Cardio, weights or both?

It’s the age-old question when you get to the gym: Should I spend my time on the treadmill, lifting weights or both?

First of all, you’re doing the right thing by being active.

But to answer the question: Both have advantages, but everyone’s goals are different.

Benefits

Matt Janus, an OSF HealthCare wellbeing coordinator, says cardio – like walking or running – is a major boon to your heart’s health.

“It’ll reduce your risk factors for heart disease down the line,” he says.

“It’ll also give you a little bit more calorie burn than weightlifting. And depending on how intense you’re working out, it’ll affect your utilization of fat as fuel. So, it’ll burn some fat.”

Weightlifting, meanwhile, builds muscle and strength.

“You want to make sure you’re keeping your strength up, especially as you get older, for things like daily activities,” Janus says. “Carrying your groceries in the house. Doing laundry. Getting up and down from your chair.”

Janus adds that the more muscle you build, the more calories you’ll burn at rest. It may just be 50 to 100 extra calories per day, but it adds up and helps with weight management.

What to choose

Let’s say someone asked Janus, “Cardio or weights?”

His response: Both.

Work toward a few days of weightlifting and 150 minutes of cardio per week, Janus suggests.

If you’re pressed for time, there are a couple of options.

Janus says you can lift weights at an accelerated pace. Or a cardio option is high-intensity interval training, or HIIT. As the name suggests, HIIT involves high-intensity cardio for a short period, a short rest then repeating the sequence for however long your workout calls for. For example, you may sprint on the treadmill for 30 seconds, then walk five minutes and repeat the sequence three more times.

“You’re able to burn about the same amount of calories or potentially more calories during that short period than you would with a traditional steady-state cardio,” Janus says.

“Additionally with HIIT, after you’re done, for a period of time your body will continue to burn calories at a little bit more of an accelerated pace.”

What if I have unique needs? Maybe my primary goal is to gain muscle to pose for a fitness magazine or build strength for a strongman competition. If so, Janus says doing more weights and less cardio is fine. But he says for most people with a goal of weight loss and general good health, a mix of cardio and weights is still the best bet.

Safety

Before you change your workout routine significantly, it’s not a bad idea to talk to your primary care provider or an exercise specialist. Make sure your body can handle what you want to do. For example, people with breathing issues may want to avoid something like HIIT. Someone with a shoulder injury can lift weights but with a trainer’s supervision.

In general, Janus says to start slow and gradually increase intensity. If you’re a walker, mix in some jogging before graduating to all running. Don’t go straight for the heavy weights.

“Try one to two days a week to start,” Janus says of developing a weightlifting plan. “Use exercises that hit your major muscle groups like your chest, back and legs. You don’t have to do a thousand exercises for it to be effective.”

If you feel an injury happen during a workout, stop and get checked out, either by a professional on-site or at an urgent care. If the injury is significant, like a concussion, broken bone, chest pain, loss of consciousness or significant bleeding, call 9-1-1.

Learn more

Read more about how to keep your body safe and healthy while moving on theOSF HealthCare website.

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