{"id":27305,"date":"2026-08-04T13:00:27","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T08:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=27305"},"modified":"2026-08-04T13:00:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T08:00:27","slug":"scientists-reveal-the-best-workouts-for-different-health-risks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=27305","title":{"rendered":"Scientists Reveal the Best Workouts for Different Health Risks"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p class=\"Paragraph-module-scss-module__0ovlkG__blockParagraph\" blockindex=\"0\" articletitle=\"Scientists Reveal the Best Workouts for Different Health Risks\">The fitness world is full of debates over which workout delivers the biggest health benefits. Is it running? Weight training? HIIT? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/woman-takes-yoga-class-not-ready-instructor-humiliates-11588606\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Yoga<\/a>? A new review suggests that for people with metabolic syndrome, that may be the wrong question. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-module-scss-module__0ovlkG__blockParagraph\" blockindex=\"1\" articletitle=\"Scientists Reveal the Best Workouts for Different Health Risks\">Rather than identifying one form of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/topic\/exercise\">exercise<\/a> that consistently outperforms all others, researchers found that different workouts appear to influence different parts of the condition. The findings, published in the journal iScience, raise the possibility that exercise recommendations could eventually become more tailored, with specific activities chosen to address specific health concerns. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-module-scss-module__0ovlkG__blockParagraph\" blockindex=\"2\" articletitle=\"Scientists Reveal the Best Workouts for Different Health Risks\">Metabolic syndrome affects people who have a combination of risk factors linked to poor metabolic health. These can include elevated blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess fat around the waist, high triglycerides and low levels of HDL cholesterol.  <\/p>\n<section class=\"RelatedStoriesV2-module-scss-module__Hqo30W__container\" data-gtm-action=\"Read_More\" data-variant=\"v2\" data-loading=\"true\" aria-busy=\"true\" aria-label=\"Loading related stories\">\n<p><h4 class=\"RelatedStoriesV2-module-scss-module__Hqo30W__headlineText\"><span class=\"RelatedStoriesV2-module-scss-module__Hqo30W__headlinePrefix\">Read More<!-- --> on <\/span><span>Health<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-module-scss-module__0ovlkG__blockParagraph\" blockindex=\"4\" articletitle=\"Scientists Reveal the Best Workouts for Different Health Risks\">Having several of these conditions at the same time increases the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease, stroke and type 2 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/one-body-measurement-could-help-reveal-your-diabetes-risk-its-not-weight-12264603\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">diabetes<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-module-scss-module__0ovlkG__blockParagraph\" blockindex=\"5\" articletitle=\"Scientists Reveal the Best Workouts for Different Health Risks\">The challenge for doctors is that exercise has long been recognized as beneficial, but there is far less clarity on which forms of exercise are best suited to particular metabolic problems. Someone trying to lower <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/high-blood-pressure-new-advice-update-alcohol-americans-2114076\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">blood pressure<\/a> may not necessarily benefit most from the same workout as someone focused on reducing abdominal fat or improving cholesterol levels. <\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageBlock-module-scss-module__rUGLEG__container\">\n<div class=\"ImageBlock-module-scss-module__rUGLEG__imageContainer\" style=\"padding-bottom:66.6667%\"><img id=\"12277522\" alt=\"A stock image shows a group of people exercising together.\" caption=\"A stock image shows a group of people exercising together.\" credit=\"Getty Images\" sourcealt=\"\" sourceimage=\"Getty Images\" sources=\"[]\" blockindex=\"6\" articletitle=\"Scientists Reveal the Best Workouts for Different Health Risks\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"6720\" height=\"4480\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;aspect-ratio:inherit;object-fit:cover\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 640px) 680px, 100vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.newsweek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2157637755.jpg?w=640&amp;quality=80&amp;webp=1 640w, https:\/\/assets.newsweek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2157637755.jpg?w=750&amp;quality=80&amp;webp=1 750w, https:\/\/assets.newsweek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2157637755.jpg?w=1000&amp;quality=80&amp;webp=1 1000w, https:\/\/assets.newsweek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2157637755.jpg?w=1200&amp;quality=80&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/assets.newsweek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2157637755.jpg?w=1360&amp;quality=80&amp;webp=1 1360w, https:\/\/assets.newsweek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2157637755.jpg?w=1600&amp;quality=80&amp;webp=1 1600w\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.newsweek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2157637755.jpg?w=1600&amp;quality=80&amp;webp=1\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-module-scss-module__0ovlkG__blockParagraph\" blockindex=\"7\" articletitle=\"Scientists Reveal the Best Workouts for Different Health Risks\">That question prompted researchers to examine the evidence from dozens of clinical trials involving adults with metabolic syndrome. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-module-scss-module__0ovlkG__blockParagraph\" blockindex=\"8\" articletitle=\"Scientists Reveal the Best Workouts for Different Health Risks\">After reviewing thousands of published records, the team narrowed the evidence base to 53 randomized controlled trials involving 2,948 participants. The studies examined a broad range of exercise approaches, including aerobic exercise, resistance training, yoga, tai chi, qigong and different forms of high-intensity interval training. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-module-scss-module__0ovlkG__blockParagraph\" blockindex=\"9\" articletitle=\"Scientists Reveal the Best Workouts for Different Health Risks\">What emerged was not a single winner. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-module-scss-module__0ovlkG__blockParagraph\" blockindex=\"11\" articletitle=\"Scientists Reveal the Best Workouts for Different Health Risks\">The study found that no single type of exercise was the clear winner across all aspects of metabolic syndrome. Instead, different exercise styles appeared to have different strengths. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-module-scss-module__0ovlkG__blockParagraph\" blockindex=\"12\" articletitle=\"Scientists Reveal the Best Workouts for Different Health Risks\">For measures linked to weight and metabolic control, a combination of aerobic exercise and resistance training stood out. According to the review, this approach produced the strongest results for reducing waist circumference and body mass index while also helping improve LDL cholesterol and blood sugar levels. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-module-scss-module__0ovlkG__blockParagraph\" blockindex=\"13\" articletitle=\"Scientists Reveal the Best Workouts for Different Health Risks\">Elsewhere, exercises that combine movement with breath control and mental focus appeared to perform surprisingly well. Tai chi and qigong were associated with the greatest improvements in HDL cholesterol and systolic blood pressure, suggesting that lower-impact activities may still play an important role in metabolic health. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-module-scss-module__0ovlkG__blockParagraph\" blockindex=\"14\" articletitle=\"Scientists Reveal the Best Workouts for Different Health Risks\">The picture became even more nuanced when researchers looked at high-intensity interval training. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-module-scss-module__0ovlkG__blockParagraph\" blockindex=\"15\" articletitle=\"Scientists Reveal the Best Workouts for Different Health Risks\">Longer HIIT sessions appeared to be most effective at reducing body fat percentage. Shorter HIIT workouts, meanwhile, performed best for lowering triglycerides, total cholesterol and diastolic blood pressure. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-module-scss-module__0ovlkG__blockParagraph\" blockindex=\"16\" articletitle=\"Scientists Reveal the Best Workouts for Different Health Risks\">Taken together, the findings suggest that metabolic syndrome may be better viewed as a collection of related health challenges rather than a single problem that can be addressed with a one-size-fits-all exercise plan. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-module-scss-module__0ovlkG__blockParagraph\" blockindex=\"17\" articletitle=\"Scientists Reveal the Best Workouts for Different Health Risks\">The study comes amid growing concerns about the prevalence of metabolic syndrome worldwide.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-module-scss-module__0ovlkG__blockParagraph\" blockindex=\"18\" articletitle=\"Scientists Reveal the Best Workouts for Different Health Risks\">The condition has become increasingly common over the past two decades, and as of 2023, an estimated 1.54 billion adults globally were living with metabolic syndrome. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-module-scss-module__0ovlkG__blockParagraph\" blockindex=\"19\" articletitle=\"Scientists Reveal the Best Workouts for Different Health Risks\">The health consequences can be significant. Individuals with the condition face a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death, while metabolic syndrome has also been linked to other health issues, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome and certain cancers. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-module-scss-module__0ovlkG__blockParagraph\" blockindex=\"20\" articletitle=\"Scientists Reveal the Best Workouts for Different Health Risks\">Although medications can treat individual components of the syndrome, such as high blood pressure or elevated blood sugar, the researchers noted that they generally address specific symptoms rather than the broader collection of metabolic problems occurring together. Exercise and diet can influence several risk factors at the same time. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-module-scss-module__0ovlkG__blockParagraph\" blockindex=\"21\" articletitle=\"Scientists Reveal the Best Workouts for Different Health Risks\">Still, the authors cautioned that the results should not be interpreted as the final word on the subject, noting that the overall evidence for most comparisons in the study was low or very low certainty. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-module-scss-module__0ovlkG__blockParagraph\" blockindex=\"22\" articletitle=\"Scientists Reveal the Best Workouts for Different Health Risks\">According to the researchers, differences in study design, exercise programs and participant groups make it difficult to draw firm conclusions. They argue that future trials should compare exercise approaches more directly and under more standardized conditions. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-module-scss-module__0ovlkG__blockParagraph\" blockindex=\"24\" articletitle=\"Scientists Reveal the Best Workouts for Different Health Risks\"><strong>Reference<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-module-scss-module__0ovlkG__blockParagraph\" blockindex=\"25\" articletitle=\"Scientists Reveal the Best Workouts for Different Health Risks\">Xinyu Shen et al, Comparative efficacy of various exercise therapies for metabolic syndrome a systematic review and network meta-analysis, iScience (2026). <a href=\"https:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1016\/j.isci.2026.116801\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">DOI: 10.1016\/j.isci.2026.116801<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph-module-scss-module__0ovlkG__blockParagraph\" blockindex=\"26\" articletitle=\"Scientists Reveal the Best Workouts for Different Health Risks\" id=\"artend_links\"><em>Contact Newsweek editors on this story: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/mailto:k.dolman@newsweek.com\">Kara Dolman<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/mailto:e.leesang@newsweek.com\">Emma Lee-Sang<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The fitness world is full of debates over which workout delivers the biggest health benefits. Is it running? Weight training? HIIT? Yoga? A new review suggests that for people with metabolic syndrome, that may be the wrong question. Rather than identifying one form of exercise that consistently outperforms all others, researchers found that different workouts&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27306,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/assets.newsweek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2157637755.jpg?w=1200&crop=1","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27305","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsweek-trending"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27305","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=27305"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27305\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/27306"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=27305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=27305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=27305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}