Is Strength Training Enough, or Do You Need Cardio, Too?
Here are answers to common questions about these two important types of exercise.
Strength training is one of the best things you can do for your health. It helps build muscle, supports bone health, and can make everyday activities feel easier. But does lifting weights provide all the exercise your body needs?
"Strength training is an important part of staying healthy, but it works best when it's combined with regular aerobic exercise," says Karen Patel DO. "Strength training helps keep your muscles and bones strong, while cardio supports your heart and lungs. Together, they create a balanced approach to long-term health."
While strength training offers important health benefits, cardio plays a different but equally important role. Together, they help create a well-rounded fitness routine.
Here are answers to common questions about how strength training and cardio support your overall health.
What Does Strength Training Do for Your Body?
Strength training includes exercises that make your muscles work against resistance. This can include free weights, resistance bands, weight machines, or body-weight exercises, such as pushups and squats.
Regular strength training helps:
- Build and maintain muscle mass
- Increase strength and endurance
- Support healthy bones
- Improve balance and stability
- Make everyday activities easier
- Support weight loss
Strength training becomes especially important with age because adults naturally lose muscle mass over time. Staying strong can help you maintain your independence while reducing the risk of falls and injuries.
What Are the Benefits of Cardio?
Cardio, also called aerobic exercise, is any activity that raises your heart rate and keeps it elevated for a period of time. Examples include walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, dancing, hiking, and playing sports.
Cardio helps:
- Strengthen your heart
- Improve lung function
- Lower blood pressure
- Improve cholesterol levels
- Reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke
- Increase stamina and energy levels
Why Isn't Strength Training Alone Enough?
Strength training provides many health benefits, but it doesn't replace aerobic exercise. Think of it this way: Strength training focuses on your muscles, while cardio focuses on your heart and lungs. Both systems need regular exercise to stay healthy.
Although your heart rate may increase during a strength training workout, it usually doesn't stay elevated long enough to provide all the cardiovascular benefits of dedicated aerobic exercise. That's why cardio should still be part of your overall fitness routine.
How Much Cardio Do You Need?
Current physical activity guidelines recommend that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as running.
You can spread that activity throughout the week. For example, take a 30-minute walk or go for a 15-minute run five days a week.
The guidelines also recommend strength training exercises that work all major muscle groups at least twice a week.
What's the Best Way to Combine Strength Training and Cardio?
Some people combine both forms of exercise in the same workout, such as adding a short cardio session after lifting weights. Others prefer to alternate workouts throughout the week, such as walking, cycling, or swimming on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and strength training on Tuesday and Thursday.
The best fitness plan is one that fits your schedule and includes activities you enjoy enough to stick with over the long term.
If your goal is better overall health, strength training and cardio both deserve a place in your routine. Strength training helps keep your muscles, bones, and joints strong. Cardio helps protect your heart, lungs, and blood vessels. Together, they give your body the support it needs to stay healthy, active, and independent for years to come.
