Cardio vs. Strength Training: Health Benefits Compared

Cardio vs. strength training–what are their health benefits, and which one is better? 

While both cardio and strength training promote overall health, the type of workout best suited for you depends on your fitness level and performance goals.

Discover the health benefits of cardio and strength training and get answers to common questions for those looking to get fit.

What is cardio exercise?

Cardio exercise refers to any workout that significantly increases your heart and breathing rate. 

The goal of cardiovascular exercise, also known as aerobic exercise, is to get your body moving quickly and rhythmically. This engages the cardiovascular system and increases the heart rate to deliver more oxygen to muscle tissue, which is needed to generate energy to sustain physical activity. 

Popular cardio workouts include:

• Swimming
• Cycling
• Rowing
• Running
• Fast walking

Hiking is also a popular cardio exercise that gets your blood pumping outside the gym. 

HIIT basics

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is another form of cardio training that helps your body burn more calories in less time. HIIT involves high-intensity, short-duration exercises with longer recovery periods. 

Research published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research compared the caloric expenditure in men performing HIIT exercises with that of other cardio workouts. The data shows that 30-minute HIIT sessions resulted in a higher calorie burn than 30 minutes of running or cycling.

A typical HITT workout incorporates multiple exercises and rest intervals, typically taking between 10 and 30 minutes to complete.

An example of a HIIT exercise is to perform jumping jacks for 30 seconds, followed by a rest period of one to five minutes, depending on how long it takes for your heart rate to return to normal. Once your pulse has normalized, continue for 2 to 6 more sets. 

There are many HIIT exercises that don’t require much equipment, including:

• Jumping rope
• Jumping jacks
• Burpees
• Kickboxing
• Sprinting
• Slam ball
• Squats
• Lunges

“Jumping, in general, is an easy HIIT exercise you can do at home. If you have stairs, you can jump up to the first step and back to the ground for a few seconds before resting,” explains Dr Berg.

Watch the video below to learn more about the differences between weight training and cardio.

What is strength training?

Unlike cardio, strength training focuses on building muscle and strength. 

This type of training is a form of anaerobic exercise, as muscle cells don’t require as much oxygen to fuel short bursts of intense activity. 

Instead, cells utilize stored energy in the form of creatine phosphate and adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the body’s primary energy currency. 

Strength training engages your muscles using heavy weights or resistance bands. This stimulates muscle fibers to grow stronger and increase in size, building muscle mass and tone. 

Weight or resistance training can be done using various types of equipment, including:

• Free weights such as dumbbells, barbells, medicine balls, and kettlebells
• Resistance bands
• Weight machines, including horizontal leg press, chest press, or lat pulldown machine

If you don’t have access to gym equipment, there are strength training exercises that can be performed using your body weight, such as push-ups, air squats, planks, or lunges.

4 benefits of cardio exercise

A cardio workout boosts endurance by conditioning and strengthening the heart and lungs, but it can also support other aspects of your health.

Here are four benefits of cardiovascular training. 

1. Promotes a healthy body weight 

Cardio burns more calories per session when compared to strength training. 

According to data released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), an average-sized person can burn up to 290 calories walking or cycling for one hour. In comparison, weight lifting for the same duration will burn only 220 calories.

Hiking burns around 370 calories per hour, which is 150 calories more than a moderate weight-lifting session.

Burning more calories promotes a healthy body weight by creating an energy deficit, where the body uses stored fat as a fuel source. This helps reduce excess fat, improve metabolic function, and promote a healthy body weight. 

2. Supports heart health

Cardio workouts elevate your heart rate, which strengthens the cardiovascular system and lowers the risk of vascular issues and heart disease.  

A study published in Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine explains, “Frequent exercise is robustly associated with a decrease in cardiovascular mortality as well as the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.”

Those who regularly engage in cardio exercises tend to have better blood pressure control than sedentary individuals and are at lower risk of diabetes, heart attack, and stroke.

3. Improves energy and mood

Aerobic activities trigger the release of endorphins. These feel-good hormones can boost your mood and help relieve stress. 

Cardio can also help you feel more energized as it conditions the respiratory system and improves lung capacity. This enables better cellular oxygenation, which is associated with optimal energy production.

4. Promotes strong immune defenses

Moderate cardio exercise, in combination with proper recovery time, has been shown to promote a healthy immune system.  

A study published in Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry found that regular exercise enhanced the activation of immune cells associated with a lower risk of bacterial and viral infections. 

However, cardio without adequate rest may have the opposite effect, potentially suppressing immune cell functions and making you vulnerable to disease.

5 benefits of strength training

While weight training builds muscle and improves strength, it can also positively affect your physical and emotional well-being. 

Here are five benefits of strength training.

1. Builds muscle

Lifting weights puts resistance on muscle tissue, leading to microtears in muscle fibers. During recovery, the body deposits new protein strands around torn muscle fibers, making them thicker and stronger. 

This process, known as muscle protein synthesis, is essential for muscle growth and strength development in response to weightlifting.

2. Improves bone density

Resistance training supports musculoskeletal health by putting a physical load on the bones, which stimulates bone building and increases bone density, according to a study published in Endocrinology and Metabolism. 

Improved bone density helps strengthen skeletal integrity, which is vital for preventing breaks or fractures. 

In addition, strength training can decrease the risk of skeletal issues, such as osteoporosis and osteopenia, linked to bone pain, weakness, and poor posture.

3. Helps speed up metabolic processes 

Although cardio burns more calories per session, a weight training workout can boost energy production and increase your metabolic efficiency. 

Muscle cells contain the highest concentrations of mitochondria, a cellular organelle that generates energy. 

Increased muscle mass leads to higher numbers of mitochondria, which enhances the body’s overall energy production capacity and helps ramp up metabolic processes.

4. Supports mental health

Like cardio, resistance training releases endorphins that can alleviate stress. In addition, strength training has also been shown to improve mood disorders, including anxiety and depression.

A study published in Deutsches Ärzteblatt International investigated the impact of strength training on mental health and found that regular resistance workouts can reduce symptoms in individuals with moderate depression. 

Building strength can also improve self-esteem, increasing confidence in both men and women of all ages. 

5. Helps prevent injuries

Weight training builds stronger muscles and bones that support your joints and help prevent injury to the knees, hips, neck, and back.

Strength exercises also help improve coordination, dexterity, and balance, thereby reducing the risk of falls and injuries, especially in older adults.

Cardio vs. strength training: benefits compared

Whether cardio or strength training is better depends on your fitness goals, activity level, and health considerations that may impact your performance. 

Cardio burns more calories and supports heart health while reducing the risk of diabetes, heart attacks, and other health concerns. 

In contrast, strength training builds muscle and bone density, strengthening and toning your body while burning fat. 

Both cardio and strength training support better moods and mental health, though resistance training may be specifically beneficial for relieving symptoms of depression.

Considering the advantages of both types of exercises, regularly incorporating both cardio and strength training into your routine may offer the most comprehensive benefits for overall health.  

HIIT exercises combine the best of both worlds by increasing your heart rate and strengthening your lungs while targeting specific muscle groups. 

FAQ

Sources

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25162652/ 
2. https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-weight-growth/losing-weight/index.html 
3. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6172294/ 
4. https://karger.com/cpb/article/37/2/735/73020/ 
5. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6279907/ 
6. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10745562/