Norwegian commentary reinforces twice-weekly strength training advice for adults

A commentary in Tidsskrift for Den norske legeforening highlights Norwegian recommendations for strength training ahead of Styrkeuka, a public awareness campaign held in week 44. Author Olov Belander, a senior adviser at the Norwegian Directorate of Health and a campaign organizer, cites an American College of Sports Medicine position statement based on 137 systematic reviews involving more than 30,000 participants.

The cited synthesis supports regular, progressively more demanding resistance training to improve muscle function, muscle mass and physical performance in healthy adults. Benefits are reported across approaches, including home exercise, resistance bands and conventional weight training. The commentary also describes associations with lower mortality and several chronic disease outcomes, but provides no effect estimates or detailed assessment of those findings.

Norwegian advice recommends exercises targeting major muscle groups at least twice weekly for adults. People older than 65 years should undertake balance and strength training at least twice weekly to maintain physical function and prevent falls. For clinicians, the emphasis is on helping patients begin and sustain regular training rather than identifying an optimal method. This is a commentary, not a new trial or independent evidence synthesis; the broad disease associations should not be interpreted as proof of causality. The author reports no conflicts of interest.