Hey Hey Beautiful
I got into weight lifting because my best friend is into it. My doctor also said it's better than cardio, burns more calories, and builds muscle. I don't want to be ripped, just healthy.
Is it truly better than cardio?
Hey hey beautiful,
Okay first off, your doctor is insane too even mention something like that. My thoughts on doctors is that they are regular people like you and I, granted---they are constantly dealing with case after case about colds, disease etc.. They also have access to your medical/family history to narrow down these variables. I'm not saying they don't know what they are doing but they do however need to "guess" whenever you get a cold or flu or some illness and narrow down whatever you have by asking questions and connecting the symptoms etc. Not any one doctor nor person in the matter can be 100% positive about it because the human body is just amazing in its functionality and how it responds and triggers things. Anyway i'm getting off topic here---my point is they have a great sense of general health and wellness
but don't ask them something you'd ask a personal trainer or a fitness expert
Continuing on I think a lot of people here are giving out personal opinions which is completely fine but whichever advice you take, I'd still recommend you caution yourself and do which is better for you and not jump into something until you do some research of your own.
my
opinion on the matter:
like a few people have already mentioned, strength training, cardio, and stretching all have its benefits as well as its differences in how they effect the body but what is it that you are trying to achieve? what i get for your response is a general overall healthy condition so.....
weight lifting is great---lift light to moderate weights in repetitions of 15-20 for 3-5 sets 2x a week to get toned, you won't really have to worry about bulking up, but remember more mass = more burning of calories throughout your day
cardio is awesome---not only does it strengthen your heart and lungs but it also helps your body use oxygen better which in turn makes breathing easier, increases your endurance for day to day activities AND reduces your heart rate and blood pressure. aim for doing cardio for a minimum of 20 mins, 3x a week. work your way up too---do 10 mins for the first couple weeks until you are comfortable. H.I.I.T. (high intensity interval training) will help you get that leaner look by burning fat but take caution if you are practicing this for the first time.
stretching is amazing---not only does it feel good to have a great stretch, your body needs it! stretching helps to prevent muscle strain and injuries. it also helps your body's ability for motion and increases flexibility! a good stretch in the morning after a hot shower will get you roaring to go, a nice gentle stretch at night that includes your back will help you sleep better! ---stretching used to be done only before working out, now there's support for static stretching before a warm up as well as after a workout has been completed, but during (in between sets) ballistic stretching is great too.
nutrition---overall, how your body will feel, is very dependent on what you EAT. I personally believe in the 80/20 rule, meaning 80% is dependent on your diet, 20% on exercise. i can write forever on nutrition as well but lets keep it simple by saying.... WATCH WHAT YOU EAT.
again this is just another piece of advice---from a fitness enthusiast, avid user of p90x, crossfit, the daily 10 etc.. with all the new things we are learning and discovering about the body and its responses and its variations from person to person---its hard to say which is best so a combination of the 3 is great, remember all great things come in 3's...ignore the third wheel thing
biggrin
and of course, get your doctor's approval before starting an exercise program since he/she will know your medical history and will know if there are things you should AVOID.