Sports: What Is The Best Exercise Routine For The Heart?
Everyone has heard the official recommendation to engage in at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day for adults. However, this preventative advice remains vague. If you're wondering what kinds of physical exercises to do to stay healthy, a recent American study provides some answers. We will explain to you which exercise routine to adopt for heart health according to the authors of this study.
Why is it necessary to exercise for your heart?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. In addition to heredity, sex, and age, the onset of these pathologies is linked to many preventable risk factors, such as junk food, physical inactivity, and overweight or obesity.
Practicing at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day can prevent numerous serious and common diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels, such as heart failure, hypertension, strokes, and myocardial infarctions.
What are the different types of possible exercises?
The health benefits of sports are undeniable. Numerous scientific studies have shown that regular physical activity helps prevent many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and certain types of cancer.
Even when one is convinced of the importance of moving every day and has made a resolution to get back into sports, it's not always clear how to implement the official recommendation of 30 minutes of physical activity per day.
That's why researchers from the University of Iowa in the United States have looked into the matter. In a study published on January 17, 2024, in the European Heart Journal, these researchers compared the effectiveness of different types of exercises in reducing cardiovascular risk:
• resistance exercises, such as weight training.
• aerobic exercises, commonly known as cardio.
• a combination of these two types of exercises.
What are the most effective exercises for the heart?
In this recent American study, researchers followed more than 400 participants aged 35 to 70 years who were overweight or obese and had high blood pressure.
They divided the patients into four groups:
• those who did not exercise at all.
• those who only engaged in moderate cardio activities such as slow running or cycling.
• those who only performed strength training exercises.
• those who combined strength training with cardio activities.
In each group, physical activities were carried out for one hour, three times a week, for a year.
At the end of this experiment, the researchers found that cardio activities performed alone or combined with strength training reduce the risks of cardiovascular diseases. However, strength training alone does not provide benefits for heart health.
To reach this conclusion, the authors of the study measured blood pressure, cholesterol levels, fasting blood sugar, and body fat percentage of the participants at different stages of the experience.
What exercise routine should be adopted for the heart?
According to this study, the most effective strategy to prevent cardiovascular diseases is to vary physical exercises. There is no single ideal sport for the heart.
The best exercise routine for the heart involves engaging in a cardio activity such as cycling or running combined with strength training exercises.
According to the study's lead author, "if you get tired of aerobic exercises and want to vary your activities, or if you suffer from joint pain that prevents you from running long distances [...] you can replace half of your aerobic exercises with strength training."
Unsurprisingly, cardio activities significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. But this study reveals that combining cardio with strength training is just as effective and provides other health benefits.
The authors of this study emphasize that physical activities beneficial for heart health do not require much time or equipment and can be easily integrated into daily life. All the more reason to start without delay!
