Background
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for 60% of global deaths and affect people of all ages, and socioeconomic backgrounds. 1
Most cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cerebrovascular attacks (CVAs), diabetes, cancers, autoimmune diseases, neurological disorders such as Parkinsons disease and Alzheimer’s disease, skeletal disorders such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, chronic kidney disease, cataracts, and other conditions and diseases fall into this category. Approximately 80% of these NCD-related deaths occur in low- to middle-income countries.2
Exercise plays a major role in NCDs; however, popular and cost-effective aerobic modes of exercise, such as walking, and other strengthening activities fail to meet minimum intensity guidelines for health improvement. Interestingly, traditional resistance training, and strengthening activities using weight machines is effective in improving several health parameters related to NCDs. 3
Benefits of strength training
Physical activity that is planned, structured, repetitive, and undertaken to improve or maintain aspects of physical fitness is referred to as exercise. Physical activity is a structured activity that is further classified (transport/work/leisure) based on its purpose. 4 Strengthening activities can be used to prevent, manage, and treat many leading NCDs and risk factors.8 The primary goal of strengthen activity, and physical activity is to improve the health capacity. 4
Strengthening activities has been linked to a lower risk of CVD and other non-communicable diseases (NCD). According to the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, regular moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity, such as brisk walking, cycling, sports, and planned exercise, and strengthening activities lowers the risk of CVD, stroke, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, and all-cause mortality. 5
Physical activity is essential for energy balance and weight control. Approximately 81% of school-aged adolescents and 23% of adults worldwide do not get enough physical activity. Girls and women are less
physically active than boys and men in general, and older adults are less physically active than younger adults. 10
Resistance/weight/strength training, can involve either the use of weight machines or the use of one’s body weight (e.g., push-ups or sit-ups). Individuals may engage in these activities to improve skeletal muscle, strength, endurance, power, and mass for aesthetic reasons, sports performance, physical therapy, or overall health (cardio-metabolic, musculoskeletal, functional, and mental health-related outcomes). 7
Participating in muscle-strengthening activities was linked to a lower risk of all-cause mortality as well as major NCDs such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), total cancer, diabetes, and lung cancer. However, the effect of increased muscle-building activity on all-cause mortality. The combination of strength training and aerobic exercise may further help reduce all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and overall cancer mortality. 9
Recommendations
Adults should get 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, or an equivalent combination of intensities. Adults are also encouraged to engage in muscle-strengthening activities that involve major muscle groups at least twice a week. 6
Conclusion
Muscle-strengthening exercise is independently associated with a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes, which exhibits a dose-response relationship. Adding muscle-strengthening exercises to your aerobic exercise may provide additional benefits in preventing type 2 diabetes.9 Strengthen activities lead to reduce the risk of CVD and other non-communicable diseases (NCD).5
References
1 World Health Organization (WHO). The Global Burden of Disease: 2004. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2008.
2 World Health Organization. Non-communicable diseases. 2016, [cited 2016 Apr 05]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases.
3 Shaw, B.S. and Shaw, I., 2021. Resistance training as a countermeasure for key non-communicable diseases in low-resource settings: A review. Asian Journal of Sports Medicine, 12(1).
4 The Public Health Agency of Sweden. The public health agency of Sweden. Folkhälsomyndigheten Myndigheten för folkhälsofrågor. Available from: http://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/the-public-health agency-of-sweden/. Accessed September 2, 2020.
5 Piercy KL, Troiano RP, Ballard RM, Carlson SA, Fulton JE, Galuska DA, et al. The physical activity guidelines for Americans. JAMA. 2018;320:2020-8.
6 Bull FC, Al-Ansari SS, Biddle S, Borodulin K, Buman MP, Cardon G, et al. World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Br J Sports Med. 2020;54:1451–62.
7 Bennie JA, Shakespear-Druery J, De Cocker K. Muscle-strengthening exercise epidemiology: a new frontier in chronic disease prevention. Sports Medicine-Open. 2020;6:1–8.
8 Cheema, B.S., Robergs, R.A. and Askew, C.D., 2014. Exercise physiologists emerge as allied healthcare professionals in the era of non-communicable disease pandemics: a report from Australia, 2006–2012. Sports Medicine, 44(7), pp.869-877.
9 Momma, H., Kawakami, R., Honda, T. and Sawada, S.S., 2022. Muscle-strengthening activities are associated with lower risk and mortality in major non-communicable diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 10 World Health Organization. Physical activity. Available from: https://www.who.int/health topics/physical-activity. Accessed April 11, 2020.