Heart disease is a common ailment in America with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimating that in 2009 alone, 26.8 million non-institutionalized adults were diagnosed with heart disease. One activity that can be used to reduce risks for heart disease, as well as an activity that those with heart disease can benefit from, is strength training.
Types
Many types of strength training can be used to help fight heart disease. For example, free weights, such as barbells, dumbbells and kettlebells can be used, especially to strengthen then arms, shoulder and chest muscles. Resistance exercises using your own body weight, such as push-ups, pull-ups, lunges and sit-ups can be used to work multiple muscle groups of the body. Finally, weight machines can be used to specifically target muscle groups such as leg lifts, pectoral fly machines and bicep curls.
Aerobic Benefits for Heart Disease
Aerobic benefits can be achieved from all forms of strength training and contribute both to the prevention and treatment of heart disease. Aerobic exercise increases your heart and breathing rate, resulting in stronger cardiovascular and pulmonary muscles. This allows your heart to more easily pump blood through the body, reducing blood pressure. Aerobic exercise also increases cholesterol metabolism by increasing enzyme activity in the liver and muscles which convert cholesterol into good HDL cholesterol, suggests the American Council on Exercise. An increase in HDL cholesterol can reduce the levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood, which is responsible for heart disease conditions such as Atherosclerosis.
Strength Benefits
Strength training provides both muscular and bone benefits for those with heart disease. For example, strength training challenges your muscles and causes them to grow in both size and strength. Strength training also helps strengthen your bones, helping prevent problems with other chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, suggests Mayoclinic.com.
Recommendations and Safety
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that you try to complete at least two or more strength training sessions every week. When meeting this goal, pay attention to your body. If you feel pain in any form, light-headed, dizzy or nauseated, stop the exercise you are doing and take a break until the symptoms subside. If these symptoms continue, inform your doctor and change your strength training program intensity accordingly.
