Weights or cardio? They confirm which exercise is most effective for reducing stress and protecting the heart

It may seem contradictory, but the truth is that your heart rate increases while performing. strength training (for example with weights) may be best for strengthening cardiovascular health. Of course, you have to combine it with a little cardio. This is the result of new research that suggests this cardio-strength combination Reduces the risk of heart disease Especially with the same effectiveness as aerobic routines, which are recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA) or the World Health Organization (WHO).

Previous studies have also addressed the reluctance we commonly face when it comes to strength training and cardiovascular health. A few months ago, LA RAZON reported that, for example, a previous study suggested that strength training done at moderate to vigorous intensity two or three times a week is an effective method. Reduce high blood pressure and reduce high blood pressure,

In that case, the importance of the new analysis lies in the fact that the mechanisms related to cardiovascular risk reduction from aerobic exercise (running, swimming or cycling) have been well studied, but little research was done on Is. Effect of strength exercise on cardiovascular diseases,

Along these lines, work was recently published in the scientific journal European Heart Journal (published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology) shows that Resistance training may improve heart healthIn people with high blood pressure, combined with aerobic.

Led by Iowa State University, it followed 406 participants aged 35 to 70 for a year of randomized, controlled exercise. they all had high blood pressure and met the threshold for overweight or obesity, with a body mass index between 25 and 40 kg/m2. They were divided into four groups: no exercise, aerobic only, resistance only or aerobic plus resistance. Those who were placed in an activity group received supervised training one hour three times a week for one year.

What should strength training look like to improve heart health?

Currently, both the WHO and the AHA recommend 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous or vigorous aerobic activity (or a combination of both) per week. But new studies indicate that Divide the recommended amount of physical activity between aerobic and resistance exercise. In particular, an aerobic diet can reduce the risks of heart disease.

“Work suggests that dividing the recommended amount of activity between aerobic and resistance exercise may be as effective as an exclusively aerobic diet, so the goal would be Do each for about 75 minutes A week,” explains Dr. Rigved Tadwalkar, a board-certified cardiologist at Providence St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California.

During the study, researchers adapted these workouts to participants based on their health status. specific weight training rules And heart rate monitoring protocols to create the ideal level of intensity for each individual. (You may be interested: A study shows that exercising at this time can burn twice as much fat)

next, They measured their risk factors for heart disease (CVD), which are systolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting glucose, and body fat percentage. They did this at three points in the study: at the beginning, after six months, and after a year.

The result was that participants in the aerobic and aerobic plus resistance groups had the lowest overall score levels for risk factors. However, The combined exercise groups improved their aerobic capacity and strength the most.,

“If you’re bored with aerobic exercise and want variety, or have joint pain that makes running long distances difficult, our study shows you can Replace half your aerobic training with strength training To achieve similar cardiovascular benefits,” the study’s lead author, Professor Duck-Chul Lee, professor of kinesiology at Iowa State, confirmed in a press release.

“Cross-training also offers other unique health benefits, such as improved muscle mass,” says Lee. The teacher encourages to work all the main muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdominals, chest, shoulders and arms). Of course, researchers say more studies are needed to establish the benefits for heart health. different levels of intensity Exercise.

Furthermore, the focus on overweight or (obese) adults with hypertension poses a challenge to the generalizability of the findings. To improve the applicability of the results, future studies should attempt to include a broader spectrum of participants, including variations in age, weight, and health status.