Lifestyle News Desk, Heart diseases have now become one of the leading causes of death globally. The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 17.9 million people die from cardiovascular diseases each year. Additionally, four out of five cardiovascular deaths are caused by heart attacks and strokes and about a third of these deaths occur prematurely, in young people or those under 70. There are many factors that can lead to a heart attack, including: unhealthy lifestyle and diet, use of harmful substances such as alcohol, tobacco, and physical inactivity. Now, research has shown that less than one hour per week Lifting weights regularly can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke by 40 to 70 percent. The study was published in 2018 by the Iowa State University Study in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise journals. Here’s everything you need to know about the research.
How can lifting weights reduce the risk of heart attack?
To develop the study, researchers analyzed a population of 13,000 adults in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study. “People may think they need to spend a lot of time lifting weights, but just two sets of bench presses in less than 5 minutes can be effective,” said DC Lee, MD, associate professor of kinesiology. The researchers measured three health outcomes—cardiovascular events that did not result in death, events that did result in death, and any type of death. They found that resistance exercise reduced the risk of all three outcomes. The final result explained that lifting weights for less than an hour per week reduced the risk of stroke and heart attack by 40-70 percent. It also states that spending more than an hour lifting weights in the gym does not provide any additional benefits of the estimated percentage. Furthermore, the results also said that the benefits of strength training are independent of walking, running or doing any aerobic activity.
What are the benefits of weight lifting?
According to the Mayo Clinic, weight lifting has many benefits including how it helps with weight loss or weight loss. Weight lifting is also likely to increase the body’s metabolism thereby burning more calories. It improves the body’s ability to perform everyday activities better and also protects one’s joints from the risk of injuries.
