Lifting Weights for One Hour a Week Reduces Risk of Stroke

You don't have to spend countless hours pumping iron in the gym to improve your heart health. According to a new study conducted by researchers from Iowa State University (ISU), lifting weights for as little as one hour a week can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke by up to 70%.

About the Study

For the study, researchers analyzed data involving some 13,000 men and women as part of the Aerobics Centre Longitudinal Study. Researchers specifically focuses on three health markers: non-fatal heart attack (as well as stroke), fatal heart attack (as well as stroke), and death from all causes. After crunching the numbers, researchers found that participants who lifted weights at least once a week had a lower risk of all three aforementioned scenarios.

Perhaps the most eye-opening revelation from this study is that participants only had to exercise for an hour a week to reap the benefits of a healthier heart. According to the study, lifting weights for just an hour resulted in a 29% lower ris kof metabolic syndrome. That's important because metabolic syndrome is directly linked with heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Therefore, adults can promote a healthy heart and protect themselves from cardiovascular events by lifting weights for an hour a 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 5 minutes could be effective," said the study's lead author and researcher. "Muscle is the power plant to burn calories. Building muscle helps move your joints and bones, but also there are metabolic benefits. I don’t think this is well appreciated," he added.

Getting Started With Weightlifting

If you're looking to improve your heart health -- or if you simply want to build a stronger, leaner physique -- you should invest in some basic free weights. Contrary to what some people believe, you don't need a gym membership to lift weights. All you need is a pair of medium-weight dumbbells. You can then perform a wide variety of full-body workouts to build stronger muscles and achieve a healthier heart.

Using dumbbells, you can perform the following weightlifting exercises:

• Bicep curls
• Squats
• Lunges
• Standing military shoulder presses
• Chest presses
• Calf raises
• And much more...

This study was published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.