Cardio vs Weight Training | Which one should you choose

Exercise is a way to stay mentally and physically fit without compromising your health.  Though all types of exercise are encouraged especially if a person lives a primarily sedentary lifestyle, debates regarding what type of exercise is more effective take place constantly.  One of the most discussed thing about exercise is whether or not cardio based workouts are better or more effective than weight training.  While it is true the needs and goals of an individual do affect what method is best, there are a few things to keep in mind when determining your personal stance on cardio vs weight training.

Weight Loss

In the United States exercise is often associated with weight loss for health or personal reasons.  As the number of overweight adults and children increase more attention is being placed on ways to lose weight to prevent future health problems.  One way to lose weight is by burning calories you consume through exercise.  Though both weight training and cardio based workouts burn calories, numerous studies have shown that cardio based workouts lad to documented weight loss while weight trainers often gain weight or stay at the same weight because of muscle mass.

Improving Muscle Strength

As adults age the health of their bones becomes more important and keeping muscles healthy starts being a necessary part of completing regular movements without pain.  Improving muscle strength is the best way to keep your bones healthy while maintaining an ability to move fluidly without pain.  Cardio exercise can help your muscles become more limber and increase bone density, but these exercises do not necessarily make your muscles stronger.  Weight training is ultimately the best way to make your muscles and bones stronger.

Overall Health

Ultimately a person who begins exercising to build strength or lose weight will reach a point where their health becomes more important than maintaining a previously reached goal.  When this happens instead of focusing on the cardio vs weight training debate it is more important to figure out how to use both types of exercise to maintain your overall health.  Weight training helps various muscles in your body gain strength using a variety of equipment while cardio workouts can stretch muscles as they recover from weight training while giving you much needed energy.