Want to strengthen your heart? Learn about endurance exercise, why it may be better for the heart than resistance training, and more.
According to a new study, endurance exercise (like running) may be better for your health than resistance exercise (like weightlifting). Endurance training is any activity that increases your heart rate and breathing such as biking, jogging, or walking.
Exercise leads to an increase in mitochondrial activity that improves your overall metabolic health, resulting in better health overall. The researchers divided the participants into three groups: an endurance training group, a resistance training group, and a control group.
All study participants were active before the trial and participated in endurance and resistance exercises. They also ate a normal dinner the night before the trial and had a liquid breakfast before exercising. Furthermore, their heart rate was constantly monitored and each gave blood samples before and after exercising.
The results show that endurance training can foster good metabolic health; they did not find similar results for resistance training. “This is one small piece that adds to the importance of being a physically active individual, so stay active,” says study co-author Ferdinand von Walden, MD, Ph.D. The study is available in the October publication of the Journal of Applied Physiology.
Endurance Exercise, Why It May Be Better for the Heart Than Resistance Training
While some physical activity is better than none, you should make regular exercise a goal. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that U.S. adults aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week. They also recommend a goal of muscle-strengthening exercises that work all major muscle groups at least two days a week.
Some suggestions from the American Heart Association (AHA) include brisk walking, water aerobics, dancing, gardening, tennis, and biking. However, if you want something more vigorous, you can try running, swimming laps, aerobic dancing, heavy yard work, and jumping rope. Ultimately, a mix of endurance and resistance training seems to be the best option.
Resistance vs. Endurance
“Most epidemiological evidence shows that endurance exercise is the best exercise for overall health,” says Jim Pivarnik, Ph.D., a professor of kinesiology at Michigan State University. “A major, but certainly not the only reason, is the role it plays in enhancing the cardiovascular system, including the heart.”
However, he also notes that “people should engage in resistance exercise. If, for no other reason, activities of daily living – pushing, pulling, sweeping, carrying, lifting- all require muscular strength and endurance. This is particularly key as individuals age.”
You can get the best of both worlds by including both endurance and resistance training in your routine. In addition, you can give your health an extra boost by taking supplements like L-arginine Plus.
It can effectively promote your circulation, blood pressure, cholesterol, energy levels, and more. Try L-arginine Plus along with a mix of endurance and resistance training to give your health the support it deserves.