This Study of 117,000 Women Found Strength Training Has Major Heart Health Benefits
Incorporating strength training into your routine will have major benefits for your ticker.
While regular cardio and a healthy diet have long been touted as the best ways to boost your heart health, a new, large study suggests there’s one habit you should add. It turns out, strength training likely plays a big role in women’s heart health.
What You Should Know About Women and Heart Health Risk
Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in the United States, according to the CDC. It was the cause of death for one in five women in 2023. Lifestyle, genetic factors, and medical conditions can play into your risk. Among other factors, high blood pressure and lack of physical activity play into your risk. Current physical activity guidelines for Americans recommend getting 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (like cycling slower than 10 miles per hour or a brisk walk) or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity (like running or singles tennis). They also suggest two days per week of muscle-strengthening work, like lifting weights or resistance training.
Aerobic exercise primarily works your cardiovascular system — supporting heart health — while strength training builds and supports muscle mass. And now, research shows a combo of the two may be very beneficial for women’s heart health.
Going Deeper on the Study
The study, published in June 2026 in JACC looked into how pumping iron can benefit heart health — particularly in women. Prior to this large study of over 117,000 participants over nearly 15 years, it was relatively unknown just how beneficial adding in strength training was for women’s heart health.
Researchers found that those who regularly participated in resistance training had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Lifting was especially important in lowering the risk of heart attack.
Women who performed two hours per week of strength training had a 20 percent lower risk of heart disease, and that risk reduced 5 percent further for each additional weekly hour of lifting. When researchers looked specifically at heart attack risk, the benefits were even greater. At least two hours of strength training per week correlated to a 44 percent reduction in risk of heart attack.
The researchers also looked at how weekly cardio and time spent sitting affected the women’s heart health. Women who hit all three targets — enough aerobic activity, at least an hour of strength training per week, and less than two hours of daily TV time (the researchers’ marker for sedentary behavior) — had a 40 percent lower risk of major cardiovascular disease than those who met none. Women who got their cardio and kept sitting low but skipped strength training fared worse than those who did all three — a sign that lifting and cardio work together.
What’s more, those who had a consistent fitness routine that included full-body workouts saw the greatest benefits overall.
The Takeaway
This massive study suggests that to lower your cardiovascular risks, you should incorporate a variety of healthy habits in your routine. It’s already known that aerobic exercise is heart-healthy, but now it’s becoming clearer that strength training also plays a key role. Consistently training both upper and lower body as well as getting enough aerobic exercise seems to have the most heart-protective benefits for women. If you have any concerns about your heart health or are looking to start a new routine, you should consult with your doctor.
Bottom Line
While the study found a balanced routine of cardio, strength training, and being mindful about time spent sedentary drastically reduced women’s risk of heart disease and heart attack, the results didn’t transfer to stroke risk. So, more research is needed to understand strength training’s role in reducing stroke risk for women. However, there are many health benefits of a well-rounded exercise routine that extend beyond reducing cardiovascular disease and stroke risk.
