Your Workout Routine Isn’t Complete Without Strength Training
Aerobic exercise is hugely beneficial for health. But research increasingly shows you also need some resistance training. Here’s how to work it in.
Why you need more than walking or running
Aerobic exercises like walking, running and cycling increase your cardio-respiratory fitness, or how well your heart and lungs support working muscles, Dr. Paluch said. The higher your fitness level, the longer and healthier your life, research shows.
Strength training also improves cardiovascular health. Muscle absorbs more glucose than other tissue, so building more reduces risk for Type 2 diabetes, said Stuart Phillips, a kinesiology professor at McMaster University. Resistance training also appears to improve blood vessel function, reducing blood pressure by about the same amount as aerobic training, but in fewer sessions per week.
Of course, strength training also gets you stronger muscles and tendons, which better absorb impacts from walking and running, protecting you from injuries, Dr. Bui said. As you age, muscle strengthening is essential for maintaining independence. Research also suggests that it offsets age-related declines in muscle and bone mass, warding off lower back pain, falls and fractures.
How to add lifting to your routine
“To get stronger, you need to practice things that make you stronger,” Dr. Phillips said. That means dumbbells or other weights, resistance bands or body-weight movements like push-ups. Simply adding a pair of ankle or wrist weights to your walk isn’t challenging enough to build much muscle, he added. And while yoga and Pilates offer many other benefits, they don’t build as much strength as resistance training, which gradually increases loads over time.
If you have high blood pressure, arrhythmias or other cardiovascular conditions, check with your doctor first, Dr. Paluch said. However, most people — especially those who are already exercising — can ease in on their own. Here’s how.
Check your calendar. Research suggests even one strength-training session a week extends life compared to none. But for the full range of benefits, aim for twice weekly, Dr. Paluch said. Assess your schedule and find two 15- to 20-minute slots you could dedicate to strength training, said Morit Summers, a personal trainer and owner of FORM Fitness Brooklyn.
Plan your routine
Just as you plan the distance and route for your run or walk, think through your strength workouts in advance.
Many fitness apps offer strength classes, Dr. Bui said. If you have the resources, a session or two with a personal trainer can teach you good form and a basic routine. Check the U.S. Registry of Exercise Professionals for an expert in your area.
Or build your own in five moves with this basic framework from Dr. Phillips:
1. A pushing exercise (push-up or lying chest press)
2. A pulling exercise (single-arm row or lat pull-down)
3. A lower-body exercise (squat or leg press)
4. Another lower-body exercise, focusing on the backs of your thighs (preferably some form of deadlift, where you’re picking something up off the ground)
5. A core exercise (bird dog or plank)
Find your weight
According to a meta-analysis published in July, a few reps with heavy weights or more reps with lighter weights both increase strength. The key is to finish a set feeling fatigued but not necessarily like you’re going to drop the weight, said Dr. Phillips, the study’s lead author.
He recommends starting with a weight you can lift eight to 12 times, then repeating that two to three times during your workout.
Once the exercises feel easier, bump up either your weight or the number of repetitions by 2 to 10 percent (or add a couple repetitions of body-weight exercises), Dr. Paluch said. This can happen quickly at first — within a few weeks — as your brain learns to recruit more muscle fibers. Improvements in cardiovascular measures like blood pressure can occur within three to six months.
