Heart Attack Stroke Risk: Less than an hour of weight lifting per week can reduce heart attack, stroke risk by more than 40%

Several research studies have looked at the benefits of resistance exercise on bone health, physical and even cognitive health in people regardless of age and gender. But while people often think of low-impact exercises like walking when it comes to cardiovascular events, researchers have said that lifting weights is just as beneficial for the heart as for other purposes.

According to a study by researchers in Copenhagen, weightlifting offers more benefits to heart health than cardio exercises. The team found that while both types of exercise are good for the heart, weightlifting has an added benefit. It reduces the amount of pericardial adipose tissue, a type of heart-threatening fat. However, both exercises reduced levels of epicardial adipose tissue, another form of fat that affects heart health. The study was conducted on 32 people who were put through 12 weeks of weight training.

A good rule of thumb is to do at least two consecutive days of resistance training per week, says the American College of Sports Medicine.