Moving beyond Cardio: The Value of Resistance Exercise Training for Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to be the leading cause of death and continuous efforts are needed to reduce CVD risk and established CVD. Most exercise training guidelines do not recommend RT as an integral component of an overall CVD prevention and/or rehabilitation programme. This is notwithstanding the increasing evidence of RT’s orthopaedic and hemodynamic safety, its cardioprotective effects and positive effects on mortality, and even its unique role on improving the comorbidities associated with CVD. As with cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness is increasingly being demonstrated to be related to the integrated function of numerous physiological systems and as a reflection of whole-body health and function. As such, ‘“counting reps’” should be as important as ‘“counting steps’” in any CVD prevention and management programme. While many current international recommendations and guidelines are based on the fact that not all health benefits can be achieved through a single type of exercise, emphasis is still placed on aerobic training over RT. This chapter will not only discuss the importance of RT in overall CVD prevention and/or rehabilitation, but will directly inform recommendations and provide guidelines on practical exercise as a safe and foundational component of CVD programmes.