bottles or paint tins.
Rows specifically target your upper back muscles which pull your shoulders back into a more upright position
Rice deadlift
Great for: Posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, spinal erectors and upper back), grip strength
Your posterior-chain muscles, which run down the back of your body, can weaken from long hours sitting at a desk.
‘A weak posterior chain usually leads to poor posture and back pain,’ says Will Duru.
‘The deadlift is a powerful hinge move that recruits all these muscles and more. But it needs to be done correctly to avoid injury.’
If you don’t have barbells or dumbbells, try using a big rice bag, typically found at wholesalers. These can weigh up to 20kg. Or use two 4kg bags of rice.
How to do it: Stand with feet hip-distance apart, gripping the rice bag with each hand, palms facing towards you and arms straight.
Hinge at the hips, push your bum back and the rice bag will lower down.
Let your knees bend after the rice bag has passed them, then lower down further.
Maintain a flat back by engaging your back muscles (imagine squeezing an orange under your armpits while pushing out your chest). Pause when your thighs are parallel to the floor and your rice bag is just above the ground, then drive up through your feet to stand back up. Do 12 reps.
Wine bottle press
Great for: Shoulders and core
Wine bottles can be used instead of dumbbells to work your shoulders, which are responsible for overhead and pushing movements; think lifting luggage into the overhead cabin or placing heavy items on a shelf.
Your shoulder joint can also become sore and vulnerable to injury if the supporting muscles around it aren’t strong.
Wine bottles can be used instead of dumbbells to work your shoulders, which are responsible for overhead and pushing movements
How to do it: Stand with a wine bottle in each hand, gripped horizontally across the middle. Rest them lightly resting on your shoulders, palms facing forward.
Press the bottles upwards straight above your head, then slowly lower back to shoulder height. Complete 12 reps.
Fabric softener plank
Great for: Abdominal muscles and core
Adding extra weight to a plank exercise makes every muscle in your core work harder. A strong core protects your spine, and helps reduce the chances of back pain, plus it helps with every single one of the exercises above.
Unlike sit-ups, planks don’t put pressure on your neck and lower back.
At the gym, an iron plate works well – but a full bottle of fabric conditioner does the trick at home as it can be a similar weight. You’ll be forced to stay still to avoid the bottle tipping.
How to do it: Get into the plank position – on all fours and lower onto your forearms, and step your feet out so your legs are straight.
Ask a family member or friend to place a bottle of fabric conditioner on your back and hold still for 20 seconds.
Beginners should focus on mastering the plank first before adding the weight. You can drop to your knees if a full plank is too difficult.
Hold for 30 seconds. Do this twice.
