Cardiovascular Exercise vs. Strength Training
By Jessica W.
Summer is around the corner, which means that some people are exercising to get in top shape for looking great in a swimsuit. However, the health benefits of exercise are also immensely important, which is often overlooked by those seeking a workout regimen. Some may only look towards one exercise, such as doing cardiovascular exercise or strength training, with regard only to aesthetics. When looking into how to organize your workout plans, it is best to analyze the health benefits and your personal goals.
Cardiovascular exercise, such as running, dancing, or swimming, can be useful for not only improving your appearance, but it also provides a plethora of health benefits. Your immune system will improve; you will not get too sick with minor illnesses. For those with cholesterol problems, cardiovascular exercise will be very helpful. Bad cholesterol is lowered and good cholesterol is raised due to cardiovascular exercise. This exercise can also stabilize blood sugar and help those with heart problems. Anyone doing cardiovascular exercise can attest to an increase in stamina in the long term. Not only will your stamina increase, but you will feel better emotionally. Some may say that exercising, especially running and participating in other cardiovascular workouts, make them feel worn out. While this is correct, the long term effects outweigh the short term effects. Cardio may also make you feel better emotionally since cardio can reduce stress and helps with depression. It will increase mental sharpness and prevent dementia as you age. Along with all of these benefits which improve the quality of life, cardiovascular exercise can even extend a life span.
Strength training, also called resistance training, has the ability to improve health. Similar to cardiovascular exercise, strength training can actually help to lose weight. With resistance training, lean mass is gained, such as muscle. This lean mass can actually help to burn more calories. This loss of fat suggests a lower risk of diseases, such as type II diabetes and hypertension. Blood sugar and insulin will improve with resistance training. There will be an improvement in balance and stamina. In comparison to cardiovascular exercise, a person’s mood will improve with strength training. This training will help with insomnia, giving a higher quality of sleep. Some people will worry that they will gain too much muscle from muscle training. However, it is unlikely to gain too much muscle, especially if one keeps in mind what he/she is trying to achieve. To gain muscle, perform less repetitions (around 4-12 repetitions) using heavy weights. If one does not want to gain bulk, but rather muscular endurance, then it is best to do more repetitions (15-20 repetitions) using lighter weights.
Risks are involved with both resistance training and cardiovascular exercise. It is possible to sustain an injury from working out too much, so it is important to pay attention to the body and prevent feeling too much pain. It is always essential to make sure that exercise plans will not cause injuries in the long run, so it is recommended to see a doctor before changing a lifestyle. Both types of exercise are important; aim to do both cardiovascular and strength training. The American College of Sports recommends a regimen of at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise five days a week and two or three days of resistance training per week.