Cardiac Safety: Morning Weight Training & Cardio Workout

According to Americanheart.org, the majority of heart attacks happen early in the morning, with Monday and Saturday listed as the two most likely days for the occurrence of cardiac problems. According to Dr. Louis E. Teichholz, associate chief of cardiology at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, this may be a direct result of evolution and our prehistoric need for adrenalin in the morning to hunt efficiently. Our stress response related to the increase in adrenalin increases platelet stickiness and contributes to thickened and less flexible arterial walls, causing decreased blood flow and a higher incidence of cardiac malfunction.

Aspirin and the Blood

• There is some evidence that taking an aspirin daily will help to reduce cardiac arrest and heart attack by increasing blood flow through the arteries that lead to the heart. If you are going to exercise in the morning, take an aspirin before beginning your workout routine to decrease the thickness of blood platelets and allow oxygen-carrying blood to reach the heart more efficiently.

Warning Signs

• Pay attention to warning signs that may occur while performing weight training or cardio activities in the morning. If you feel lightheaded or are overly short of breath during a workout, you may be experiencing decreased blood flow that can lead to heart attack. Other signs include sweating, nausea and chest pain that continues for several minutes or more. These symptoms may occur singularly or together. Because some of these symptoms may just seem part of a regular workout session, it is important to know your normal physical patterns when exercising to monitor effectively.

Avoid Risky Times

• If you are just beginning a cardio or weight-training workout program, start slowly, and avoid Monday and Saturday when most cardiac issues occur. You may also want to begin your workout later in the morning or in the afternoon until your body has become accustomed to the activity. Because weight training and cardio may initially cause a stress response in the body, it increases the likelihood of platelet thickening that may lead to heart problems. When you combine this with the increased inflexibility of arterial walls related to platelet thickening that naturally occurs in the morning hours, it produces an environment for increased cardiac issues.

Warm up and Stretch

• Because decreased blood flow and increased blood pressure can lead to heart attack, warming up is important before weight training and cardio workouts. According to the Iowa High School Athletic Association, warming up should be the prerequisite to every workout to increase blood flow and decrease blood pressure. Both passive and active warm-ups are important before doing any sort of rigorous workout in particular. To warm up actively, try walking, light jump roping or cycling. Passive stretching involves holding and stretching the limbs for a certain time frame. This is effective especially for weight training. The IAHSSA recommends doing stretches that are specific to whatever exercise you are going to perform, and stretching both actively and passively for at least 15 minutes prior to working out.

Exercise Cautiously

• The harder your heart has to beat in the morning, the more stress it puts on the body. The stress response increases platelet and arterial wall thickening, which can lead to increased risk of heart attack. If you choose to exercise in the morning, do so with caution. When lifting weights, start out with light weights to avoid any stress that may lead to decreased blood flow. Cardio exercises should be confined to low stress activities that will keep the heart rate at a moderate pace to lower your risk of heart problems associated with the inability of the blood to flow as efficiently in the morning hours.