Frequently influenced by diet and lifestyle,
Metabolic Syndrome is a collection of conditions that a person has
that increases the risk for several diseases such as heart disease,
stroke, diabetes, cancer and a list of others. A diagnosis of
Metabolic Syndrome is made when a person has any of the following
risk factors:
1.Waist circumference of at least 35 inches for
women and at least 40 inches for men.
2. Fasting blood glucose of at least 100mg/dl.
3. Serum Triglycerides of at least 150mg/dl.
4. Blood Pressure of at least 135/85mm/Hg
5. HDL (good cholesterol) lower than 40mg/dl for
men or 50mg/dl for women.
Weight training has many benefits. Warding off
Metabolic Syndrome may be one of them, suggests a recent study by the
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The findings were
reported that among men and women, weight lifting was twice as common
among men as it was among women and White Americans were more likely
to lift weights than Hispanic Americans. Rates of Metabolic Syndrome
were lower among those who lifted weights than those who did not. It
is my personal and educated belief that lifting weights does play a
role in reducing the prevalence and risk of Metabolic Syndrome among
all people. All exercise professionals should strongly encourage the
activity of lifting weights among adults of all ages to promote
metabolic health. This does not mean you must become a body builder.
A weight training program should be designed around you and your
fitness goals.
