Pumping iron, pulling machine weights, and performing pushups build impressive muscles—but walking, swimming, and dancing stoke the fires of healthy hearts.
A recent study that placed 406 overweight or obese people into various exercise groups showed that aerobics trump stationery resistance regimens for health and longevity. The best exercises to prevent cardiovascular disease are those involving movement, producing deeper breathing, and more rapid heartbeats.
Researchers at Iowa State University set out to discover which exercise regimen would be the most effective in preventing cardiovascular disease—resistance training, aerobic exercise, or a combination of resistance and aerobic activities.
Resistance training includes exercises that subject muscles to opposing force—from equipment or one’s own body weight. Aerobic exercises, meaning with oxygen, use the body’s large muscle groups, and are repetitive and often rhythmic.
The Study
The study’s participants, 35 to 70 years old, all suffered from high blood pressure. They were randomly placed in three exercise groups and agreed to participate for one hour, three times each week. A fourth group, the control set, was told not to take part in an exercise regimen.At the end of the year, the cardiovascular risk profile improved in both the group that performed aerobic exercises and the group that performed a combination of resistance and aerobic exercises, when compared to the control group. There was no difference between those two groups. However, the group that exercised regularly with resistance training alone experienced no significant improvement in their risk profile.
“In adults with overweight or obesity, aerobic exercise alone or combined resistance plus aerobic exercise, but not resistance exercise alone, improved composite CVD (cardiovascular disease) risk profile compared with the control,” the researchers concluded in their study report, published April 1 in the European Heart Journal.
Factors that were improved by regular aerobic exercise included body mass index, diastolic and systolic blood pressure, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
Exercise for Cardiovascular Disease
The leading cause of death worldwide and in America is cardiovascular disease. Those who develop CVD are often diagnosed with obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and a host of other causes. Those who suffer from obesity or excessive weight are at an increased risk. This clinical trial focused on answering the question, “Which specific exercise is most effective in preventing this disease among people with these challenges?”The three exercise groups worked out three times a week for one year. Each session was 50 minutes long, with five minutes each for warmup and cooldown. The group assigned to a combination of resistance and aerobics performed 25 minutes of each during each session.
Diane Kazer, a doctor of traditional naturopathy, said this study is timely because it creates awareness that Americans need to take control of their health.
“Aerobic exercises, such as running, swimming, or cycling, are known for their positive impact on cardiovascular health and longevity,” said Ms. Kazer, a former professional soccer player. “Several physiological mechanisms contribute to these benefits, including increased cardiac output, improved blood lipid profile, enhanced vascular function, decreased systemic inflammation, optimized cardiac autonomic control, weight management, and metabolic health.”
Although the Iowa State study emphasized the superiority of aerobic exercises in preventing cardiovascular disease, Ms. Kazer pointed out that resistance training trumps aerobics in one aspect of disease prevention.
“A 2023 study showed weight training can have positive effects on muscle wasting,” Ms. Kazer said, in an interview with The Epoch Times. “Resistance training is superior to aerobic exercise for preventing muscle wasting. The study concludes that muscle wasting is linked to mortality risks for all causes, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and respiratory disease.”
Ms. Kazer, who previously worked as a personal trainer and yoga teacher, said she recommends that people choose specific exercises they enjoy, which will prevent them from quitting.
Although aerobic exercises could lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, other factors need to be considered, said Jack Kunkel, who holds a doctorate in alternative medicine and is author of the book “It’s Fat Loss, Not Weight Loss.”
“What is the individual capable of doing physically?” said Mr. Kunkel, in an Epoch Times interview. “An exercise for someone with a bad knee might be swimming or biking, rather than jogging.”
Exercise–One Part of Holistic Health
Ms. Kazer said although the Iowa State study showed the importance of aerobic exercises for disease prevention, it did not factor in the significance of diet, stress management, sleep hygiene, and detoxification.“The four main aspects of wellness are nutrition, lifestyle, exercise, and mindset. That means eating quality foods, with controlled portions, sleep hygiene, and stress management, as well as motivation, willpower, and positive thinking,” she said.
All symptoms of sickness and suffering are caused by the same root causes—stress, hormone imbalance, infections, and toxins, Ms. Kazer said.
Besides helping prevent cardiovascular disease, aerobic exercises are significant in supporting detoxification of the lungs, because 70 percent of cleansing them occurs through breathing. In other words, weight loss is a gaseous exchange—toxic waste released through exhalation. Exercises that increase breathing result in greater weight loss and improved cardiovascular health. That is one reason masking is so dangerous.
“Whenever I was teaching yoga and supporting my clients, I told them, ‘Hey, make sure you’re breathing—don’t hold your breath,’” she said. “Any time we are holding our breath it’s because we are in a fear state or a stress state. It’s important that we are in a state where we are breathing and exhaling because seven out of 10 pounds of weight loss is a result of respiration.”
