Top 3 benefits of aerobic and strength training for chronic disease prevention
Monday, 17 August, 2026
Examining the association between aerobic physical activity, muscle-strengthening activities and the development of chronic conditions, University of Queensland-led research — conducted in collaboration with Bond University and Griffith University — has found that muscle-strengthening exercises appear to provide significant health benefits beyond doing aerobic activity alone. With a sample of over 8000 Brisbane adults over nine years, it was found that people who did both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities had:
- a 23% reduction in cancer
- a 24% reduction in hypertension, and
- a 50% reduction in type 2 diabetes.
“People who consistently met the recommended guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes and hypertension and may also have had a lower risk of heart disease and some cancers than those who met neither guideline,” behavioural epidemiologist Dr Gregore Mielke from UQ’s School of Public Health surmised, emphasising that muscle-strengthening activities appeared to provide significant health benefits beyond doing aerobic activity alone.
According to Australian Government guidelines, moderate-to vigorous-intensity physical activities for 30 minutes or more on most days as well as muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days per week is recommended. Yet, as Mielke said, public health messaging generally focused on aerobic activity. “This research suggests public health initiatives should also place emphasis on encouraging adults to incorporate strength-based activities into their weekly routines to support healthy aging,” Mielke said.
Aged 40 to 64 years, study participants completed five surveys between 2007 and 2016. About half of the participants met the recommended level of aerobic physical activity, while only 24% met guidelines for both muscle-strengthening and aerobic physical activities, said research lead author, PhD candidate Anh Tung Pham. Further, around 30% people met neither exercise guideline. “The results are quite significant and highlight the need to promote both aerobic and muscle strength activities to mid-aged adults,” Pham said.
“This provides evidence to stress the value of this combined approach for chronic disease prevention,” Pham added. According to data from Australia’s 2022 National Health Survey, approximately 60% of adults aged 45 to 64 years have at least one chronic disease and 30% have multiple chronic diseases. Lifting weights, using resistance bands or body-weight exercises such as sit-ups, push-ups, squats and lunges are examples of muscle-strengthening activities
The study was published open access (doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2026.07.016) in Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport
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