Strength training, more than walking and cycling, significantly reduces heart disease risk

Being physically active doesn’t just help you lose weight. In fact, static training can also improve your cardiovascular health.

Static activities and heart health

Various studies have proven that physical activity is crucial for heart health, but neither research nor recommendations “consistently differentiate between the benefits of different types of physical activity.”

According to a study – which was presented at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Latin America Conference 2018 in Lima, Peru – while all physical activity is beneficial, static activities such as strength training were more strongly associated with a lower heart disease risk compared to dynamic activities like biking and walking.

Dr. Maia P. Smith, a statistical epidemiologist and assistant professor in the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at St. George’s University, explained that both strength training and aerobic exercises were good for cardiovascular health, “even in small amounts, at the population level.”

The findings suggest that static activity seems to be more beneficial compared to dynamic exercise, and patients who did both types of physical activity had better results compared to others who simply increased the level of one type of activity.

For the study, the researchers assessed cardiovascular risk factors like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and being overweight as a function of self-reported static or dynamic activity (such as strength training compared to biking or walking) amon