Muscle-strengthening exercises are being increasingly recognized as playing an important role in cardiovascular health.
Muscle-strengthening exercises are being increasingly recognized as playing an important role in cardiovascular health. "Most people only think of aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, for heart health. They don't always consider strength training," says Eric L'Italien, a physical therapist at Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. Also known as weight training or resistance training, strength training refers to any exercise that uses resistance, either from your own body weight, free weights, or specialized machines.