A balance between strength training and aerobic exercise is needed.

In gyms, it is quite common to see people focusing on exercises of muscular strengthening and leaving the cardiovascular ones aside. Treadmill, bicycle, stairs and other equipment are what we know as cardio, aerobic exercises that are highly important for the cardiovascular health of our body.

In this article, we'll show you how you can strike a balance between weight training and aerobic exercises properly to improve your health.

Benefits of aerobics for your health

It is a fact that the practice of physical exercises is essential to have better health and avoid the risk of various diseases. Therefore, many people go to the gym, but forget about aerobic exercises, such as the treadmill and bicycle, and give greater importance to bodybuilding.

However, knowing how to divide the two exercise modalities well is the most efficient way to ensure health and obtain the benefits for your body.

Bodybuilding or aerobics?

In fact, there needs to be a combination between the two types of exercise, as both have health benefits. Bodybuilding assists in fat loss, lean mass gain and reduces the risk of obesity, as well as being beneficial for bone health.

In turn, cardio reduces the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes and even cancer, also contributing to the health of the heart and lungs. Therefore, it is important that there is a combination between the two modalities, since they are allies in the pursuit of a healthy life.

How much cardio do you do?

An English survey showed that just one hour a week of aerobic exercise is capable of significantly reducing mortality. Even three hours a week can greatly increase the potential of this benefit.

The CDC, the United States disease control agency, recommends 2 and a half hours of medium-intensity aerobic exercise per week.

Complement with bodybuilding

Other studies show that combining the two exercise modalities is the most effective way to reduce mortality. Weight training should be performed at least twice a week. It is worth noting that muscular exercise seeks high intensity, not duration.