When it comes to structuring a workout routine, the debate over whether cardio should come before or after weight training has been a long-standing topic among fitness enthusiasts. Depending on your fitness goals—whether you're looking to burn fat, gain muscle, or enhance endurance—the answer can vary. However, understanding the science behind the combination of cardio and weight lifting can help you make an informed decision on the optimal order for your workouts.

Before delving into which should come first, it's important to recognize the benefits of both forms of exercise. Cardio, often seen as the go-to activity for weight loss, is effective at burning calories and improving cardiovascular health. Weight training, on the other hand, builds muscle mass, increases strength, and contributes to fat loss through muscle growth, as muscle burns more calories even at rest. When combined, these two forms of exercise can enhance each other, improving overall health, fitness, and body composition.

A study published in the Journal of Gerontology found that long-term aerobic exercise is linked to greater muscle strength over a lifetime. Meanwhile, strength training also aids endurance athletes, as research from the University of Oklahoma suggests that lifting weights can improve VO2 max—the maximum rate at which your body can use oxygen during intense activity.

Both cardio and weight training are essential for well-rounded fitness. In fact, a 2022 study from the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that those who incorporated both cardio and strength training into their routines had a significantly lower risk of mortality than those who only focused on one. The key, then, is not necessarily choosing one over the other but understanding how to combine them effectively based on your personal fitness goals.

Should You Do Cardio Before or After Weight Training?

The answer to whether cardio should come before or after lifting weights isn't as clear-cut as many may hope. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), the best order depends on what you're trying to achieve in your fitness journey.

For endurance: If your goal is to improve endurance and cardiovascular health, doing cardio before weights may be more effective. Starting with cardio when your energy levels are highest allows you to perform at your best during the run, bike ride, or swim.

For weight loss and fat burning: On the other hand, if your goal is to shed fat, it’s often recommended to do cardio after strength training. Weight lifting depletes glycogen stores in muscles, making it easier for the body to burn fat during cardio. This combination promotes the "afterburn" effect, where the body continues to burn calories even after the workout is over.

For muscle gain and strength: If building muscle and gaining strength is your primary focus, weight training should come before cardio. Starting with weights ensures that you’re fresh and can lift the heaviest loads with proper form, maximizing strength gains.

For general fitness: If you don’t have a specific goal in mind but just want to stay fit, doing either cardio or weights first can work. It might be a good idea to start with the exercise you enjoy less, or the one that challenges you the most.

But Why Weights Should Typically Come Before Cardio

Although the debate continues, there are several compelling reasons to prioritize weight lifting over cardio. One key factor is energy—lifting weights demands significant strength and mental focus. If you perform cardio first, especially high-intensity cardio, you may exhaust your energy stores, making it harder to push through a solid strength workout. As a result, your lifting session might suffer, and you could risk poor form or even injury.

A Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research study confirmed this by showing that strength training performance declined when participants did cardio first. In contrast, when strength training was done first, participants were able to complete more repetitions with better form.

Additionally, when you lift weights first, you maintain the intensity needed to push your muscles to fatigue, which is essential for muscle growth. If you prioritize weight training, you're more likely to achieve better results in terms of building muscle mass, increasing strength, and burning fat through an increased metabolic rate.

How to Balance Cardio and Weight Training For Best Results?

One of the most effective ways to add both cardio and weight training into your fitness routine is by separating them on different days. This allows you to dedicate more energy and focus to each activity. For example, you could alternate between cardio-heavy days (running, swimming, cycling) and weight-lifting days to allow sufficient recovery time for your muscles.

However, if you're pressed for time or prefer to complete both activities in one session, it's important to listen to your body and experiment with what feels best. Start with either cardio or weights and assess how you feel throughout the session. Does your energy flag too quickly during your lifting session after a cardio workout? Or do you find your cardio performance lacking when you lift first? Through trial and error, you can determine what works for you.

How Often Should You Combine Cardio and Weight Training?

For a balanced fitness routine, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity cardio per week, coupled with strength training at least twice a week. Strength training exercises should target all major muscle groups. If muscle building is your focus, consider increasing weight training to three times a week for optimal results.

In the end, whether cardio should come before or after lifting weights depends on your individual fitness goals. Both forms of exercise have their place in a well-rounded workout regimen, and finding the right balance between the two can make a significant impact on your fitness results. Remember that consistency is key—no matter the order in which you perform your exercises, the most important factor is making both cardio and strength training a regular part of your routine.

Long-term aerobic exercise is associated with greater muscle strength throughout the life span. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2013

Dose–response association of aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity with mortality: a national cohort study of 416 420 US adults. BMJ. 2014

Acute Effect of High-Intensity Aerobic Exercise Performed on Treadmill and Cycle Ergometer on Strength Performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2015

If staying sharp as you grow older is the goal, skipping leg day may not be the best idea. New findings suggest that your brain could benefit just as much as your body from squats and lunges.

A long-term study, first published in Gerontology by Karger Publishers, tracked older female twins for ten years to explore the link between leg strength and cognitive health. The results were clear: participants with stronger legs at the beginning of the study experienced far slower cognitive decline than those with weaker leg muscles.

To understand this connection better, we spoke with Dr. Indramani Upadhyay, MPT (Ortho), HOD – The Center for Knee & Hip Care, Vaishali, Ghaziabad, who shared his insights on the subject.

The Leg–Brain Connection

When we think about keeping the mind sharp, the usual suggestions include solving puzzles, reading, or practicing meditation. Yet growing research shows that one of the strongest ways to support brain health actually starts with the legs. As per Dr Upadhyay, strong leg muscles do more than keep us steady, they play a vital role in protecting memory, learning, and overall cognitive function.

Because the leg muscles are the largest in the body, every time they are put to work they send powerful signals that influence brain chemistry, circulation, and even the growth of new cells. Studies highlight several key benefits:

• Better blood flow: Leg-focused exercises improve circulation, delivering oxygen and nutrients the brain relies on.
• Myokine release: Contracting muscles release proteins known as myokines, which travel through the bloodstream and support nerve health and brain adaptability.
• Neurogenesis boost: Weight-bearing moves like squats and lunges may encourage the growth of new neurons in the hippocampus, the region responsible for memory and learning.
• Stress balance: Physical activity in the legs helps regulate hormones, easing inflammation and reducing stress—two major factors linked to cognitive decline.

Which Leg Exercises Boost Brain Health?

Dr Indramani explains that keeping your legs active does far more than build strength or tone muscles, it also supports brain health. Here are some of the most effective exercises:

1. Strength Training (Squats, Lunges, Step-Ups)

Movements that use your body weight or added resistance work the largest muscle groups in the legs. These exercises not only build muscle and protect bone health, but they also trigger the release of growth factors that sharpen memory and learning.

2. Walking and Jogging

Brisk walking or light jogging are simple yet powerful ways to improve cardiovascular fitness. Better circulation means more oxygen-rich blood reaches the brain. Walking outdoors adds even more value by lowering stress and boosting focus.

3. Cycling

Whether on a road bike or a stationary one, pedaling engages the legs continuously, keeping endurance and blood flow steady. Research links cycling to better reaction times, sharper executive function, and a lower risk of age-related cognitive decline.

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4. Yoga Poses (Tree, Chair, Warrior Stances)

Balance-focused yoga postures recruit the legs while also improving flexibility and coordination. This mindful movement helps ease anxiety, sharpen concentration, and strengthen the mind-body connection.

Putting It All Together

The most effective routine is a balanced one: strength training two to three times a week, daily walking or cycling, and yoga for flexibility and balance. Together, they create a foundation that protects both body and brain.

Your legs are more than just a means of movement. They are engines that power your mental resilience. Keeping them strong is an investment not only in mobility but also in memory, focus, and long-term brain health.

Cancer affects millions of people worldwide. No matter how careful you are or how healthily you live, cancer may catch you with you sooner or later. Breast cancer is the one of the leading causes of death in women and it was estimated to have caused 670,000 deaths globally and it also the most unpredictable. While there has been research done on it, according to the World Health Organization, half of the breast cancer occurs in women with no specific risk factor other than sex and age.

However, rehabilitation is also very possible, and many people have beaten the odds by surviving breast cancer. When someone goes into cancer remission, they are given some specific treatments so that the cancer does not come back. However, many times it is not as effective.

To find out better ways to keep cancer away, researchers looked into exercising, and focused one fitness program that could prove useful.

The August 2025 study, published in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment journal, suggests that exercising may directly help suppress the growth of breast cancer cells. The research involved 32 women who'd survived breast cancer and found that a single session of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or weightlifting changed their body's chemistry.

Afterward, their blood contained higher levels of certain molecules that helped put the brakes on laboratory-grown breast cancer cells. This research adds to growing evidence that exercise is a powerful tool for cancer survivors.

How Exercise Works Against Cancer

For years, doctors have known that cancer survivors who exercise are less likely to have their cancer return. This new study helps explain why. When we use our muscles, they release special hormones and biochemicals called myokines into our bloodstream. These myokines are believed to be the body’s natural cancer fighters. In the study, blood taken from the women after they exercised was added to live cancer cells in a lab. The results were clear: the blood from both groups reduced cancer cell growth by 19% to 29%.

What Kind of Exercise is Best For Breast Cancer?

The study compared two types of workouts: HIIT and weightlifting. Both helped, but the blood from the women who did HIIT had a greater effect on the cancer cells, reducing their growth more significantly. This suggests that more strenuous, high-intensity workouts may be more effective at releasing the beneficial myokines, especially a key protein called IL-6. The study found that IL-6 levels were significantly higher in the HIIT group immediately after their workout.

This research has major implications for how we view exercise. It’s no longer just a "nice thing to do" to feel better; it's increasingly being recognized as a powerful tool in cancer treatment. The study's authors believe exercise could be a "first-line treatment" in its own right, alongside traditional therapies like chemotherapy and radiation. If you are a cancer survivor, you should talk to your oncologist before starting a new workout routine, but this study offers a hopeful message that working out can be a simple, accessible, and effective way to improve your health and cut the risk of cancer returning.

Ancient Japanese samurai were known for their discipline, precision, and ritualized approach to life. Now, researchers suggest that their deliberate movements may offer a surprising benefit for modern-day seniors, helping them stay strong, steady, and less prone to falls.

Ancient Samurai Practice Meets Modern Science

A randomized controlled trial from Tohoku University in Japan explored the benefits of Rei-ho, an ancient mindful practice of physical etiquette that involves slow, precise movements like sitting, standing, and walking. The findings were published in the Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine. Researchers found that just five minutes of Rei-ho a day can significantly improve knee strength, a crucial factor for mobility and fall prevention in older adults.

"Knee extension strength, the force used to straighten the knees, is a key measure of mobility and daily functioning," explains exercise physiologist Ayaka Ogasawara. "These exciting results suggest that Rei-ho may help seniors maintain their independence."

The Study: Small Effort, Big Gains

Researchers recruited 34 healthy adults over the age of 20, all with no prior experience in Rei-ho. Participants were split into two groups, one group continued their usual daily activities, while the other practiced 20 to 22 Rei-ho squats and sit-to-stand exercises for five minutes a day, four days a week.

After three months, the results were striking. The Rei-ho group showed a 25.9% increase in knee extension strength, compared to just 2.5% in the control group. Such a dramatic improvement in such a short time is encouraging, particularly since stronger knees are linked to better balance and a lower risk of falls.

Although the participants were not seniors, the researchers believe the results could be even more beneficial for older adults, whose lower-limb strength tends to decline more rapidly with age.

Why Lower-Body Strength Matters

As we age, muscle mass and strength naturally decline, a condition known as sarcopenia. This loss is most pronounced in the lower body, which can lead to frailty, poor balance, and an increased risk of falls.

"In recent years, the decline in muscle strength and physical fitness has become a significant public health concern," the researchers write. "The problem is worsened by sedentary lifestyles, making it all the more important to find simple, low-risk interventions that work."

Rei-ho fits the bill perfectly. It uses only body weight, involves slow, controlled motions, and minimizes the risk of injury or spikes in blood pressure that can occur with more intense workouts.

More Than Just Exercise: A Cultural Connection

This is not the first time ancient practices have been found to benefit modern health. Traditional martial arts, yoga, and tai chi have all been linked to improvements in strength, flexibility, and mental focus.

"We think it’s valuable that people outside Japan who want to try Rei-ho would not only improve their health but also experience a unique part of Japanese tradition," says exercise physiologist Akira Sato.

While the study was relatively small and relied on participants to practice without supervision, the findings are promising. For seniors looking for a simple, low-impact way to protect their mobility, Rei-ho offers a unique blend of mindful movement and functional strength training.

In just five minutes a day, following the deliberate movements inspired by samurai tradition might help keep knees strong, reduce fall risk, and allow older adults to stay active and independent for longer.