Strength exercises 'stave off early death'

Sydney University researchers have found that people who do strength-based exercises can reduce their chances of dying early or from cancer.

Strength-based exercises can reduce the chance of dying early or from cancer. (AAP)

Lifting weights, doing squats and squeezing out some 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 that 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.

"The study shows exercise that promotes muscular strength may be just as important for health as aerobic activities like jogging or cycling," Associate Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis said on Wednesday as the study was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.