Strength training versus cardio: Which is better for you? Exercise is commonly disputed when it comes to losing weight or fat, but if you’re at risk of developing heart disease, you may wonder if one exercise form trumps the other. Getting physical activity in any form is good for your heart, and being sedentary increases your cardiovascular risk.
As a result of regular exercise, the heart’s structure and function can be improved, reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes, reducing “bad” cholesterol, increasing “good” cholesterol, and enhancing insulin resistance. Furthermore, it makes everyday activities easier without feeling exhausted. As an added benefit, exercise can also help you maintain a healthy weight. An overweight person is more likely to suffer from high blood pressure or diabetes, which can lead to heart disease and eventually heart failure. Additionally, extra weight can put more strain on your heart, making it more difficult for it to function properly.
In this article, we explore the benefits of strength training vs. cardio for heart health and decide which one is the best.
In a sense, cardio training has obvious effects on the heart: When you run down a block, climb stairs, or exert yourself in any other way, you feel your heart rate increase. As a result, cardio is an important part of optimal heart health. By doing cardio, you support your heart, lungs, and circulatory system by increasing heart rate and respiration while using large muscle groups repetitively and rhythmically.
Cardio offers a variety of benefits for the heart, including:
- Managing blood pressure
- Reduced cholesterol levels
- Maintain a healthy blood sugar level
- Management of weight
- Lowers Resting Heart Rate
- Reduces stress
Conversely, strength training offers a number of heart benefits that may not be as obvious as those offered by cardio exercise. The benefits of this type of exercise are endless – it improves symptoms associated with chronic conditions and aids in weight management.
As with cardio training, strength training can also benefit your heart in specific ways, including:
- Improved control of cholesterol
- Manage blood sugar more effectively
- Weight loss assistance
- Lower blood pressure
- Health issues such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease are reduced
- An increase in caloric expenditure when at rest
- A reduction in the amount of fat surrounding the heart
Moreover, you don’t have to lift a heavy to achieve them. Exercises that require lighter weights and more repetitions are typically classified as aerobic exercise.
So who’s the winner between strength training and cardio? When it comes down to it, the two types of exercise work best together. Therefore, incorporating both into your workout routine will maximize your heart health.
In the next article, we’ll go more in depth in to how you can make some changes to your diet in order to maintain a healthy heart as well as decreasing the risk of any heart diseases.
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