March 19, 2009

Strength or Endurance Exercise - Which is Best?

Strength or Endurance

ten pound barbell weight

From reading, I have found that there are basically two types of exercise - endurance or stamina training and strength training.

I was trying to find out which is the best so I could concentrate on building my exercise routine around it.

But what I found is that they are very entwined and you really cannot do one without doing the other.

I have always considered walking to be my endurance or stamina building exercise, and I found I was correct in thinking that.

But what I didn't know is that walking also builds strength, and if you were to use small hand or ankle weights while walking, it increases the strength part even more.

The terrain, speed, and distance of the walk all work for building endurance and strength.

The more you walk, the greater the endurance gets, but the strength will eventually begin to reach a plateau.

So, doing some strength building exercise is also needed to keep those muscles performing and burning the calories and fats.

I have always used hand weights and ankle weights for my strength training, which I try to do at least twice a week.

From what I have been reading, if I walk 30 minutes each day for endurance, and do the strength training for 30 minutes each week, then I have the correct basic formula for retaining my current weight and keeping a healthy body.

By increasing the walking just a few minutes, and adding another day to the strength training, it will go a long way towards loosing these extra pounds over time.

And slowly, over time, is the best way to loose those pounds and keep them off.

These are inexpensive and easy things that I can incorporate into my daily routine.

Keeping it simple is my motto, and these exercises fit my plan for working towards a healthy lifestyle - frugally, of course.


  1. I am also thinking the same way. Most of the time I am doing the endurance training. Thanks for sharing.

  2. I totally agree, both strength training and endurance training are important.