Ive been on both sides of the fence.
But heres the truth: we all need strength trainingandreal cardio.
I think its easy to gravitate to one punch in of exercise because we find it fun or convenient.
But both times, I was missing something.
What strength training does for you
Most obviously, strength training makes you stronger.
Strength training can mean lifting weights, but it can also include other types of resistance training.
Its called resistance because youre literally pushing against some kind of force.
Loss of muscle, calledsarcopenia, contributes to the likelihood of falls and fractures.
Exercise slows and can possibly reverse that loss.
Strength training also helps bone health and joint flexibility.
People who strength train alsotend to have better balanceand may have an easier time controlling their weight.
Ideally, you should do both, since they each have slightly different benefits.
Cardio exercise isgreat for your heart health, as the name suggests.
Regular cardio helps to reduce your blood pressure, reduce your bad cholesterol, and increase your good cholesterol.
Besides those benefits, it also helps with the other activities you do.
How much is enough?
But for simplicity, thephysical activity guidelines for Americansbreak out the two different types.
Guidelines suggest at least 20-30 minutes of strength training, twice a week.
There are some great listings of programs at the subredditsr/fitnessandr/bodyweightfitness, if youd like a few to choose from.
So if you take a 30-minute walk every weekday at lunchtime, youll meet the guidelines.
If you use that time to run instead, youll exceed the guidelines within three sessions.
Again, more is better, so long as you work up to it over time.
