Combining strength training and cardio may help you live a longer, healthier life

(Kaitlin Sullivan/ Health) –– Separately, aerobic exercise and strength training can help you live a longer, healthier life—but combining the two may provide even more benefits, new research shows.

Two recent studies—both published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine—have found that pairing muscle-strengthening exercises with aerobic physical activity further lowers the risk of death from any cause (with the exception of cancer) than either type of exercise alone.

“Our finding that mortality risk appeared to be lowest for those who participated in both types of exercise provides strong support for current recommendations to engage in both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities,” one set of study authors wrote. (…)