Stay strong, live longer

LIFTING weights, doing squats and tummy crunches has been found to help reduce a person’s chances of dying early or from cancer.

Researchers from Sydney University studied more than 80,000 people and found those who did strength-based exercises had a 31 per cent lower risk of cancer-related deaths and a 23 per cent lower risk of premature death.

“Exercise that promotes muscular strength may be just as important for health as aerobic activities like jogging or cycling,” Associate Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis said yesterday as the study was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.