One of the most common questions people ask when they’re trying to lose weight is whether they should spend their time walking or head straight to the weights section at the gym. With so much advice online, it’s easy to wonder if you’re choosing the “wrong” type of exercise.
The reassuring news is that you don’t have to pick sides. Both cardio for weight loss and strength training have a place in a balanced routine. Instead of searching for the one “perfect” workout, understanding how each supports your body can help you create a routine that works for you and your everyday life.
Understanding Your Metabolism
Have you ever blamed a slow metabolism because the number on the weighing scale refused to budge? You’re not alone. But metabolism isn’t simply “fast” or “slow.” It refers to the way your body uses energy to carry out the many tasks that keep you alive and functioning.
Even while you’re sleeping or resting, your body is breathing, circulating blood, repairing tissues, and maintaining body temperature. The energy needed for these essential functions is known as your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).
BMR accounts for a large part of your Total daily energy expenditure, which includes all the energy your body uses throughout the day. Several Factors affecting metabolism include age, body composition, sleep, hormones, genetics, and physical activity levels. While Metabolism and age are linked and some changes may occur over time, regular movement remains one of the most practical ways to support overall health and Energy expenditure (3).
How Cardio Supports Weight Loss
Think about the activities that leave you breathing a little faster than usual—your evening walk, cycling around the neighbourhood, dancing in your living room, swimming, or climbing a few flights of stairs. These are all forms of cardio.
One reason people often choose cardio is that it increases Energy expenditure during the activity itself. When combined with balanced eating habits and other healthy lifestyle practices, it can support weight management efforts (4).
The encouraging part is that cardio doesn’t have to be exhausting to be beneficial. A brisk walk after dinner, choosing the stairs more often, or fitting in short movement breaks during the day can all contribute to your overall activity levels.
In addition to supporting weight loss, regular cardio activity benefits heart health, improves stamina, and may help enhance mood and reduce stress.
Why Strength Training Matters Too
For some people, the idea of lifting weights can feel intimidating. Others assume it automatically means spending hours at the gym. In reality, strength training exercises can be simple, adaptable, and suitable for beginners.
Examples include:
- Chair squats
- Wall push-ups
- Resistance band exercises
- Bodyweight movements
- Light dumbbell routines
Research suggests that strength training for metabolism may offer benefits because it helps maintain or build lean muscle mass during weight loss (1). Muscle tissue uses energy, which means preserving muscle can contribute to your overall Metabolic rate.
A large systematic review also found that resistance training can improve body composition by helping people with overweight or obesity maintain lean mass while reducing body fat (2).
During weight loss, the goal isn’t only to see changes on the weighing scale. It’s also about holding on to the strength that helps you climb stairs, carry groceries, play with loved ones, and move through everyday life with greater ease.
And if the thought of joining a gym for weight loss doesn’t appeal to you, remember that many strengthening activities can be performed safely at home using little or no equipment.
So, Which One Is Better?
The honest answer is that cardio and strength training aren’t competing against each other.
Cardio can help increase calorie use while you’re active. Strength-focused activities help maintain lean tissue and support the abilities you rely on every day. Together, they offer complementary benefits that support overall health, fitness, and long-term well-being (5).
Rather than asking which one is “better,” it may be more helpful to ask how you can include a little of both in a way that feels realistic for your current lifestyle.
Progress Over Perfection
If you’re new to exercise, there’s no need to overhaul your life overnight.
You might begin with a short walk a few days each week and gradually add a few strengthening exercises once or twice weekly. As your confidence grows, you can adjust your routine to suit your goals and comfort level.
Remember, missing a workout doesn’t erase your efforts. Healthy habits are built over time, not in a single perfect week.
Weight-loss journeys rarely unfold exactly as planned. The routines that tend to last are often the ones that can adapt to changing schedules, busy days, and moments when motivation is running low.
How MyAarambh Can Support You
Making changes to long-standing habits isn’t always straightforward, especially if previous attempts haven’t gone as expected. MyAarambh recognises that health journeys are personal and rarely linear.
Whether you’re learning more about your condition, exploring practical ways to stay active, or celebrating milestones that others might overlook, MyAarambh is there to support steady, meaningful progress at your own pace.
Progress doesn’t always arrive with dramatic transformations. More often, it takes shape through ordinary actions repeated often enough to become part of everyday life.
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References
- MacKenzie-Shalders K, Kelly JT, So D, Coffey VG, Byrne NM. The effect of exercise interventions on resting metabolic rate: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sports Sci. 2020;38(14):1635-1649.
- Lopez P, Taaffe DR, Galvão DA, Newton RU, Nonemacher ER, Wendt VM, et al. Resistance training effectiveness on body composition and body weight outcomes in individuals with overweight and obesity across the lifespan: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Obes Rev. 2022;23(5):e13428.
- Colberg SR, Sigal RJ, Yardley JE, Riddell MC, Dunstan DW, Dempsey PC, et al. Physical Activity/Exercise and Diabetes: A Position Statement of the American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Care. 2016;39(11):2065-2079.
- Donnelly JE, Blair SN, Jakicic JM, Manore MM, Rankin JW, Smith BK. Appropriate physical activity intervention strategies for weight loss and prevention of weight regain for adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(2):459-471.
- Garber CE, Blissmer B, Deschenes MR, Franklin BA, Lamonte MJ, Lee IM, et al. Quantity and Quality of Exercise for Developing and Maintaining Cardiorespiratory, Musculoskeletal, and Neuromotor Fitness in Apparently Healthy Adults: Guidance for Prescribing Exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011;43(7):1334-1359.
