Women who lifted weights for at least two hours a week had a 20% lower risk of serious cardiovascular events and a 44% lower risk of heart attack compared with women who did not do this type of exercise, according to a study published in JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology.
The findings, reported by Medical News Today, are based on tracking more than 117,000 women who took part in the Nurses' Health Study and Nurses' Health Study II.
The conclusion is notable because it highlights an activity long associated mainly with strength, muscle mass or physical appearance, but whose benefits reach much further.
Not just about cardio
Researchers looked at how much resistance training the participants did and found a clear link between time spent on this exercise and cardiovascular risk.
For every additional hour of strength training per week, the risk of a serious cardiovascular event fell by 5%, while heart attack risk dropped by 14%.
Dr. Tianyue Zhang, the study's lead author, told Medical News Today that the findings suggest even relatively small amounts of resistance training can significantly reduce the risk of serious heart problems in women.
Another striking detail: women who combined two or more hours of weekly strength training with 150 minutes of aerobic exercise were 45% less likely to suffer a heart attack than those leading a sedentary life.
In other words, one form of exercise does not necessarily replace the other. They appear to complement each other.
Muscle also protects the heart
What does lifting weights have to do with the heart? More than many might think.
Dr. Clarinda Hougen, a sports medicine specialist, told Medical News Today that strength training helps preserve muscle mass and bone health, but its effects also extend to metabolism.
Skeletal muscle is metabolically active. Building or maintaining muscle mass can improve insulin sensitivity, reduce visceral fat and support cardiometabolic health, she said.
This becomes especially important with age. Women experience a progressive loss of muscle mass associated with aging, so maintaining it is not just a matter of physical strength but can also help protect metabolic and cardiovascular health.
Cardiologist Cheng-Han Chen, also consulted by Medical News Today, noted that resistance exercises can include free weights, machines or bodyweight movements. Combined with aerobic activity, he said, they offer a more complete approach to reducing cardiovascular risk factors.
Skeletal muscle is metabolically active. Increasing or maintaining muscle mass can improve insulin sensitivity, reduce visceral fat and support cardiometabolic health.
Less television, more movement
The study also found that the benefit does not depend solely on hitting a certain amount of exercise.
Participants who met recommended levels of both aerobic activity and strength training, and who also spent less than two hours a day watching television, had the lowest cardiovascular risk levels.
The idea is simple: it is not just about adding one gym session a week, but about reviewing how much people move, and how much time they spend sitting, throughout the day.
Dr. Edward Giovannucci, a professor of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a co-author of the study, said the results support incorporating strength training into cardiovascular prevention strategies aimed specifically at women.
An outstanding debt to women's health
Interest in these findings also stems from a longstanding issue in medical research: women have been underrepresented in numerous cardiovascular studies.
Cardiologist Socrates Kakoulides told Medical News Today that cardiovascular disease can present differently in women and that specific factors, including menopause, certain pregnancy complications, autoimmune diseases and some cancer treatments, can alter cardiovascular risk.
Cardiologist Amy Ahnert went further, saying that many existing recommendations were built largely from research conducted mainly in men.
Women are not simply small versions of men, she told Medical News Today, stressing the need to study specifically which types of exercise offer the greatest cardiovascular protection for women.
Two hours that can make a difference
The message is not to abandon cardio in favor of weights alone. On the contrary, the evidence suggests that combining aerobic exercise with strength training can be an especially beneficial strategy.
Nor does it require intense workouts or complicated routines. Resistance training can be done with weights, machines or a person's own body weight and can be adapted to individual fitness levels.
As with any major change to physical activity, especially for those with a pre-existing health condition, it is advisable to consult a professional first.
Caring for the heart does not always mean running more miles. Sometimes it means lifting a little weight, strengthening the muscles and turning those two weekly hours into a long-term investment in health.
