Cardio vs. Strength Training
What's better, cardio or strength training? The most asked question when it comes to exercise. While many people may have their personal beliefs on what's better, the science is pretty obvious; strength training first, cardio second.
But I don't burn as many calories when I’m lifting vs doing cardio! Hate to break it to you honey, but you’ll never be able to work off what you ate that way. You technically do burn more calories in the hour of exercise via cardio vs strength training, but what about the other 23 hours in the day? You may not burn as many calories while engaging in the act of lifting, but throughout the day you’ll be burning calories and fat to rebuild the muscles you spent a small amount of time tearing. If weight loss is on your goal list, I couldn't emphasize strength training more. Instead of just burning a lot of calories during your workout, you’ll be burning more throughout your day. Talk about a way better use of your time!
Cardio shouldn't be knocked entirely, it does have its place in overall fitness and wellness! Cardio helps improve cardiovascular health (hence the name cardio) by increasing your heart rate and allowing the body to regulate through it, and also helps improve overall stamina and the ability to move unapologetically without losing your breath in every step. My favorite form of cardio is cycling. With its consistent, 0 impact movement, cycling can help build your leg and core strength while also increasing your heart rate and broadening your stamina! Talk about killing 2 birds with one stone!
What's the magic amount of each exercise I should be doing a week? Hate to tell you this too babe but, there’s no one size fits all approach to fitness. I do emphasize doing at least 2 strength training days to 1 cardio day per week, but if you can fit even more of each in I’m not complaining! Try out different varieties of exercise each week and see which ones resonate with your body and make you feel good afterwards (good as in not incredibly sore you can’t walk down the stairs properly, know your limit).
My personal favorite form of strength training is Pilates! With my fragile arthritic joints, heavy loads and impactful movements are a no-go for me. Pilates is the perfect form of 0 impact movements using light weights and high repetitions. Engaging muscles you didn’t even know you had, you’ll feel each muscle being worked as you're working it, showcasing that you’re making the most of your time on the mat (or machine).
Have questions on what workout you should try to see what resonates with your body? Reach out to me here and let’s be accountability buddies!