For decades, experts have focused on aerobic exercise and reducing sedentary behaviour as the main prescription for better heart health. Getting enough daily steps and avoiding prolonged sitting remain important, but new research suggests that another form of exercise also plays a crucial role.
A recent study has found that women who regularly take part in strength training, also known as resistance training, face a lower risk of major cardiovascular disease, particularly heart attacks, reports CNN.
Women who completed two or more hours of resistance training each week had a 20 per cent lower risk of major cardiovascular disease and a 44 per cent lower risk of heart attacks than women who did not undertake any resistance training.
The findings offer a practical reason for women to include strength exercises in their weekly fitness routines. A simple and consistent resistance-training programme may help deliver significant benefits for heart health.
Healthy heart needs varied exercise
The study’s most significant finding was not simply that strength training benefits the heart. Instead, researchers found that women with the lowest cardiovascular risk combined three healthy fitness habits.
Participants with the lowest risk met the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans by completing at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, every week. They also performed regular resistance training and spent less than two hours a day watching television, which researchers used as a measure of sedentary behaviour.
The findings indicate that no single form of exercise alone can build optimal heart health. Instead, people need to stay active throughout the day and follow a balanced fitness programme that includes resistance exercise.
Many people still treat exercise as a way to offset an otherwise sedentary lifestyle. However, the body responds most effectively to regular and varied physical activity.
Strength training and heart health
Aerobic exercise mainly challenges the cardiovascular system, while strength training places greater demands on the muscular system.
Resistance exercise, whether performed with body weight, resistance bands or weights, helps build and preserve muscle mass. It can also support blood sugar regulation and improve metabolic health. According to the authors of the study published on June 17 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, these physiological changes may help counter cardiovascular risk factors.
The researchers said regular strength training may also affect specific pathways associated with coronary artery disease. It may improve blood flow, influence how the body processes fats and increase the stability of plaque buildup in the arteries. These effects may explain why researchers observed the strongest benefits in relation to heart attack risk.
The study followed more than 117,000 women for an average of 14.5 years. However, researchers did not find the same association between strength training and stroke risk, suggesting that strokes may involve different mechanisms that respond less to the benefits of resistance exercise.
More research is needed to understand the factors involved in comprehensive cardiovascular disease prevention. However, the current evidence points clearly to one conclusion: strength training is an important part of maintaining heart health.
Strength training for a healthier heart
HHS guidelines recommend strength training on at least two days each week. However, the study found the largest reductions in heart attack risk among women who consistently completed two or more hours of resistance training weekly.
Researchers also found that training both the upper and lower body provided greater cardiovascular benefits than focusing on only one area.
Based on these findings, a practical approach is to complete a 30-minute total-body workout four days a week, reaching the two-hour weekly threshold linked to lower rates of cardiovascular disease and heart attack.
The routine should challenge the upper and lower body across all three planes of motion and include major movement patterns such as pushing, pulling, hinging, squatting and core stabilisation.
You need only your own body weight and a single dumbbell to create resistance. Choose a weight suitable for your current fitness level. Beginners can start with between 3 and 10 pounds.
Important note: Consult your doctor before beginning this or any new exercise programme. Stop immediately if you experience pain or difficulty breathing.
Heart-healthy resistance circuit
Perform the following exercises in order, completing eight to 12 repetitions of each. For exercises performed on one side of the body, complete the repetitions on both sides unless the instructions specify alternating or timed movements.
The exercises include modifications to suit different fitness levels. You can gradually increase the challenge by adding weight or performing more repetitions.
Complete three rounds of the full circuit. Rest when necessary and drink water between rounds. Each round should take approximately eight to 12 minutes.
Walking lunge with rotation
Step forward into a lunge and place your fingertips on the ground on either side of your front foot. Keep your back leg straight or lower your knee to the floor for greater stability.
As you inhale, reach the hand opposite your front foot towards the sky and rotate through your chest, shoulder and mid-back. Exhale as you return your hand to the ground. Bring your back foot forward to return to a standing position, then repeat on the opposite side.
Perform eight to 12 alternating repetitions.
This exercise begins the circuit because it prepares the hips, spine and shoulders for movement. It also strengthens the lower body and improves thoracic rotation, or twisting movement through the mid-back.
Push-up variation
Begin in a full or modified plank position, keeping your feet hip-width apart and your hands beneath your shoulders. You can perform the exercise on the floor, or use a wall or countertop for an easier modification.
Select the variation that allows you to maintain a strong core and proper spinal alignment throughout the movement.
Inhale as you bend your elbows and lower your body without arching your back. Exhale as you push yourself back to the starting position.
Push-ups strengthen the upper body while reinforcing core stability.
Supported single-arm row
Place one hand on the edge of a bench, chair or another sturdy support. Bend your knees and engage your core to maintain a flat back.
Hold a dumbbell in the opposite hand. Exhale as you pull the weight towards your rib cage, then inhale as you slowly lower it.
Rowing exercises strengthen the upper body’s pulling muscles and help balance the pushing and reaching movements required in daily life.
Single-leg Romanian deadlift
Stand with your weight shifted onto one leg. Hold a dumbbell in the hand opposite your supporting leg.
Hinge at your hips and lower your torso until your back is parallel with the floor while extending your opposite leg behind you. Exhale and return to a standing position with both feet on the ground.
If maintaining balance proves difficult, use your other hand to support yourself against a wall. You can also perform the movement without a dumbbell.
This exercise strengthens the glutes and hamstrings while challenging balance and core stability.
Lateral lunge
From a standing position, step sideways into a lateral lunge. Shift your hips backwards and bend your knee, keeping it aligned above your ankle while the opposite leg remains straight.
Push yourself back to the starting position. For an easier modification, reduce the distance of your sideways step.
The lateral lunge strengthens the body in the often-neglected frontal plane while improving hip mobility and lower-body strength.
Offset farmer’s carry
Hold a dumbbell in one hand and walk while maintaining a tall posture. Resist the urge to lean towards the side holding the weight. Take even and controlled steps for 30 to 60 seconds on each side.
The exercise challenges core stability, grip strength and postural control while engaging the entire body.
