HealthlineJust 2 Hours of Strength Training May Lower Heart Disease Risk in Women

ℹ️ Observational Association Only Evidence

In a prospective analysis of 117,025 women from the Nurses’ Health Study cohorts, greater resistance training was associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk. Women performing 2 or more hours weekly of strength training experienced lower rates of major cardiovascular events, particularly myocardial infarction, with the strongest associations observed when resistance training was combined with aerobic exercise.

Clinical Considerations

• 117,025 women were evaluated across the Nurses’ Health Study and Nurses’ Health Study II cohorts.
• Women performing ≥2 hours weekly of strength training had a 20% lower risk of major cardiovascular disease versus no strength training.
• Each additional weekly hour of resistance training was associated with a 5% lower cardiovascular disease risk and 14% lower heart attack risk.
• Women combining ≥2 hours of strength training with 150 minutes of aerobic activity had a 45% lower heart attack risk than inactive participants.
• Associations were stronger for myocardial infarction than stroke outcomes.

Practice Applications

• Recognize resistance training as a component of contemporary cardiovascular prevention strategies.
• Interpret findings as observational rather than evidence of a direct causal effect.
• Discuss combined aerobic and resistance exercise when reviewing lifestyle risk factors.
• Avoid presenting specific risk reductions as guaranteed patient outcomes.