Pumping iron will do more than just tone those biceps. It might actually help your heart pump more strongly, too, according to a new study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Researchers found that resistance training helps regulate elevated blood pressure levels among hypertensive women. To reach that conclusion, a study team from several Brazilian universities asked 32 older women to train with weights three times a week for four months. At the end of the training period, resting systolic blood pressure levels dropped roughly 12%—from an average of 135 mmHg to a much healthier 120—among most participants. Diastolic blood pressure readings also dropped 5%, the study shows. Exactly how lifting weights improves blood flow is still unclear, explains study co-author Maurílio Dutra, PhD, who teaches human physiology at the Center for Professional Health Education in Planaltina, Brazil. But studies have indicated that resistance exercise may cause the blood vessels of the heart’s outer regions to dilate, which could explain improvements in blood pressure, Dutra adds. So should hypertensive women reach for their dumbbells? Go for it, Dutra says. Just be sure your doctor signs off on the exercise first, and try to take it slow. The study participants completed 10 weight lifting exercises during each workout, but you’ll still experience heart health benefits from much less lifting, the study indicates. More from Prevention: Weight Lifting 101 Questions? Comments? Contact Prevention’s News Team.
