Physical exercise is very beneficial for health and, despite this, only 21.9% of women practice it, as confirmed by the European Health Survey Spain 2020, as stated by the National Institute of Statistics (INE). However, “the percentage of people who do regular physical exercise in their free time decreases with age”, something that should change.
If we listen to what Dr. José Luis Palma, member of the Cardiology Service of the Ramón and Cajal Hospital, tells us through the Spanish Heart Foundation, “cardiovascular mortality occurs in 50% of women over the age of 65”, we understand the importance of physical activity. But, are there any exercises that are more recommended?
Are strength exercises the best to reduce the risk of suffering a heart attack?
Strength exercises are those that are done with weight lifting and it seems that they are very good and are recommended to prevent and reduce the risk of heart attack. This is reflected in the study Associations of Resistance Exercise with Cardiovascular Disease Morbidity and Mortality in which 12,591 people participated and which yielded some very striking conclusions.
One of them was that strength training was associated with a lower risk of mortality from myocardial infarction. To this end, it is recommended to follow the advice recommended by the Spanish Heart Foundation on practicing physical exercise 150 minutes a week. Bearing in mind that half of all women over 65 years of age may suffer a heart attack, this is very important.
Moderate exercise also helps prevention
Although the aforementioned study focuses on strength exercise as a way of preventing and reducing the risk of heart attack, the truth is that it can be combined with those that are more moderate. This is explained by the Spanish Heart Foundation, which recommends “walking at a good pace between 30 and 60 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week”.
This can be part of the training itself, acting as a warm-up before performing strength exercises which, in addition to preventing heart attacks, also contributes to maintaining adequate muscle mass. For, with age, muscle loss accelerates, especially in the case of women, as they undergo a series of changes when they exceed 40 years of age.
Exercise has many health benefits in addition to improving muscle tone. Therefore, following a personalized plan and being consistent in the practice can contribute, from now on, to prevent and reduce the risk of heart attack in women whose mortality is a cause for concern. The difficulty in recognizing its symptoms often leads to a late diagnosis and a poorer prognosis.