Cardio or Strength, which should I do?

Asking this question is a bit like asking 'should I breath or eat if I want to stay alive'. The answer, quite simply, is you should do both! Depending on your health and fitness objectives you may have a leaning towards one or the other, but for general wellbeing a combination of both is the best solution.

But let's start with the most important thing to consider when choosing your exercise plan. Enjoyment. Ok, so it may not be 'out with your friends for the best night of your life' kind of enjoyment, but finding something that you're enthused by, love the vibe of, and feel you receive the right level of attention, should be some of the first factors to consider.

Whilst you may think our indoor cycling partnership with Cycle Society is to major on cardio, the NHS actually classify cycling as strength training due to the fact you're working with resistance. In fact any form of cardio that involves resistance is to a degree strength training (think hill running, swimming).

Strength training stresses the muscles causing them to grow, giving better shape and tone and increasing your basal metabolic rate (the amount of calories you burn just to stay alive). In addition it increases bone density, which increases quality of life in our later years as well as improving cardio performance. So whilst it may not burn as many calories in the session, the benefits go far beyond this, and last for longer.

Ideally look to incorporate 2-3 strength sessions a week into your fitness routine, with a similar number of cardio sessions of varied intensity and type.

The range of sessions we include with all FASED FITNESS CLUB memberships mean that you can easily include both strength-focused and cardio-focused exercise sessions into your fitness routine.