People who work out regularly tend to fall into one of two camps: the cardio warriors or the heavy lifters.
That is, we prefer or prioritize one kind of exercise over another. Want to lose weight or improve your endurance? Most people would step up their treadmill workouts. Want to tone up or build muscle? Grab those dumbbells.
The truth is cardio and strength training each offer many health benefits—and both forms of exercise are important for lifelong fitness. Here we take a look at both sides of this exercise equation and explore why a well-rounded fitness plan is a balance of both.
Cardio + Strength: Better Together
First, let’s head back to PE class for some elementary definitions, with help from information from the American Heart Association (AHA).
Cardiovascular Exercise
What it is: Also known as aerobic or endurance exercise, cardio is any activity that gets your breathing and your heart rate up.
Common examples: Walking, jogging, swimming, biking, and jumping rope are all strong contenders.
Why it’s good for you: Cardio keeps your heart and lungs healthy and helps prevent many common diseases including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers. It burns calories quickly, which can help you reach and maintain a healthy weight.
How much you should get: For most adults, the AHA recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week. That’s 30 minutes, five days a week.
Strength Training
What it is: Also known as resistance training, strength training is any activity that works your muscles to make them stronger.
Common examples: Anything that uses free weights, resistance bands, or weight machines. You can also rely on your body weight (think classic pushups and pullups).
Why it’s good for you: Strength training can protect your joints, improve your balance, and keep you from getting injured. It’s also great for preventing the bone loss that naturally happens as you age.
But wait, there’s more! Stronger muscles help you burn calories more efficiently, even when you’re resting—so strength work can help with weight management, too. In fact, research tells us you can still reap the benefits of regular exercise (both cardio and strength) even if you haven’t reached your target weight.
How much you should get: The AHA recommends strength training at least twice a week, working all the major muscle groups (arms, legs, abdominals, etc.) Repeat a move until the muscle group you’re focusing on feels tired (called the “point-of-fatigue,”) aiming for at least eight to 12 reps. Rest for at least two days between your strength workouts.
Exercise in general has been shown to help you sleep better, improve your mood, slow down dementia, and relieve depression. That’s powerful stuff!
But which is better: cardio or strength? Trick question! The answer is both because they work your body in different ways. If you stick exclusively to either, you could be missing out on important health benefits. Combine these exercises, though, and the advantages are multiplied.
Reframing Fitness
But wait, aren’t exercise plans that include both strength and cardio primarily for people who are athletes or in serious training?
Not so! Fitness is for everyone, no matter how naturally athletic you think you are or how many sports you played in high school (even if the number is zero!). Some people are born competitors who love pushing themselves to win medals or beat their personal records—and if that’s you, great!
But the rest of us may need to draw inspiration from a more realistic fitness vision: quality of life. Like all healthy habits, being physically active is about avoiding chronic disease and supporting the life you want.
Having good quality of life means you can perform everyday activities like keeping up with energetic friends, kids, or pets. Elevator broken? You can handle a few flights of stairs, no sweat. Exploring a new city on vacation? You can walk around enjoying the sights all day (wearing comfortable shoes, of course).
These are the moments when you can be thankful for fitness and good health, as well as the consistent workouts that got you there.
Working Physical Activity into Everyday Life
You may be convinced of the value of balanced workouts, but you may still be intimidated. After all, who has the time? Well, what counts as cardio or strength-oriented exercise for non-athletes is much simpler and more approachable than you may think.
When it comes to starting or revamping your physical activity, keep these three mantras in mind:
- All movement counts. Something is always better than nothing.
- It all adds up. It’s OK to break your workouts into shorter (10- to 15-minute) chunks.
- Do what you love. That’s how you’ll stick with it!
Here are some ideas if you’re ready to add more cardio or strength (or both) to your weekly routine. As a bonus, many of these activities are also great for flexibility and balance, two other important fitness qualities.
(If you are new to exercise or haven’t been active in a while, be sure that you check with your doctor before starting.)
Cardio All-Stars
- Walking is one of the simplest and most effective forms of exercise. Turn your meetings, book club sessions, or catch-ups with friends into walks.
- If you have kids, circle the field or block during their sports practices or games.
- Get a dog and you’ll automatically be walking outside twice a day (at least!)
- Go dancing on date night, or any night.
- Wash your car by hand instead of heading to the car wash.
- Go for a hike.
Strength Superstars
- Try yoga or Pilates.
- Lift hand weights while watching your favorite TV shows.
- Leverage your own body weight with pushups, pullups, planks, lunges, and squats. You can do these just about anywhere!
- Focus on moves that mimic everyday movements. For example, squats will help you build the muscles to lift objects off the floor.
Choose at least one form of exercise from each category, then alternate or combine them. If you’re trying something new, get a knowledgeable friend or fitness instructor to be sure you’re doing the exercise right. Start light and focus on getting your form right. Some fitness classes feature both cardio and strength in a single session, so check with your local gym if you enjoy the group experience.
Fitness For Life
Just as we’ve talked before about “eating for life,” choose your physical activities based on what they’ll do for your long-term goals. Both cardio and strength have a lot to offer. Not to mention, moving your body and growing stronger simply feels good.
So, mix it up—and know that every step and every rep are contributing to your lifelong health.
Note: Since everyone’s health history and nutritional needs are so different, please make sure that you talk with your doctor and a registered dietitian to get advice about the diet and exercise plan that‘s right for you.