An hour a week of heavy gardening could reduce a person's risk of premature death.
An hour of gardening per week can save lives
A new study has revealed that taking part in muscle-strengthening activities such as lifting weights, resistance training or gardening activities such as digging and shovelling has been linked with a reduced risk of an early death and some major diseases.
The findings were published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine and experts from Japan examined the impact that the muscle-strengthening exercises had on the risk of death and serious illnesses including cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer and diabetes.
The authors wrote: "Muscle-strengthening activities were associated with a 10-17 per cent lower risk of CVD, total cancer, diabetes, lung cancer and all-cause mortality independent of aerobic activities among adults."
The study found that the "maximum" benefit to protection against early death was seen when people participated in 30 to 60 minutes of muscle-strengthening activity every week.