Fitness Fact or Fiction: Running is the Best Cardio

Is it really as simple as saying one activity can be the best cardio exercise for everyone? I don’t think so! Let’s dive in and figure out why.

What is Cardio?

Cardio, also known as aerobic exercise, is cardiovascular conditioning. Aerobic means “with oxygen,” and in terms of exercise, describes any activity which increases the body's demand for oxygen.

Aerobic exercises include:

• Jump rope

• Boxing

• Kickboxing

• Sports

• Swimming

• Walking

• Running

• etc

Resistance exercises like weightlifting, circuit training, yoga, and pilates are anaerobic- or “without oxygen.” These exercises don’t use oxygen for energy.

So, is Running the Best Cardio?

This myth is a little hard to get into for several reasons. For one, best cardio for…what? If you want to train for a hiking trip, stairclimbers and incline treadmills are going to offer more benefits than running. If you want to get better at squats, running won’t really help you at all. It is fair to say that running has many health benefits, including a reduction in blood pressure, improved cardiovascular fitness, improved mental health, and more.

Without really knowing what is meant by “the best,” it’s hard to answer this question. Not to mention the fact that research on this topic can be difficult to find. To quote this article, “[l]ittle data on the health effects of recreational, in contrast to competitive, running is available, and most epidemiological studies on prevention through exercise suffer from methodological shortcomings that hamper the ability to evaluate the health potential of aerobic exercise in an unbiased way.” In other words, there’s not a lot of research around, and what is available isn’t necessarily high-quality or accurate.

I’m going to say this is fitness fiction. Yes, running has a ton of health benefits, but there is no single activity that everyone should exclusively be doing. If you prefer to bike, bike. If you love to swim, stay in the water! There is a ton of research to support the benefits of these forms of exercise as well. For example, this study shows how water aerobics can reduce blood pressure in those with stage 1 and 2 hypertension. No running required!

The bottom line:

If you don’t like running, that’s okay! Yes, running has its benefits, but the best cardio for you will be the activity you enjoy (or at least don't hate).

When it comes to mood improvement, this study finds that runners and aerobic dancers had a similar positive mood profile, likely meaning that regular aerobic exercise can help people cope with stress and feel less negative! I also want to add that this study included weightlifters, whose mood profiles were only slightly below those in the aerobic categories.

Another study analyzes running and weightlifting as treatments for depression. The conclusion showed both activities provided very similar results in reducing depression. While aerobic exercise is important for your cardiovascular health, it doesn’t have to be your focus!

As I like to say, all movement is good movement. If you need help figuring out what that means to you, let me know by contacting me or signing up for a consultation!