Your workout routine isn’t complete without strength training

Anh Bui’s main focus as a physiotherapist is treating and preventing running injuries. Her most common prescription for patients? Weightlifting.

“Sometimes I feel like it’s my job to be a salesperson and get them to do strength training,” says Dr. Bui, who lives in Oakland, California.

It is often an uphill battle. Nearly half of American adults Meet government guidelines for aerobic exercise (150 minutes or more weekly of moderate activity, or 75 minutes if vigorous). But only half of them also do the recommended two muscle-strengthening sessions per week.

The benefits of lifting go further to avoid injury. Even if you’re aerobically fit, resistance training further improves cardiovascular health and extends lifespan, according to a scientific statement from the American Heart Association published in December.

But even people who enjoy exercise often find strength training intimidating or unpleasant, says Amanda Paluch, lead author of the statement and a researcher at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Fortunately, it doesn’t take much to see the benefits. Two weekly sessions of 15 to 20 minutes are effective for gaining strength and improving health, she said.

Why you need more than walking or running

Aerobic exercises such as walking, running and cycling increase your cardio-respiratory fitness, or how well your heart and lungs support working muscles, said Dr. Paluch. The higher your fitness level, the better longer And Healthier your life, research shows.

Strength training also improves cardiovascular health. Muscles absorb more glucose than other tissues, so building them reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, says Stuart Phillips, professor of kinesiology at McMaster University. Resistance training also appears to improve and reduce blood vessel function blood pressure by about the the same amount as aerobic training, but in fewer sessions per week.

Of course, strength training also gives you stronger muscles and tendons, which better absorb the shock of walking and running and protect you from injuries, said Dr. Shower. As you age, muscle strengthening is essential for maintaining independence. Research also shows that it offsets age-related declines in employment muscle And bone masswarding off the lower back pain, fall And fractions.

How to add lifting to your routine

“To get stronger, you need to practice things that make you stronger,” said Dr. Phillips. That means dumbbells or other weights, resistance bands, or bodyweight movements like push-ups. Simply adding a few ankle or wrist weights to your walk isn’t challenging enough to build much muscle, he added. And although yoga and Pilates offer many other benefits, they do not build equal force as resistance training, which gradually increases the load over time.

If you have high blood pressure, heart arrhythmias or other cardiovascular conditions, talk to your doctor first, said Dr. Paluch. However, most people – especially those who already exercise – can do it on their own. Here’s how.

Check your calendar.

Research suggests even one strength training session per week extends life compared to none. But for the full range of benefits, aim for twice a week, said Dr. Paluch.

Assess your schedule and find two 15- to 20-minute slots that you can devote to strength training, says Morit Summers, a personal trainer and owner of FORM Fitness Brooklyn.

Coordinate with your cardio.

You can do strength training and cardio in the same workout if you want, Ms. Summers said. Some gyms and studios even offer classes that include both.

The order in which you place them is not critical, especially when you are first starting out. But doing your cardio first can serve as a warm-up for strength training. If you hop on a treadmill or bike, you can also explore the weight room and plan your workout.

If you prefer to schedule them separately, space strength workouts between running or walking days, Ms. Summers said, with at least one day in between for recovery.

Plan your routine.

Just as you plan the distance and route for your run or walk, you should think through your strength training workouts in advance.

Many fitness apps offer strength classes, said Dr. Shower. If you have the resources, a session or two with a personal trainer can teach you good form and a basic routine. Check the American Register of Exercise Professionals for an expert in your region.

Or build your own in five moves with this basic framework from Dr. Phillips:

• Another lower body exercise, targeting the back of your thighs (preferably some form of deadlift, where you pick something up off the ground)

Find your weight.

According to a meta-analysis published in July, a few reps with heavy weights or more reps with lighter weights increase strength. The key is to finish a set feeling tired, but not necessarily feeling like you’re going to lose weight, says Dr. Phillips, lead author of the study.

He recommends starting with a weight you can lift eight to 12 times, then repeating it two to three times during your workout.

Once the exercises feel easier, increase your weight or number of repetitions by 2 to 10 percent (or add a few repetitions of bodyweight exercises), said Dr. Paluch. This can happen quickly at first – within a few weeks – as your brain learns to recruit more muscle fibers. Improvements in cardiovascular measures such as blood pressure can occur within three to six months.

If you stick with it that long, you may also find that you enjoy strength training more than expected, Ms. Summers said. Walking or running outside clears her head. But strength training makes her feel more powerful, both mentally and physically.

“They’re both super important,” she said. “They’re just very different.”

Cindy Kuzma is a journalist in Chicago and co-author of “Breakthrough Women’s Running: Dream Big and Train Smart.”