Strength or cardio? They confirm which exercise is most effective for reducing tension and protecting the heart.

This may seem paradoxical, but the truth is that the increase in heart rate when performing power training (e.g. weight training) may be the best way to promote cardiovascular health. Of course, you’ll have to combine this with a little cardio. This is the result of a new study that suggests this combination of cardio-strength exercise. reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases with the same effectiveness as exclusively aerobic exercise recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA) or the World Health Organization (WHO).

Previous research has also highlighted the reluctance we typically face when it comes to strength training and cardiovascular health. A few months ago, LA RAZON reported, for example, that a previous study found that strength training performed moderately or vigorously two or three times a week was an effective way to reduce high blood pressure and alleviate high blood pressure.

As in this case, the importance of the new analysis is that the mechanisms linking cardiovascular risk reduction to aerobic exercise (running, swimming or cycling) are well understood, but little research has been conducted on the topic. The effect of strength training on cardiovascular disease

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In this spirit, work recently published in a scientific journal European Journal of Cardiology (published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology), shows that Weight training may improve heart healthin combination with aerobic exercise, in people with high blood pressure.

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

How to strength train to improve heart health

Currently, both the WHO and AHA recommend 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous or vigorous aerobic activity per week (or a combination of both) per week. But new research shows that Divide the recommended amount of physical activity between aerobic and resistance exercise. reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease as much as exclusively aerobic regimens.

“The work suggests that dividing the recommended amount of activity between aerobic and resistance exercise may be as effective as solely aerobic regimens, so the goal would be do about 75 minutes each per week,” explains Dr. Rigved Tadwalkar, a board-certified cardiologist at Providence Saint John Medical Center in Santa Monica, California.

In the study, researchers adapted these workouts for participants depending on their health status. special weight training regimens and heart rate monitoring protocols to create the ideal intensity level for each individual. (You may be interested: Study shows that exercising during this time can burn twice as much fat)

Next, They measured risk factors for cardiovascular 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.

As a result, participants in the aerobics and aerobics plus resistance groups had the lowest risk factor composite scores. However, the combined exercise groups improved their aerobic capacity and strength the most.

“Whether you’re bored with aerobic exercise and want variety, or have joint pain that makes it difficult to run long distances, our research shows you can replace half of your aerobic training with strength training get the same cardiovascular benefits,” the study’s lead author, Professor Dak-Chul Lee, professor of kinesiology at Iowa State, confirmed in a press release.

“Cross-training also offers other unique health benefits, such as increased muscle mass,” Lee adds. The teacher encourages working out all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, stomach, chest, shoulders and arms). Of course, the researchers note that more research is needed to establish the heart health benefits. different intensity levels Exercise.

Moreover, focusing on adults with overweight or (obesity) and high blood pressure creates a challenge for generalizing the findings. To improve the applicability of the findings, future studies should strive to include a wider range of participants, covering differences in age, weight, and health status.