Lifting weights — even for less than an hour a week — is associated with a reduced risk of having a heart attack or stroke, according to a study by Iowa State University researchers. That benefit appears to be independent of how much time people spend doing aerobic activities, such as running, walking and biking, the study also found. These findings underscore the importance of including some kind of regular resistance exercises — ones that strengthen muscles — in our physical activity routines. They also support the U.S. government’s recently updated “Physical Activity Guidelines,” which recommend that adults engage in muscle-strengthening activity, such as lifting weights or doing push-ups, at least two days each week. “People may think they need to spend a lot of time lifting weights, but just two sets of bench presses that take less than five minutes could be effective,” says Duck-Chul Lee, the study’s senior author and an … [Read more...] about Lifting weights, even for under an hour a week, is linked to lower risk of heart attack and stroke
Spongebob lifting weights
Lifting weights ‘improves key measures of cardiovascular health’ more than running or cycling, study claims
LIFTING weights protects against heart attacks and stroke more than running or cycling, a study suggests. Both types of exercise improved key measures of cardiovascular health but weightlifting was more effective. The muscle-building exercises led to more reductions in body weight and blood pressure and fewer incidences of diabetes. But neither forms of activity improved the amount of artery-clogging fats in the blood, such as cholesterol. It suggests elderly Brits could get more benefit from carrying heavy shopping bags home on the bus than going for a brisk walk. Researchers from St George’s University, in Grenada, analysed the health data and exercise habits of 4,086 adults. They found 36% of those aged 21 to 44 engaged in “static” exercises and 28% in “dynamic” exercises, such as running. The figures for adults aged 45 and older were 25% and 21%, respectively. Engaging in either type of activity lowered cardiovascular risk factors by 30% to 70% but the … [Read more...] about Lifting weights ‘improves key measures of cardiovascular health’ more than running or cycling, study claims
Spend one hour per week lifting weights and reap the heart health benefits
Most people have their favorite form of exercising — running, yoga or HIIT, etc. — and stick to it. While we know other forms of working out are good for you, they just don’t get you excited to workout — which is honestly half of the battle. One workout method loved by some and dreaded by others is weightlifting, which can reduce the risk of heart attack by a whopping 40 to 70 percent, suggests a new study out of Iowa State University. According to the study, published in the Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise journal, just 60 minutes of weight training over the course a week is all you need to reap the benefits. More time with the weights wasn’t found to provide any additional benefit. The study, led by DC (Duck-chul) Lee, associate professor of kinesiology at Iowa State, was the first to examine resistance training and cardiovascular disease, rather than things like bone health or physical function. The results show that the … [Read more...] about Spend one hour per week lifting weights and reap the heart health benefits
Lift Weights to Lift Depression
Humans have set some strange, but impressive, weightlifting records: • Most weight lifted using teeth? 620 pounds • Most weight lifted with the little finger? 242 pounds • And 182 pounds is the record weight lifted with an ear using a clamp. We hope you're not trying these risky forms of weightlifting. But if you're not experimenting with some form of strength training, we suggest you give it a try. Not only has resistance/strength training been linked to better heart health and stronger muscles and bones, but now a new review shows that there's good evidence that lifting weights and doing resistance exercise also can lift your mood. An international mix of researchers from Iowa State University, Sweden, and Ireland reviewed more than 30 studies on resistance training, including 1,877 participants, and found that this type of exercise was associated with a significant reduction in depressive symptoms. So if you contend with anxiety, apathy, low mood or sadness, try … [Read more...] about Lift Weights to Lift Depression
‘Lifting Weights Helped Pull Me Out Of The Darkest Period Of My Life’
My depression started in middle school. I didn’t like myself. I thought I wasn’t attractive enough, and I suffered from terrible lows. In college, I started feeling this self-hatred even more—which is when I also developed bulimia. Growing up, I ran track, and played volleyball and basketball. But in college, I started working out obsessively. I viewed it as a punishment, a way to control my weight and move closer to an aesthetic goal. I would binge on food and then go work out for hours. Soon, I was purging too. In my mid-twenties, I was able to pull myself out of this cycle of binging and purging, though it took all my strength and a lot of time—about a year and a half to fully break free. But even after I'd moved past most of my eating disorder, the depression lingered.I wasn't just feeling low either—I spent the next year constantly swinging between severe depression and extreme highs. For periods of time, I would feel invincible. I would go long … [Read more...] about ‘Lifting Weights Helped Pull Me Out Of The Darkest Period Of My Life’