Exercise for Longevity: What Kind of Workouts Help Women Live Longer?

Dr Natalie Hutchins
Oct 8
8 min read

By Eleanor Riches and Dr Natalie Hutchins

Group run outdoors in Botanic Gardens — What kind of workout really makes a difference?

Most of us already know that exercise is “good for us.” But when life feels packed and energy runs low, it can be hard to know what kind of workout really makes a difference. Do you need to push yourself through intense routines to live longer, or does walking count? What about strength training? And how much is enough?

These aren’t just questions about fitness; they’re about long-term health, independence, and quality of life. The good news is that recent studies give us clearer answers, and the findings feel surprisingly achievable.

Exercise is safe for all ages

Most exercise guidelines are still based on studies of men. Women, with our unique physiology and hormonal rhythms, remain underrepresented in research, which means there are some gaps in our knowledge.¹

What we do know is that exercise is safe, effective, and beneficial at every life stage. There’s no strong evidence that women need completely different training regimes – the basics of cardio, strength, and consistency apply to everyone.

The gap is that we don’t yet fully understand whether women’s unique life stages (like puberty, pregnancy, and menopause) might benefit from more tailored advice. Until then, the best approach is simple: choose activities you enjoy and can keep up with, because consistency is the strongest predictor of long-term health benefits.

Why exercise for longevity?

Exercise is one of the most powerful tools for long-term health. It doesn’t just add years to your life, it helps you stay stronger, steadier, and more independent. Here’s how:

Stronger bones: Weight-bearing and resistance exercise improves bone density and lowers fracture risk after menopause.²
Muscle and balance: Strength and mobility training protect against frailty and falls, a major cause of disability in older women.³
Lower cancer risk: Being more active is linked to a 10-20% lower risk of breast cancer, the most common cancer in women.⁴
Heart protection: Even moderate activity significantly reduces cardiovascular risk, the number one cause of death in women.⁵
Brain health: Regular movement supports sleep, mood, and lowers the risk of dementia, including Alzheimers.⁶

How much exercise do we really need?

Public health guidelines often focus on cardio (aerobic activity), like walking, running, cycling, or swimming. Cardio gets the spotlight because it’s the most studied and consistently linked with better heart health and longer life. It improves circulation, lowers blood pressure, reduces cholesterol, and helps regulate blood sugar – all key drivers of longevity.⁷

The WHO recommends:

150-300 minutes of moderate activity per week (like brisk walking or gardening), or
75-150 minutes of vigorous activity per week (like running or HIIT), plus
Muscle-strengthening at least 2 days per week.⁸

A 2022 study that followed 116,000 American adults over 30 years found the “sweet spot” for longevity was close to existing recommendations: 150-300 minutes of vigorous or 300-600 minutes of moderate activity per week.⁹

People in this range lived longer and had a lower risk of both cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular deaths. Doing more than this (like lots of running or intense training) didn’t necessarily add further benefits.

One reason cardio is so powerful is its effect on VO2 max: a measure of how much oxygen your body can use during exercise. VO2 max reflects the strength of your heart, lungs, and muscles working together, and higher levels are strongly linked to longer life.¹⁰

The message here? Aerobic fitness is key to longevity.

Less may be more for women

Newer research shows women don’t just benefit from consistency; they may actually gain more from the same amount of exercise as men.

A 2024 study of over 412,000 American adults found that while both men and women reduced their risk of early death by being active, women reached the same survival benefit with less.¹¹

Just 140 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per week gave women the same protection that took men around 300 minutes. Women also cut their risk of cardiovascular death by 36% compared to 14% in men.

Why the difference? Women generally have smaller hearts and lungs, lower haemoglobin levels (the protein that carries oxygen in the blood), and a different mix of muscle fibres than men. This means the same workout is often a higher relative effort for women’s bodies – and that extra effort translates into a greater benefit.

What this means for you: Even two or three sessions of brisk walking a week can deliver powerful long-term protection for your heart and your health – as long as you’re aiming to hit the recommended weekly totals.

Tip: Brisk walking should get your heart rate up. It should feel like you’re walking fast enough to hold a conversation, but singing would feel difficult.

What kind of exercise makes the most difference?

Walking

Walking is one of the simplest and most effective longevity tools. We’ve all heard of the 10,000 steps a day goal, but the evidence shows you don’t need to hit that number to benefit.

A meta-analysis of 17 studies (227,000 people) found that just 1,000 extra steps per day lowered the risk of death by 15%.¹² Benefits started as low as 2,500–4,000 steps and kept rising up to 20,000 steps daily.

So, even short walks and choosing to move more often throughout the day can add years to your life.

Mobility

It’s not just about how far you walk, but how steady and flexible you are. In a study of 1700 adults aged 51-75, those who couldn’t balance on one leg for 10 seconds had nearly double the risk of death over the next seven years compared to those who could.¹³

Balance and mobility are key to healthy aging – and they can be trained with simple practices like yoga or tai chi.

Strength training

Strength or resistance training (using weights, bands, or bodyweight) is another proven longevity booster. A review of 16 studies showed that just 30–60 minutes per week was linked with lower risks of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and death overall.¹⁴

But more isn’t always better: benefits plateau above about two hours a week.¹⁵ For women, even one weekly session made a measurable difference. That could be two 30-minute gym workouts, a home routine, or an exercise class.

Nature

Where you move also matters. A UK study of nearly 20,000 adults found that people who spent at least 120 minutes per week in nature reported significantly better health and wellbeing.¹⁶

This means combining movement with nature, like walking in a park, hiking or outdoor yoga, can boost both physical and mental health. Time in nature lowers stress, improves mood, and restores focus, making it a powerful partner to exercise.

Socialising

Not all activities add the same years to life. The Copenhagen City Heart Study followed 8,500 adults over 25 years and found that social, group-based exercise added the most years of life:¹⁷

Tennis +9.7 years
Badminton +6.2 years
Football +4.7 years
Jogging +3.2 years
Health club activities +1.5 years

Activities that combine movement with social connection reduce loneliness and stress, while helping you stay motivated over time.

What about exercise during menopause?

Exercise is especially valuable during menopause – not just for living longer, but for protecting your day-to-day quality of life.

As oestrogen and testosterone levels naturally decline, bones, muscles, heart health, mood, and sleep are all affected. The right mix of exercise can help protect each of these areas:

Focus on strength and stability

Weight-bearing and resistance training slows the bone loss that accelerates after menopause and helps preserve muscle. In a 12-week trial, women with osteoporosis who did resistance training saw bigger gains in bone density and oestrogen levels than those doing aerobic exercise.¹⁸ Another study of 300 women found that just 8 weeks of weight-bearing and breathing exercises improved energy, reduced pain and eased sleep problems.¹⁹

Keep moving for your heart

As hormone levels drop, the heart and blood vessels lose some of their natural protection. Aerobic activity supports blood pressure, circulation, and heart health. When paired with a balanced diet, it’s been shown to improve hormone balance, brain function, and daily independence.²⁰

Don’t forget mind-body support

Hormonal shifts can also disrupt sleep and mood. Practices like yoga, tai chi, or simple breathing exercises help ease stress, improve balance, and support emotional well-being. Research shows they can reduce distress and help with common menopausal symptoms.²¹

What this means for you: exercise is one of the most reliable, low-cost, and accessible ways to ease menopausal symptoms and build resilience for the years ahead.

So, what’s the best exercise plan for longevity?

The research points to a balanced mix that’s realistic and achievable:

Move most days: Aim for 150–300 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per week (about 30-60 minutes most days). Walking, cycling, dancing, swimming, gardening, or hiking all count.
Add strength: 30–60 minutes per week of weights, resistance training, or bodyweight routines helps slow muscle and bone loss.
Work on balance: Yoga, tai chi, or simple balance exercises improve stability and support healthy aging.
Get outdoors: Spending at least 2 hours a week in nature boosts both physical and mental health.
Make it social: Group-based activities such as tennis, badminton, or walking with friends add more years to life than solo exercise.
Stay consistent: You don’t need marathons. Two brisk walks and one strength session a week already build powerful long-term benefits.

Making sense of the evidence

Exercise doesn’t have to mean punishing routines or hours in the gym. For women, the science shows that walking regularly, doing some strength work, and staying consistent are the keys to a longer, healthier life.

These findings aren’t about perfection. They’re about showing you that the everyday choices you make (walking to the shops, lifting your child, dancing in your kitchen, joining a weekly class) genuinely add up to better health and more years of independence.

Your body doesn’t need extremes. It needs movement that fits your life and that you can keep coming back to. That’s the path to longevity, and it’s more achievable than you might think.

Sources