Strength training: why 30 to 60 minutes a week is enough

Strength training was long seen as something for bodybuilders. Today the World Health Organization recommends that all adults strengthen all major muscle groups on at least two days a week, at moderate or greater intensity.¹ The Swiss physical activity recommendations say the same: at least twice a week, mainly for the core but also for the legs, shoulders and arms.⁴

What the studies show

A 2022 review pooled cohort studies on strength training and health. People who trained regularly had a 10 to 17% lower risk of death, cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes.²

The dose is what stands out. The largest difference, a roughly 10 to 20% lower risk, appeared at about 30 to 60 minutes of strength training a week. More training was not linked to a bigger benefit in these data.² Two sessions of 15 to 30 minutes each fall right in that range.

It works at any age

The evidence from controlled trials is especially strong for older people. A Cochrane review analyzed 121 randomized trials with 6,700 older participants. Most trained two to three times a week. Muscle strength rose clearly, and everyday functions such as walking speed and getting up from a chair improved.³

For people aged 65 and over, the WHO also recommends training balance and strength on at least three days a week to prevent falls.¹

What a session looks like

You don’t need a gym. What matters is that every major muscle group is worked and the last repetitions feel hard. An example for home:

• squats, using a chair for support if needed,
• glute bridges lying on your back,
• rows with a resistance band,
• push-ups, against a wall or on your knees at first,
• shoulder presses with two full water bottles,
• a forearm plank for the core.

When an exercise gets easy, add weight or repetitions. This gradual increase is exactly what the studies in the Cochrane review tested.³