Heart Association has new Guidelines before You Begin Lifting Weights

The American Heart Association has determined that following a specific regimen can lower your heart rate, your blood pressure, and trim that waistline.<br> <br>There are no doubts about the benefits

Friday, February 18th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

The American Heart Association has determined that following a specific regimen can lower your heart rate, your blood pressure, and trim that waistline.

There are no doubts about the benefits of exercise. For years, science has shown moderate aerobic exercise at even just 30 minutes a day, 3 - 4 times a week can lower your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and your weight, thus reducing your risk for a heart attack and stroke..

Now the American Heart Association says, weight lifting and resistance training
can do the same. â€œIt can improve cardiovascular function,â€said William Beaumont Hospitalâ€™s Dr. Barry Franklin. â€œIt can do that by reducing the heart rate and blood pressure response to lifting or carrying objects. As your muscles get stronger, the load on your heart actually is less."

You don't have to lift a lot of weight to get the benefits. Doctors recommend
just a single set of 8-15 repetitions, using 8 or 10 different exercises, 2 -3
times a week with light weights can do the trick. "Women are always conscious of ' I don't want to be big,â€™â€ said Body Pump Incorporatedâ€™s Chief Executive Officer Rich Boggs. â€œThat is not what happens at all. People who worked out with the body pump look very lean, very toned, and are not big. If they lift weights and continue to resistance train, their muscle diameters will get smaller, because they will lose the fat around the muscle and will have lean muscle mass."

And pumping iron isnâ€™t just for the young. â€œAs far as the elderly are concerned, it has tremendous implications with keeping people functional,â€ said American Academy of Anti-Aging spokesman Dr Bob Goldman. â€œIt will keep them able to cope with independent living and last but not least, it reduces the potential for osteoporosis."

But before you get too pumped about pumping up consider these warnings. The older we get the more brittle our bones may become, and lifting weights that are too heavy can cause joint damage and broken bones. Doctors also say that people with pre-existing heart conditions, like an irregular heartbeat, valve problems or uncontrolled hypertension, should be evaluated before starting any kind of exercise.