Article: Resistance training offers multiple benefits for heart patients; weight-bearing exercises can make you stronger, improve balance, reduce disability, and make everyday tasks easier and safer.(PREVENTION)

People with heart disease may soon get an unexpected prescription from their doctor: lift weights. It has become increasingly clear that the indirect benefits of resistance training may be as valuable as the direct benefits provided by aerobic exercise.

"If you are somewhat frail, you will gain significantly by lifting weights," says Gordon Blackburn, PhD, director of the Preventive Cardiology and Rehabilitation Program at Cleveland Clinic. "The activity will make you stronger, which will minimize your risk of falling and make it easier to perform the basic activities of daily living."

Why resistance training?

Until recently, it was thought ...

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