Best workout for heart health revealed

We all know that exercise protects against heart attacks and stroke—but which kind works best?

A new study in JAMA Cardiology finally has an answer.

You see, the fat around your heart shows up in two places.

1) Epicardial fat forms right on the surface of the heart.
2) Pericardial fat builds up in the cavity around it.

Both are bad. But epicardial fat has been linked to a long list of serious risks, like atherosclerosis, insulin resistance, and high blood sugar.

Pericardial fat is less studied, but we know it plays a role in narrowing the arteries, limiting blood flow to your heart and brain.

So researchers put exercise to the test.

They recruited 50 inactive people with high abdominal fat and BMI, then split them into three groups:

● Group 1 did high-intensity interval cardio (stationary biking)

● Group 2 did resistance training with medium-heavy weights

● Group 3 didn’t exercise at all

Each active group trained for 45 minutes, three times a week. Cardiac fat was tracked using MRI scans.

Here’s what they found:

● Both cardio and resistance training reduced epicardial fat by about 8–9 grams

● But only the resistance group reduced pericardial fat. And by a huge 34 grams

● The no-exercise group saw zero change

That’s a big deal.

Endurance workouts help your lungs and heart, but they don’t build strength.

Resistance training does both. And now we know it targets the most dangerous heart fat, too.

So the best strategy?

Mix both into your week.

But don’t skip strength work if you care about your heart.