While aerobic exercise gets most of the headlines about its ability to improve heart health, mounting evidence suggests strength-building workouts are another critical piece of the heart health puzzle.
In fact, establishing a regular resistance training routine could slash your risk of cardiovascular disease by around 17 percent.
That’s because resistance training tackles a number of key heart disease risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar, just to name a few. Here’s a closer look at the many ways muscle-building moves may keep your heart healthy, plus how often you need to do it to reap benefits.
Weight lifting isn’t a replacement for regular aerobic exercise, however, so you’ll still want to get at least 30 minutes of traditional cardio most days of the week.
1. Lower Blood Pressure
Keeping your blood pressure at or below 120/80 mmHg helps reduce your risk of a heart attack or stroke, and resistance training — which helps keep your blood vessels in good working order — can help you reach or maintain that goal.
One randomized controlled trial found that adults with high blood pressure who underwent three strength training sessions per week for nine weeks lowered their blood pressure between 4 and 8 points.
2. Better Cardiovascular Fitness
Aerobic exercises like brisk walking, swimming, or cycling strengthen your heart, helping it pump blood throughout your body more effectively. But resistance exercises indirectly help improve your cardiovascular fitness, too.
For example, strength training improves blood circulation, helps with weight management, and improves heart-healthy biomarkers like high cholesterol and blood pressure.
3. Less Inflammation in the Body
Chronic inflammation is thought to make blood vessels harder, stiffer, and more prone to plaque buildup and blockages, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
People who consistently perform muscle-strengthening exercises tend to have lower levels of inflammation over time. A 17-year study found that strength training two or more times a week reduced key markers of inflammation in the body, potentially through improvements in body composition.
And although it’s not proven that inflammation causes cardiovascular disease, recent clinical trials have suggested that inflammation is both a cause and a consequence of heart problems.
4. Lower Blood Sugar
Healthy blood sugar levels and a healthy heart go hand in hand, since high blood sugar, also known as hyperglycemia, can lead to blood vessel damage that increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Regular strength training can help here, too, since it encourages your body to use the blood sugar–regulating hormone insulin more efficiently.
You don’t need to pump iron for hours to reap the benefits either: Just 60 minutes of resistance training per week may be enough to keep high blood sugar at bay.
5. Better Sleep
There’s little argument that strength training can make your body tired, which may make you more primed to fall asleep.
But better sleep quality doesn’t just leave you more rested and refreshed in the morning.
People who get the recommended seven to nine hours of nightly shut-eye also have a lower risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, heart failure, and heart rhythm problems.
If you’re concerned that exercising at night may have a negative impact on your sleeping patterns, it isn’t always an issue. As long as you wrap up your sweat session at least an hour before bedtime, it shouldn’t disrupt your sleep, experts say.
6. Improved Body Composition
Resistance training doesn’t always lead to weight loss, but it does help you build more lean muscle mass and shed body fat.
Shifting those ratios toward less body fat — especially less fat around your midsection — can make a big difference for your heart health. That’s because high levels of body fat lead to increased levels of inflammation in the blood vessels, which can increase the risk of problems like heart attack or stroke.
7. Healthier Cholesterol Levels
You likely know that high cholesterol is tied to a higher heart attack and stroke risk, since the fatty plaque buildup can lead to blockages in the arteries. But you may not know that resistance training can help lower it.
When done regularly, resistance training can bring your total cholesterol down as much as 8 points and boost your good cholesterol by as much as 12 points.
Experts recommend keeping your total cholesterol under 200 mg/dL, your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol under 100 mg/dL, and your HDL (“good”) cholesterol at or above 60 mg/dL.
8. More Flexible Arteries
Brittle, inelastic arteries, which become more common with age, can set the stage for cardiovascular disease, but a regular strength training routine has been shown to help buffer these effects.
This is likely because it helps reduce blood pressure and improve blood vessel function.
You also don’t need to be an elite athlete to benefit. Just eight weeks of light- to moderate-intensity resistance training can make your arteries more flexible, according to an analysis of 20 studies with nearly 1,000 participants, including many with high blood pressure.
9. Better Mental Health
Time and again, regular exercisers — including those who engage in regular resistance training — have been shown to have higher rates of well-being and lower rates of depression and anxiety.
And as it turns out, what’s good for your mental state is also good for your heart: Higher levels of optimism are tied to a 35 percent lower chance of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke, found a major review of 15 studies with nearly 300,000 participants.
While the mechanisms aren’t fully understood, experts believe having a positive outlook makes people more likely to engage in heart-healthy behaviors, like healthy eating habits and getting enough sleep, for instance.
10. Improved Quality of Life
Exercise, including strength training, is one of the lifestyle behaviors that affect both your psychological and physical health. Research ties regular muscle-working to a better quality of life overall, particularly for older adults.
Lower stress levels, fewer feelings of depression, healthy relationships, satisfying work, a sense of security, and a feeling like you’re a part of your community can all keep your heart both healthier and happier.
Who knew a pair of dumbbells or resistance bands could offer so much?
How to Get Started
You’ll give your heart — and overall health — a boost by doing 30 to 60 minutes of resistance exercise per week, spread out over two to three sessions.
These expert tips can help point you in the right direction:
- Both weights and body weight work as resistance. Dumbbells, weight machines, resistance bands, kettlebells, and exercises that use your own body weight, like push-ups or lunges, all get the job done. Pick what works best for you.
- Find the right weight or resistance. You know you’ve found your sweet spot if you can perform 10 reps of an exercise while still maintaining proper form. But the last one or two reps should feel like you can’t do any more.
- Hit all your major muscle groups. You’ll want a routine that works your chest, back, arms, shoulders, legs, and calves. Aim for moves that work two joints at a time, like your elbow and your shoulder or your knee and your ankle.
- Give yourself some rest. Around 48 hours between sessions, to be precise. That gives your muscles enough time to recover. But listen to your body: If you need an extra day to feel fully refreshed, it’s better to take it.
If you’re not sure which exercises are right for you, or you’ve got questions about form, consult a certified personal trainer or a physical therapist. A few sessions can get you on the right track and help you avoid injury.
If you’re new to strength training, check in with your doctor before getting started, particularly if you have any heart health risk factors. You may need to limit how much weight you lift if you have high blood pressure or a pacemaker, for instance. Your provider can help you decide on an exercise program that’s safe for you.
The Takeaway
- Resistance training supports heart health by lowering your risk of several serious conditions, such as hypertension, high cholesterol, and elevated blood sugar levels.
- Strength training can also support overall well-being, including better mental health, improved sleep, a healthier body composition, and an improved quality of life.
- Just 30 to 60 minutes of resistance exercises a week can help improve your heart health, especially when paired with good form, balanced routines, and guidance from trainers or healthcare professionals as needed.