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Cardio or Strength Training for Weight Loss?

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If you are trying to lose weight, is it more effective to use cardio or strength training during your exercise time? There are health benefits to both of these forms of exercise, and the best approach is to use a combination of both in order to achieve optimal weight loss results.

Benefits of Cardio

Cardio is beneficial because it increases your heart rate and helps you to burn more calories during your workout session. On a per minute basis, you are getting more calorie-burning benefits which makes it easier to lose weight at a faster rate.

The problem with cardio training is the fact that it doesn’t do much for muscle building and toning. In fact, cardio might cause you to lose some of your muscle mass. If you want to avoid losing muscle mass, then you need to make sure that you are using strength training exercises along with your cardio routine.

Benefits of Strength Training

Even though strength training doesn’t burn calories as fast as cardio, it is more effective for your long-term weight loss goals. As muscle is developed through strength training, you are boosting your metabolism and helping to increase the calories that are burned between exercise sessions. For every three pounds of muscle that is gained, your calorie burn rate will increase by approximately 120 calories each day.

Additionally, strength training helps to tone the muscles and firm your body, making it easier to see a noticeable different in the size and shape of your body. For best results, you should consider rotating between cardio and strength training, so that you can lose fat and build muscle at the same time.

Your Eating Habits

Regular exercise is important, but it is not very effective if you don’t pair your exercise routine with a healthy eating plan. A medical weight loss program is a great way to lose weight and keep it off, and exercise is very complimentary to following a good weight loss program.

Talk with a medical weight loss coach to learn more about the ways you can adjust your eating habits, in order to gain the maximum benefits from your exercise routine.

Dr Anjana Chhabra

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Cardio or Strength Training for Weight Loss?
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Cardio or Strength Training for Weight Loss?
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More effective to use cardio or strength training during your exercise time? There are health benefits to both of these forms of exercise
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