If your doctors have recommended that you become more active, you might be wondering what kind of movement is best. Research suggests that combining cardio and muscle-strengthening exercises is more effective for lowering blood pressure than focusing on just one¹. So try to include both in your routine!
Moreover, people who exercised at a higher intensity or did more sets of strength exercises saw even better results. So put in those extra efforts if you can!Now, let’s learn how to include both in your daily routine.
Cardio Exercise
The Benefits
Cardio exercise is great for your heart. It gets your blood flowing, helps your lungs work better, and can even lower your blood pressure and blood sugar. But wait—there’s more! It also boosts your energy, lifts your mood, supports a healthy weight, and helps you sleep better and manage stress.
Moderate Intensity Examples:
Ideal for beginners, these exercises make you breathe faster, but you can still talk without too much effort.
Examples:
These exercises take it up a notch. You’ll breathe harder, your heart will race, and talking will be tough without pausing.
Strength Training Exercise
The Benefits
Strength training exercise helps keep your muscles and joints strong. They support balance, protect your joints, and can even help ease muscle and joint pain over time—especially when you do them regularly.
Examples:
How Much to Move Each Week
💪 For Maintenance²
⬇️ To Lose Weight
While 150 minutes of activity each week is great for overall health, aiming for 300 minutes can support weight loss and lead to even greater health benefits.
People who reach 300 minutes a week often notice better sleep, a brighter mood, and more energy throughout the day.
The Power of Small Everyday Movements
In addition to your regular workouts, the small movements you make throughout the day also support better health. This is called Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, or NEAT.
What Does NEAT Include?
NEAT includes things like walking around the house, standing up to stretch, tidying the kitchen, or taking the stairs. Try these 9 easy ways to move more daily.
References:
- Edwards, J. J., Deenmamode, A. H. P., Griffiths, M., Arnold, O., Cooper, N. J., Wiles, J. D., & O'Driscoll, J. M. (2023). Exercise training and resting blood pressure: a large-scale pairwise and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. British journal of sports medicine, 57(20), 1317–1326. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-106503
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, July 15). How much physical activity do adults need? U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/guidelines/adults.html
