Have you noticed how dark it’s getting recently? It seems like over the past few weeks the evenings are getting darker sooner, and we’re running out of daylight earlier and earlier each week.
As light becomes a factor, as well as the weather deteriorating, those of you that are runners – either casually or hardcore – will have to adjust your workout routines slightly. So, do you move your workouts indoors now and get a workout in the gym instead of pounding the pavement? or do you simply get yourself a headlamp, some rain gear and suck it up and get out there? Here are some factors to consider:
1. Calories burned
To lose weight, in a nutshell, you must burn more calories than you take in. According to studies at Harvard University, 30 minutes of vigorous weightlifting burns around 210 calories, depending on your weight. In comparison, 30 minutes of running at 5 miles an hour (which is a 12-minute per mile pace) burns around 300 calories. Advantage: running!
2. Metabolism
Running definitely burns more calories than weightlifting does, but weightlifting has a bigger impact on your metabolism. Your metabolism (or metabolic rate) is the rate at which your body burns calories. The higher that rate is, the more fat you will burn in a shorter amount of time. Strength training puts a lot more stress on your body than running does, and as a result takes longer to recover as your body is working a lot harder to do so. Ever wonder why you can be so sore after a boot camp, versus after a run for the same amount of time? All throughout the recovery time your body is burning fat. But with a run, your heart rate slows and you’re not burning anymore.
3. Body parts worked
When you run, you are primarily working your lower body. Yes, there are obviously muscles being worked above your waist, too, but for the most part it is a lower body stressor in terms of the body parts that you are working. With weight training, however, you can easily train your entire body and, thus, make the most out of the same amount of time but get a much more ‘complete’ workout.
4. Ratio
Use both cardio AND strength training to get the best workout possible. If you can work out four or five days a week, then simply go ahead and divide your workout up based on your preference. If you’re looking to get a little stronger, then perhaps you do three days in the weight room, and two with running. If it’s purely cardio you’re looking to improve, well, get your running gear on three or four times a week, and hit the iron once or twice. It truly is an individual decision.
Your workout is exactly that… your workout! Ultimately you need to be comfortable and capable of achieving the goals you want to achieve. That said, sometimes it is easy to forget the benefits of both disciplines and fall into one category or the other. Give them both a try! If you need a customized workout plan, or want to see which one would be more beneficial to you specifically, then stop on by our studio in Scappoose, and we can help get you started on the right pathway!
Simon Date is a personal trainer and co-owner at NW Premier Fitness in Scappoose. You can reach him at 503-381-3528, info@nwpremierfitness.com[1] or facebook.com/NWPremierFitness[2] .
References
- ^ info@nwpremierfitness.com (www.thechronicleonline.com)
- ^ facebook.com/NWPremierFitness (www.thechronicleonline.com)
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