We all think of exercise in similar but narrow terms. We run as a means to lose weight. We lift weights to get stronger; we dabble in yoga because someone told us it’s good for stress. But our bodies don’t compartmentalize like that.
In fact, if you’re only participating in one form of exercise, you’re missing out on something truly crucial – and no, it’s not about becoming a superhuman athlete. Instead, it’s about what your body genuinely requires to feel good, perform optimally, and sustain over time.
You’re Falling Into the Cardio Trap
Cardio is king! Everyone knows this. Why? Well, cardio appeals to easy metrics, it’s calorie-burning, it gets your heart rate up and boosts that “I’ve done something today” feeling. Every fitness tracker on the market has been designed to gamify steps and miles for people to become obsessed with those numbers.
But if you’re running (or biking or swimming), you’re training one system of the body. The cardiovascular system becomes more adept at getting oxygen to the muscles – and that’s genuinely important. Heart health is imperative – no one can dispute that. But your muscles aren’t getting stronger. Your bones aren’t getting more dense. You’re not strengthening your balance.
Many people who can run a half marathon but struggle to carry their groceries up a flight of stairs. This isn’t a knock on runners, but it goes to show how specific adaptability is, that your body gets good at whatever it’s forced to do, and nothing else.
But you can’t avoid strength training.
Strength Training is No Longer Optional
The second we say “strength training,” most people zone out because they confuse the verbiage with bodybuilding or people grunting in front of mirrors. But strength training – building and maintaining muscle – is one of the best things you can do for yourself long term.
After age 30, we start losing muscle mass. It’s called sarcopenia, and it’s universal among people who don’t take active measures against it. We’re talking about 3-5% per decade if you’re a couch potato. Not a lot per decade? Yes, but it’s compounded over time.
Muscle tissue is metabolically active – which is a fancier way to say it burns calories at rest, protects your joints, keeps your metabolism moving efficiently, and – most importantly – it’s what allows you to keep your independence as you age. If you want to get up off the ground when you’re 70 because a cat knocked something over, guess what? You better have some muscle mass and strength.
You don’t have to lift heavy weights – if that’s not your jam – but bodyweight exercises work. Resistance bands work. The point is to load your muscles enough to challenge them to adapt and get stronger.
Mobility is Overlooked
Mobility is different from flexibility; mobility requires stability as you move joint(s) through ranges of motion instead of just passively stretching them out (which, spoiler alert, most people never use at least one of their ranges of motion anymore).
Think about how much time you sit on a given day. Your hips are bent, your shoulders are rounded forward, your spine is flexed all day long for 8-10 hours straight (and more for many). Your body begins to adapt and respond to this static positioning – in a bad way. The ranges of motion you’re not using? Your body’s like, “Okay! We don’t need these!”
Reaching overhead for a cabinet; squatting down for a pen; turning our necks to back up – these are common human movements that many can’t even access anymore.
This isn’t asking you to be a contortionist; it’s asking you to work your joints consistently in more than just linear patterns. For many people, taking Glendale fitness classes where certain exercises require various movements can be the simplest way to enhance mobility without having to think about it too much as you’re just following along.
You Need Variety In Your Workouts
Your body naturally excels at adapting; that’s part of the human experience. But when you force your body into the same routine over and over again – day after day – you beg for diminished returns after a certain point; you’re going into survival mode because you’ve made it beat so many times before.
That’s why people plateau; they’ve gone on the same three-mile run for three months; suddenly they’re stagnant. That’s because their body has adapted efficiently to that specific stress they’re not using so much effort anymore – they’re just maintaining.
Now, maintaining is certainly better than nothing, but it doesn’t mean your target heart rate is met for progress. You need variety – but this doesn’t mean switching your whole routine up week by week. That’s counterproductive because then you’ll never get good at anything. But understanding that some days are focused on cardio while others are strength days helps keep things interesting and responsive.
The Recovery Component You’re Probably Forgetting About
This tidbit may shock you: The only time your fitness improves is through recovery – not in the act of working out itself. When you break down your body through exercise – while the workout is certainly the stimulus – the adaption occurs when you recover.
Most of this happens in sleep. Your body’s raging with growth hormone as it repairs muscle tissues at night in addition to consolidating the neurological patterns you’ve provided while also replenishing energy systems. If you don’t get enough sleep, you’re shooting yourself in the foot for everything you’ve done.
However, recovery isn’t just sleep; it’s minimal stress during wakefulness, adequate protein intake, proper hydration, and – most importantly – not beating yourself into the ground seven days a week. Some of the fittest people only go two or three times per week – they just make those sessions count and allow themselves to recover properly.
Active recovery deserves a mention too – as a light-on-the-body way to expedite recovery without inflating additional stress; sometimes walking or lightly swimming can promote blood flow instead of complete rest.
What This Should All Look Like In Action
So, what does all of this mean? You don’t have to spend ten hours per week exercising to check these boxes – realistically two sessions of strength work complemented by two intensity cardio sessions plus an active recovery session is all it takes.
It depends on goals/schedules/what you actually like doing (and that last part matters!). The “best” workout program is the one you’ll stick with – not the one that hypothetically might provide awesome results if you’ll quit after two weeks.
In fact, most people benefit from structure relative to variety rather than trying to program everything themselves; it’s less mentally exhausting to show up somewhere and follow along rather than guess what one should do all the time.
The Bottom Line
Your body requires different types of stresses – and never will cardio alone suffice nor can strength training in isolation maintain equilibrium; combined with an overview of mobility plus adequate recovery either composes a balanced life – not striving for perfection or new-age athleticism – but instead maintaining physical integrity so you can perform whatever tasks you’d like throughout life without ever having physicality be that limiting factor instead. Whether running after your kids or hiking in Vail or walking comfortably down Michigan Avenue – only a balanced approach gets you there.
And once you realize how simple it can be to piece together what’s required from your body – you’ll find it’s quite easy to exercise into week-long segments without necessarily devoting ten hours per week – but instead successfully utilizing whatever time you can based on realistic expectations then filling in the gaps with different types throughout the week allowing yourself beyond ample recovery time for appreciation from your body too.
