This blog post stems from a strength athlete asking what is the minimum cardio needed for health benefits. So, let’s jump in and discuss the benefits of each form of training!
As fit as strength athletes already are, it is still important to work on aerobic fitness for long-term health. Aerobic training – also known as cardio – includes all sorts of activities including biking, hiking, walking, running, swimming, or playing sports. According to the WHO, even strength athletes still want to achieve 150 minutes per week of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity. Both strength and cardio training are very important for our long-term health but offer slightly different benefits. Research is still being conducted on the adaptations of the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal system for both forms of training but generally, the diaphragm below dissects some of the differences.¹
As shown in the diagram above, both cardio and strength have unique benefits for our overall health. Due to this, the ideal health outcomes come from a combination of cardio and strength training. For strength athletes, one suggestion would be to start a workout with a short 5-10 minute walk or cycle to increase your cardio training. Another potential benefit to a short cardio warm-up is that cardio can help prime your body and increase the benefits from strength training.²
Remember you need 150 minutes of moderate cardio activity per week, which breaks up to around 30 minutes per day. The easiest way is to try to move more throughout the day – going for walks during breaks, biking to work – to boost our cardiovascular health. Even if you are unable to meet the 150 minutes, keep moving because all exercise is beneficial! As you incorporate more cardio into your daily life, make sure to give yourself grace and time to adjust to a new form of exercise!
Having difficulty or pain with increasing cardio training? Stop by Unbroken Rehab & Athletics, and let’s work together to keep you moving!
References:
- Schroeder EC, Franke WD, Sharp RL, Lee DC. Comparative effectiveness of aerobic, resistance, and combined training on cardiovascular disease risk factors: A randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 2019 Jan 7;14(1):e0210292. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210292. PMID: 30615666; PMCID: PMC6322789.
- Moberg, M., Apró, W., Cervenka, I. et al. High-intensity leg cycling alters the molecular response to resistance exercise in the arm muscles. Sci Rep 11, 6453 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-85733-1