<img height="1" width="1" alt="" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?ev=6048136207047&amp;cd[value]=0.01&amp;cd[currency]=USD&amp;noscript=1"> Cardio or strength training? 8 tips for your health
July 30, 2019
in Blogs
5 min reading time

Cardio or strength training? 8 tips to improve your health with a new routine

You may have noticed that there are quite different views on what is best: strength sports or endurance sports? The answer is short but not simple: what is good for one person does not apply to another.

Runners and triathletes focus mainly on their fitness, oxygen capacity and weight (as light as possible). If you want to change yourself (become fitter, stronger and healthier) it is wise to change your sport routine; Time to get out of your comfort zone!

Strength training: what are the benefits?

For athletes, strength training is especially important in sports that require power and speed, such as sprinting or soccer. In endurance sports like triathlons or marathons, our body doesn't need an explosive but rather a steady flow of energy, but this often results in the breakdown of muscles. Strength training is therefore crucial in maintaining dry muscle mass in athletes. It can also prevent injuries by developing stronger muscles, tendons and ligaments.

So strength training is just as important for marathon runners as it is for strength athletes. It can also increase lean mass, metabolism and bone density, while reducing the risk of injury. All of this is also important for healthy aging.

And ladies..., you don't have to be afraid to gain weight with strength training. Strength training has many advantages for a good hormonal balance.

 

Endurance sports: what are the benefits?

Regardless of your age or fitness level, adding cardio training to your exercise program has significant positive health benefits. Although it may feel rather challenging at first, fitness training will improve your endurance and help strengthen your heart and immune system, help with weight management, prevent chronic diseases (such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease), improve your bone density , help improve your cholesterol and even improve your mood.

How can you make changes?

While trying a new form of exercise will likely take you out of your comfort zone, there are ways to ensure you succeed and even enjoy it. Tips for getting out of your comfort zone and achieving success:

  1. Foresight is government: block fixed times in your agenda that you will exercise. Planning this in advance will help you stay on track.
  2. Look for different group classes that appeal to you such as HIIT, bootcamps (nice and outside) or spinning to get the support you need from a group and a teacher. To start with a different sport, you'll have a better chance of success by starting in a group or under supervision. Later you can always continue on your own, if that's more your thing.
  3. If you want to get in shape, ask a friend to explore walking, running or cycling routes in your area. During the summer months this is a great way to get some fresh air, get some vitamin D and keep in touch with your friends at the same time. A win win situation!
  4. If, on the contrary, you want to add strength training, request a few sessions at a good gym in your area to learn the proper technique and create a plan that fits your schedule and goals.
  5. If you have health complaints, always report them to your trainer! Together you can work on getting your complaints less, because a change in lifestyle always benefits your health.
  6. Do not think, this sport is nothing for me. Go with a positive attitude and tell yourself that you can do it and that you may trust in yourself, your strengths and your (undiscovered) talents.
  7. You don't like cardio or strength training? Agree with yourself that you will do it for a few months and then see how you feel. You can always switch to another sport or find a variation if you really don't like it. It is very normal to have a preference for one thing or another. However, it is important to think about the ways in which you can achieve a better balance. Because by practicing both kinds of sports you will become better at your own!
  8. Don't make it too hard or too demanding on yourself: a good balance for your training could be: 1/3 cardio and 2/3 strength training and that doesn't have to be longer than 1 hour per session and 2 or 3 times a week. Take at least 1 rest day between 2 sport days, this way your muscles and hormone levels recover better.

How can you measure the status of your biomarkers for you personally?

Although the benefits of both cardio and strength training are known to most, testing your biomarkers can help you reach your specific goals. Every body is different and in your biomarkers and in your DNA you will find the answer to which sport is best for you.

This DNA saliva test will help you identify your genetic talents and what you should eat to optimize your performance:https://bloodtesting.nl/dna-expert-performance/

When you know your biomarkers you can make specific changes to your lifestyle and exercise that will improve your health and performance, not only in your sport but always in your daily life.

Biomarkers to look out for include blood glucose, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, HBA1c, hsCRP and cortisone. These are directly related to lifestyle and exercise. And you can also use your biomarkers to understand any chronic conditions or diseases, and improve or even eliminate them with all your adjustments.

Enter the results of your test automatically into unique program Inside Tracker: https://bloodtesting.nl/insidetracker/ And order directly the complete blood test that gives you overview and insight into your health: https://bloodtesting.nl/insidetracker-ultimate-bloedtest-only/

And: download our (free) e-book today : Know Your Biomarkers

 

References:
-Thomas MH, Burns SP. Increasing Lean Mass and Strength: A Comparison of High Frequency Strength Training to Lower Frequency Strength Training. Int J Exerc Sci. 2016; 9 (2): 159-167, April 1, 2016.
-Aerobic exercise Top 10 reasons to get physical, Mayo Clinic., December 14, 2018
About the Author
Ellen is the founder of Blood Value Testing. She gained her experience with health examinations for companies, schools and government institutions at HumanCapitalCare arbo- en gezondheidsdienst. In 2009 she became director of Diagnostics Netherlands, a collaboration between all major general practitioner laboratories in the Netherlands. At the U- Diagnostics laboratory in Utrecht, she was responsible for blood testing at GPs. Until she founded Blood Values Test for individuals in 2013.
Floris birch forest
By

Floris birch forest

at 19 Aug 2020

Cool article! I did know that there is a difference between cardio and strength training, but I didn't know the benefits of either or which one suits me well. Thank you for sharing those 8 tips. Now I got a better idea.

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