[00:05.54]The American Heart Association is advising people to exercise
[00:13.27]by lifting weights.One of the writers of that advisory
[00:19.20]is Barry Franklin of William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak,Michigan.
[00:25.97]Mister Franklin directs the exercise and education program
[00:32.10]for people with heart disease.
[00:35.66]Mister Franklin says doctors have increasing evidence
[00:41.80]that exercising with weights can reduce several risks for heart disease.
[00:49.24]For example,weight training improves the operation
[00:54.39]of the heart and blood vessels.
[00:57.84]It also increases the amount of muscle in the body.
[01:03.19]He says there is less demand placed on the heart
[01:08.73]when the muscles are stronger.
[01:11.89]He believes weight training will help a person's heart work better
[01:17.92]when the person has to lift or crry objects.
[01:22.65]Weight training also improves the way the body burns sugar.
[01:28.69]Mister Franklin says this kind of exercise helps people reduce body fat
[01:37.12]He says a body with more muscle is able to burn more calories in food.
[01:44.46]The American Heart Association advisory calls for people
[01:50.99]to left weights at least two times a week.
[01:55.72]The advisory says training perioda should include eight
[02:01.76]to ten different exercises.
[02:05.20]However,Mister Franklin says weight trainning is not for everyone.
[02:12.41]He says it appears safe and helpful for healthy people
[02:18.74]and thouse at low risk for heart failure.
[02:23.60]But,he says more study is needed before it can be advised
[02:29.34]for patients with medium to high risk of heart disease.
[02:35.66]The American Heart Association also recently published a study
[02:42.09]of the effects of weight training.
[02:46.43]That study shows that such training can lower blood pressure
[02:52.36]Researchers at Northern Illinois University examined eleven studies
[02:59.51]carried out during the past thirty years.
[03:03.85]More than 300 people took part in the studies.
[03:09.78]All of them exercised between two and five times a week
[03:15.81]for as long as one hour each time.However,only 180 of them trained with weights.
[03:25.95]Researchers found that the people who used weights
[03:31.38]had lower blood pressure than the other people.
[03:36.11]The difference was even more apparent when blood pressure was bout 4% lower
[03:44.05]The Heart Association says wight training should be part of program
[03:50.87]that includes walking,stretching and eating a healthy diet. |