Maybe it’s my algorithm, but every other ad these days seems to be a quiz that’s going to tell me how best to exercise for my body. Depending on body size and age, there seem to be more rules than ever around exercise. So, what’s the big deal, you ask? Let me break it down:
What’s the difference?
When it comes to exercise training, there are generally two types; cardiovascular and resistance training. Cardiovascular training is an activity that increases your heart rate for a prolonged period of time (ex. running, biking, swimming). During this exercise, both the heart and lungs are stressed improving overall endurance. Strength training is an activity that uses your muscles against resistance, building power and muscle endurance (ex. weight lifting, resistance bands, body-weight exercises such as pushups). Both types of exercise are beneficial but each have slightly different merits.
Pros of Cardio Exercise:
- Improves heart health and endurance – enhancing your body’s ability to push oxygen throughout the body, overtime making the heart more efficient, lowering blood pressure and pulse.
- Burns more calories – often associated with fat loss.
- Improves energy levels – through the release of epinephrine and norepinephrine, giving the body a positive boost.
- Improves mental clarity – increased circulation to the brain helps boost alertness and support clear thinking.
Pros of Resistance:
- Builds muscle mass – improving both tone (look) and strength over time.
- Burns more calories after your workout – muscles burn more calories than fat when we are at rest, so the benefits last long after your workout.
- Protects Your Bones – resistance training helps increase bone density, preventing osteoporosis and fractures.
- Prevents injuries – muscle strength improves joint stability and mobility, decreasing the risk of fall or injury.
Consider your goals:
When it comes to choosing what type of exercise to focus on, reflecting on what your goals are can help you build the ideal workout plan. If you’re hoping to build endurance and run longer distances, then cardio may be your focus. Alternatively, if you do lifting at work and want to avoid an injury, then resistance training may be more ideal for you. For general wellness, a combined approach, such as HIRT (high-intensity resistance training), is often ideal.
At the end of the day, the best exercise is the one that you do!
Whether you are new to exercise or tweaking your routine, getting and staying active is one of the best preventative health strategies there is. Prioritizing time to move can be a challenge, but it is well worth the effort!
Happy moving,
Dr Chanel, ND
Leave a Reply