Both cardio and strength training should be included in your workout routine to improve your overall health, including your weight. Strength training builds muscle, giving you that extra metabolic push. Beyond simply burning calories, cardio is also key for your heart and lung health. It brings down your resting heart rate and blood pressure, Davon explained. To sum it up: you need both kinds of exercise to feel your best.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 150-300 minutes of moderate cardio per week. If you opt for high-intensity work, Davon said, you can drop that down to about 75 minutes per week. You can break that down as you want: 30-minute moderate cardio sessions, like jogging or walking, for five days a week; two or three 30-minute HIIT sessions; whatever works for your schedule. To maximise your potential fat loss, include two to four days of strength training as well.
If you're just starting, remember to ramp up slowly with less impactful forms of cardio (such as walking), lighter weights, and simpler exercises that you feel comfortable doing. This will help you avoid injury. As you get more fit, you can increase to more challenging cardio workouts (like running, biking, or HIIT intervals) and increase your weights during strength training, which will help you avoid a weight-loss plateau. "If we can walk, jogging is going to do more for us," Davon explained. "If we can jog, running is going to do more for us. It's just a situation of moving up the steps."
If you're ready to get started, we recommend this fat-burning workout plan that includes both cardio and strength training for the best results.