Written by Corrie Pelc — Fact checked by Jill Seladi-Schulman, Ph.D.
Researchers estimate that between 25-31% of the world’s populationTrusted Source lives with metabolic syndrome — a group of risk factors that can potentially increase a person’s risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Previous research suggests that people can manage metabolic syndrome by making healthy lifestyle choices. Additionally, healthy lifestyle choices such as following a healthy dietTrusted Source, not smoking, managing stress, getting enough sleep, losing weightTrusted Source, and being physically active have been shown to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome.
Now, a new study published in the journal iScienceTrusted Source says that no single type of exercise is best for treating metabolic syndrome.
Instead, scientists say, the most effective solution is to find exercises that treat the specific areas of metabolic syndrome you’re looking to improve.
How 10 exercises impact core metabolic syndrome markers
For this study, researchers analyzed health data from six major medical databases for almost 3,000 participants from previous studies.
Scientists focused on 10 specific exercises:
- combined aerobic and resistance training
- resistance training on its own
- low-intensity exercise training
- moderate-intensity exercise training
- moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise training
- high-volume high-intensity interval training (HV-HIIT)
- low-volume HIIT (LV-HIIT)
- HIIT combined with resistance training
- yoga
- traditional Chinese exercise.
Researchers examined how these different types of exercises impacted core markers of metabolic syndrome, including:
“Since ‘exercise is medicine’ was introduced, exercise has become widely accepted as an important way to improve health,” Yaqi Xue, PhD, a researcher in the College of Physical Education and Sports at Beijing Normal University in China and corresponding author of this study, told Medical News Today. “However, metabolic syndrome is not a single health problem.”
“It includes several related conditions, such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, abnormal blood lipids, and abdominal obesity,” Xue continued. “Different types of exercise may affect these conditions in different ways, but there is still limited evidence to help clinicians choose the most suitable exercise for each problem.”
At the study’s conclusion, researchers found that no single exercise improved all aspects of metabolic syndrome at once. Instead, different exercises worked better for certain metabolic syndrome issues.
The researchers found that:
- Combined aerobic and resistance training was the most effective at improving BMI, waist circumference, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose levels.
- HV-HIIT was most effective for helping reduce body fat percentage
- LV-HIIT was most effective at improving total cholesterol, triglycerides, and diastolic blood pressure.
- Traditional Chinese exercises helped increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or “good” cholesterol levels and reduce systolic blood pressure.
“Our study suggests that no single type of exercise works best for every component of metabolic syndrome. Exercise should be introduced gradually and selected according to the individual’s main metabolic problems, physical condition, and possible risks.” — Yaqi Xue, PhD
“Next, we hope to examine how different doses of exercise affect these outcomes and use this information to support more precise exercise prescriptions,” Xue said.
Moving toward highly personalized exercise prescriptions
MNT spoke with Craig Basman, MD, FACC, FSCAI, associate director of the Structural & Congenital Heart Program at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, about this study, who commented that it’s a highly practical and refreshing piece of research.
“In cardiology, we frequently tell patients with metabolic syndrome they need to ‘exercise more,’ but metabolic syndrome is a complex cluster of conditions — obesity, high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, and abnormal cholesterol,” Basman, who was not involved in this study, explained.
“This study confirms that not all exercise affects these specific risks equally, giving us an evidence-based roadmap to move away from a generic, one-size-fits-all recommendation toward highly personalized exercise prescriptions.” — Craig Basman, MD, FACC, FSCAI
MNT also spoke with Mir Ali, MD, a bariatric surgeon, bariatric medicine specialist, and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, who agreed.
“[This] is in line with my own experience — there’s no one exercise that’s perfect for everybody,” Ali, who likewise was not involved in this study, explained. “And so whatever exercise regimen, they have to individualize it depending on the patient, their age, their mobility level, the underlying factors that we’re trying to address. So it’s a good study at a lot of different controlled trials.”
What exercises are best for which metabolic syndrome symptom?
To help people figure out the best workouts for them when tackling certain aspects of metabolic syndrome, Basman said this study’s biggest takeaway is to tailor your workout to your specific health data.
Once you know your primary metabolic risk factors from your primary care doctor or cardiologist, he explained, you can choose the most effective modality:
- For weight, waist size, and blood sugar, a combination of aerobic and resistance training (AT + RT) is your best approach
- For reducing body fat percentage, High-volume high-intensity interval training (HV-HIIT) yields the best results
- For high blood pressure and low “good” HDL cholesterol, traditional Chinese exercises, like tai chi and qigong, actually showed the most significant benefits
- For high triglyceride and total cholesterol levels, low-volume HIIT is the most effective.
Ali added that regular exercise is key. “I advise my patients to just be consistent with exercise, being able to find something that can be done at least five days a week for 30 minutes,” he said. “That’s most effective if you’re consistent.”
“Metabolic syndrome drastically increases a person’s risk of severe cardiovascular events, including heart attacksTrusted Source, heart failure, and strokes. Clinically, it often leads to polypharmacy, where patients end up on a cascade of medications for blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar.” — Craig Basman, MD, FACC, FSCAI
“Finding accessible, lifestyle-driven therapies is crucial because it empowers patients and targets the root causes — such as visceral fat and insulin resistance — simultaneously and without the side effects of multiple medications,” Basman added.
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