Hate pounding the pavement? This could be good news for you then.
A study conducted by JAMA Cardiology, claims that lifting weights could actually be more beneficial than cardio when it comes to heart health.
Cardio has long been seen as the training method of choice for people looking to improve heart health.
However the findings suggested that weightlifting was more successful in lowering the kinds of fat around the heart that have the potential to cause heart attacks and heart disease.
The findings.
For the study, scientists took a group of inactive people with abdominal obesity, and followed them for 12 weeks.
The group was split three ways:
- One group lifting weights three times a week for 45 minutes each session
- Another group conducting HIIT cardio sessions three times a week for 45 minutes each time
- A third group with no physical training
After the 12 weeks were up, scientists discovered that both weightlifting and cardio reduced one type of fat (epicardial). However, only weightlifting lowered levels of pericardial fat tissue.
According to the American Diabetes Association, "epicardial fat is the fat immediately adjacent to the heart, whereas pericardial fat is the outer fat accumulation of the heart."
Ideally, you'd look to limit levels of both for long-term health and longevity, so don't go throwing away your trainers just yet.
