Passage 63 Weight Lifting

The American Heart Association is advising people to exercise
by lifting weights.One of the writers of that advisory
is Barry Franklin of William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak,Michigan.
Mister Franklin directs the exercise and education program
for people with heart disease.
Mister Franklin says doctors have increasing evidence
that exercising with weights can reduce several risks for heart disease.
For example,weight training improves the operation
of the heart and blood vessels.
It also increases the amount of muscle in the body.
He says there is less demand placed on the heart
when the muscles are stronger.
He believes weight training will help a person's heart work better
when the person has to lift or crry objects.
Weight training also improves the way the body burns sugar.
Mister Franklin says this kind of exercise helps people reduce body fat
He says a body with more muscle is able to burn more calories in food.
The American Heart Association advisory calls for people
to left weights at least two times a week.
The advisory says training perioda should include eight
to ten different exercises.
However,Mister Franklin says weight trainning is not for everyone.
He says it appears safe and helpful for healthy people
and thouse at low risk for heart failure.
But,he says more study is needed before it can be advised
for patients with medium to high risk of heart disease.
The American Heart Association also recently published a study
of the effects of weight training.
That study shows that such training can lower blood pressure
Researchers at Northern Illinois University examined eleven studies
carried out during the past thirty years.
More than 300 people took part in the studies.
All of them exercised between two and five times a week
for as long as one hour each time.However,only 180 of them trained with weights.
Researchers found that the people who used weights
had lower blood pressure than the other people.
The difference was even more apparent when blood pressure was bout 4% lower
The Heart Association says wight training should be part of program
that includes walking,stretching and eating a healthy diet.