Often when people think of working out for heart health, they think of cardio exercises. However, performing only cardiovascular exercises like cycling, running, and swimming may not be providing the full capacity of heart-healthy benefits and it can be tough on your joints. Strength training vs. cardio for heart health has been studied in depth, and many understand that performing both as part of a well-rounded fitness regimen can provide a slew of benefits. Certain styles of strength training, like our super-slow method, can even provide training benefits similar to the typical cardio exercise. How is that possible? When you push muscles to fatigue is when the cardiovascular system kicks in.
Increased Blood Flow
Research has found that the blood flow increase with strength training is related to how intensely the muscles are fatigued. The more intense the strength training is, the more blood flow there is because that blood is rushing to repair the muscle fibers. In fact, research has found that strength training for heart health can actually transition muscle fibers to a version that have a higher capacity for oxygen and contain more blood vessels – which makes your system more efficient at using oxygen and increasing blood flow. Since your heart is a muscle, this type of training improves the quality and processes of it! When your heart is stronger, it allows blood to pump through your body with less effort, thus reducing the amount of pressure exerted against your arteries.
Stop Disease in its Tracks
This is exactly why physical activity is so important in preventing heart disease. Heart disease, or cardiovascular disease, occurs when your heart has narrowed or blocked vessels that can lead to a variety of ailments like heart attack, stroke, or general chest pain. Several forms of heart disease can be improved by proper diet and exercise. Strength training and heart health go hand-in-hand and ensuring that you’re participating in an effective fitness program can greatly improve your overall well-being.
Pushing Muscles to Fatigue
Super-slow strength training does exactly what researchers have proven can improve heart health. Loyalty Fitness focuses on working your muscles to fatigue to build their efficiency. You work very hard for a short interval with quick bursts of intensity that fatigues your muscles in around 30 minutes. This type of training is exactly what provides ideal benefits for your cardiovascular system. Instead of spending hours doing “traditional” cardio movements, you can quickly and efficiently build muscle which, in turn, improves your system’s overall capacity. Strength training can improve your heart’s overall blood flow and reverse the effects of heart disease.
To learn more about our super-slow strength training or to talk about strength training vs. cardio for heart health, contact the expert personal trainers at Loyalty Fitness today! Schedule a virtual training session or in-person training session at our Syosset, NY or Greenwich, CT locations.