Aerobic exercise vs. strength training for women: which is better?
Is one more effective than the other?
I’ve been teaching university courses on exercise for more than a decade, and one question my undergrad and graduate students inevitably ask is, “Which is better – cardio or resistance training?” Lately I’m hearing this question a lot from my female followers on social media, often with follow-ups around cycle syncing and optimizing fitness during the peri- and postmenopausal life stages.
When I was growing up, all the magazines at the grocery checkout said that cardio was best, but now the media is touting the benefits of resistance training versus aerobic exercise. At least in the headlines, it feels like there’s been a switch to prioritize weights over running. While it’s probably obvious that both offer unique advantages, the question persists: is one superior for a longer, healthier life?
But wait, there’s more!
If you’re not reading the Stanford Lifestyle Medicine newsletter, you’re missing out. I recently contributed my thoughts on vitamin D and the keys to microbiome health in these articles:
I saw the recent trend that walking isn't exercise. LOL. *Wandering* or ambling aimlessly may not be, but I crush my urban hikes, dammit! And it's always both, isn't it? I thought the rule was slow cardio warm-up, weights and then full cardio workout (to maximize fat burn, when that was a thing). But I'm a home-worker-outer now (and forever). I've finally gotten into yoga sculpt and CSX from CorePower online. Still determined to keep my NOVID status, so avoiding gyms and classes, but if you feel like you have to do *all the things* in a workout, those are fun. Thank you for keeping things straight, Rachele! You rule! xo