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"Cardio" For Heart Health?

Whenever I suggest to someone to stop doing so much cardio, the first thing they usually say is, "But what about my heart?" There's this misconception most people have that in order to keep your heart healthy you have to do long duration, steady state, aerobic type cardio(jogging, walking, elliptical, etc.).

Well, you really don't.

Studies are now showing that brief, intense bursts of exercise (anaerobic) such as weight training, sprinting, and interval training keep your heart strong and healthy just as much as aerobic training.

Strength training in itself has been shown to reduce blood pressure, lower heart rate, improve cholesterol levels, and improve blood sugar control. Just another reason why everyone should be lifting weights!!

So do your traditional cardio if you enjoy it in addition to your strength training, but don't think that you have to do it just because it's good for your heart. This is great news for "cardio" haters, like me! :)

Some articles to check out:

http://www.physorg.com/news131796976.html
http://www.charlespoliquin.com/Blog/tabid/130/EntryId/823/Tip-233-Perform-Strength-Training-to-Improve-Cardiovascular-Health-and-Insulin-Sensitivity.aspx
http://stronglifts.com/strength-training-cardiovascular-fitness-blood-pressure/
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/for-heart-health-sprints-match-endurance-training/
http://journals.lww.com/heartinsight/Fulltext/2008/05000/Weight_Training_Has_A_Good_Rep_for_Cardiovascular.12.aspx

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