One of the conversations that frequently comes up in our office centers on the importance of exercise. Frequently, we find ourselves discussing the merits of both cardiovascular exercise and strength training. Usually we are comparing and contrasting the two different forms.
We need to be clear about this. There is undeniable value in both forms of training. No argument from me on that. My assertion is that, with all else being equal if you must choose one... Strength training is more valuable in terms of our long-term overall health than cardiovascular training.
Hear me out of this though...
Maybe the best exercise routine simply includes time spent perfoming both cardiovascular and strength training.
I came across a post on Threads from Molly Galbraith last week, which is the reason that all of this has been on my mind.
Here is the image of that post.
In this quick explanation, Galbraith hits the nail directly on the head. Notice in this post, she mentions all of the benefits that strength training provides, while mentioning nothing about cardio. Rather than comparing and contrasting the value of both forms of exercise, she simply lays out the case for the benefits of strength training. There is no need for her to downplay the value of cardio training, she is simply trying to get more people to incorporate strength training.
In her post, Galbraith only really talks about women, but I will let you in on a little secret... All of those benefits apply to men as well.
There are clear benefits that can be derived from strength training that we cannot get through simply doing cardiovascular exercise.
For those of you who are cardio enthusiasts, don't stop what you are currently doing. Just take a moment to ask yourself how you can add some strength training to your training routine so that you can "build strength, muscle mass, bone density, and improve durability, resilience, and balance."
