Title: Strengthen Your Heart with Strength Training | SparkPeople
Headings: Strengthen Your Heart with Strength Training
Strengthen Your Heart with Strength Training
Content: In addition, people with the following heart conditions should not lift weights, according to the AHA: Unstable coronary heart disease, such as those with angina
Congestive heart failure
Severe pulmonary hypertension
Severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis
Acute infection of the heart or tissues surrounding the heart
Uncontrolled high blood pressure (greater than 180/110 mmHg)
Aortic dissection
Marfan syndrome
As with any exercise program, it's important to talk to your doctor before you begin lifting weights to see if it's right for you. Your Weight-Lifting Plan for a Healthy Heart
Once cleared to exercise, it doesn't take much time to reap the heart-healthy benefits of resistance-training! The AHA recommends that healthy adults perform 8-10 strength-training exercises (to work the whole body) twice a week. They advise picking a resistance level that allows you to fatigue your muscles within 8-12 repetitions, but beginners and older or frailer individuals should use much lighter weights, aiming for 10-15 repetitions per set. Following these guidelines shouldn't take more than 20 to 30 minutes a couple times per week. The workout plans will help get you started, and you can meet with an experienced personal trainer at the gym to show you proper form if needed. All of the plans are designed to be done in circuit-training format where you quickly switch from an upper-body exercise to a lower-body move without resting between exercises; this will help elevate your heart rate so you burn calories and gain even more heart benefits! If you're new to strength training, read this reference guide first and follow these basic principles for safety and efficacy: