How men can boost heart health by harnessing the power of weight training
By Dr. David Samadi
Cardiologists are well aware of the power of aerobic exercise for improving heart health. It’s why they encourage aerobic exercise as one of the most common physical activities for improving a heart’s ability to perform at its best. Indeed, aerobic activities such as fast walking, bicycling, and jogging are well-known for their cardiovascular benefits, including lowering cholesterol, blood pressure, and stress levels and reducing plaque buildup in arteries, which are risk factors for heart attack and stroke.
However, not everyone can engage in aerobic exercises when they suffer from physical limitations such as back pain, bad knees, low endurance, or simply due to lack of interest. Fortunately, an alternative form of exercise, weight training, offers comparable benefits for heart health with potentially less time commitment compared to aerobic exercises, empowering you to make the most of your time and efforts.
Weight Training Benefits in Heart Health Improvement
Weight training, typically known for building muscle mass, strength, and endurance, is crucial in preventing and managing chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease. Here’s why weight training can strengthen your heart, which in turn, reduces the risk of heart attack or stroke:
- Improves Circulation: Adequate blood and oxygen circulation is vital for overall health, ensuring the body receives sufficient oxygen and nutrients. Clear blood vessels facilitate unrestricted blood flow, reducing the heart’s workload.
- Reduces Risk of Heart Attack or Stroke: Research, including a 2019 study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, has shown that adults who engage in at least an hour of weight training per week significantly lower their risk of heart attacks and strokes compared to those who do not exercise. This reduction can range from 40% to 70%.
- Improves Quality of Sleep: Better cardiovascular health resulting from weight training is associated with improved sleep quality. Adequate sleep, ideally seven to eight hours per night, is essential for heart health, as insufficient sleep is linked to higher blood pressure, blood sugar levels, inflammation, and obesity.
- Fights Belly Fat: Weight training reduces visceral fat (belly fat), which surrounds internal organs like the heart. Incorporating strategies to reduce abdominal fat and build lean muscle mass can contribute to lowering the risk of heart disease and mortality.
- Reduces Metabolic Syndrome: Metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions including high blood pressure, cholesterol, obesity, and elevated levels of blood glucose, can significantly increases a person’s likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes or heart disease. Weight training helps combat these risk factors by increasing muscle mass and improving blood flow and energy expenditure.
Take home message
In conclusion, integrating weight training into your fitness regimen can serve as a valuable substitute or supplement to aerobic exercises in promoting cardiovascular well-being. It enhances circulation, reduces the risk of cardiovascular events, promotes better sleep, reduces belly fat, and mitigates metabolic syndrome. These benefits underscore the importance of considering weight training as a viable and informed option for improving and maintaining heart health.
Dr. David Samadi is the Director of Men’s Health and Urologic Oncology at St. Francis Hospital in Long Island. He’s a renowned and highly successful board certified Urologic Oncologist Expert and Robotic Surgeon in New York City, regarded as one of the leading prostate surgeons in the U.S., with a vast expertise in prostate cancer treatment and Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy. Dr. Samadi is a medical contributor to NewsMax TV and is also the author of The Ultimate MANual, Dr. Samadi’s Guide to Men’s Health and Wellness, available online both on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Visit Dr. Samadi’s websites at robotic oncology and prostate cancer 911.