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

Obesity is not just about how waist size or BMI, but it’s now reshaping the kinds of injuries patients are coming to orthopedic clinics. According to Dr. Rakesh Mattoo, Director of Orthopedics & Joint Replacement at Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, the link between weight gain and joint degeneration is now impossible to ignore. “In India, cases of obesity-related osteoarthritis have increased by 30–35 percent over the last ten years, especially in urban areas,” he explains.

Orthopedic surgeons are seeing the consequences every day. “Approximately 55–60% of our knee replacement patients are now overweight or obese, up from about 35–40% a decade ago,” Dr. Mattoo shares. A similar pattern exists with hip replacements: obesity now accounts for nearly 28–30% of those cases, compared with 15% in 2010. The physics behind this trend are sobering, studies show that “every 5 kg of extra weight increases the load on the knees by approximately 15–20 kg,” accelerating cartilage wear and hastening surgical intervention.

What Is Happening In India?

These clinical numbers reflect a far larger population trend. India’s burden of obesity has been rising steadily for decades. In 2022, around 70 million adults in India were classified as obese, including 44 million women and 26 million men, according to data published in The Lancet. This marks a sharp rise from the early 1990s, when obesity rates were much lower. Overall, obesity prevalence climbed from 1.2% to 9.8% in women and 0.5% to 5.4% in men between 1990 and 2022. Additionally, overweight and obesity together affect nearly one in four Indian adults, nearly 24% of women and 23% of men aged 15–49, and even children are showing increases in overweight prevalence.

It’s not just body weight that matters, but where fat is stored. Central abdominal fat, that stubborn belly, is one of the greatest predictors of early joint degeneration, says Dr. Mattoo. And certain groups are at especially high risk: women (particularly post-menopausal), people with prior knee injuries, those with family histories of osteoarthritis, and individuals leading sedentary lives. Conditions like diabetes, hypothyroidism, and metabolic syndrome also create a kind of chronic internal inflammation that accelerates cartilage breakdown.

How Can You Stay Safe?

So what can someone do to protect their joints before they reach the operating table? Dr. Mattoo emphasizes realistic, sustainable steps:

Keep weight in check: Even losing 5–10% of body weight can significantly ease stress on knees and slow osteoarthritis progression.

Build strength: Strengthening the muscles around the thigh, hip, and knee, along with the core, helps distribute load and protect joints. Moderate, low-impact activities like walking, cycling, or swimming are far kinder to joints than high-impact exercise.

Eat smart: “Choose joint-friendly nutrition,” he urges, including foods rich in omega-3s, calcium, vitamin D, and protein, all essential for healthy muscle and cartilage.

Don’t rush into high-impact activity: Running, jumping, or poorly executed gym movements may feel energizing but can do more harm than good if your body isn’t prepared.

Get routine screening: Annual check-ups — including BMI, vitamin D levels, blood glucose, and lipid profiles — catch early risk factors so that preventive measures can be taken.

Looking at younger adults, building strong musculature between ages 20–35 isn’t vanity — it’s protection. Dr. Mattoo points out that muscle mass helps slow degenerative joint changes over decades. Simple habits like walking 6,000–10,000 steps a day, practicing correct posture, and avoiding harmful sitting patterns or lifting techniques go a long way.

With air pollution keeping many indoors, lifestyle changes have to adapt. Structured home workouts like resistance bands, yoga, or bodyweight exercises can mimic outdoor benefits. Even small changes — standing desks, walk-and-talk phone calls, frequent stretch breaks — increase daily calorie burn and reduce sedentary strain.

The rising tide of obesity isn’t just a statistic; it’s now manifesting in the everyday pain and movement limitations of millions of Indians. But as Dr. Mattoo reminds us, “It’s never too early or too late to make changes that protect your joints and your future mobility.”

Aging brings a shift in how the body functions. Metabolism slows down, hormones fluctuate, and the risk of conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, joint problems, and bone loss begins to rise. Health experts often describe the 40s as a turning point, a decade where prevention matters more than ever. According to US-based longevity doctor Dr Vassily Eliopoulos, many habits that feel harmless in one’s 20s and 30s begin to show their impact sharply after the age of 40.

In a recent Instagram post, Dr Eliopoulos highlighted five things people should stop doing immediately if they want to protect their long-term health. He wrote that this is the decade to take muscle health seriously, make sleep a priority, and let go of small daily habits that quietly speed up aging. He added that the choices made in the 40s decide how well the body functions in the 50s, 60s, and 70s because preventing damage is always easier than trying to repair it later.

Stop cutting back on sleep

Sleep becomes crucial in the 40s because the body needs more time to repair itself. Dr Eliopoulos explains that adults between 40 and 60 require seven to nine hours of sleep every night to maintain hormone balance, protect cognitive function, and support metabolism. Even losing a single hour can make a difference. Research shows the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and faster brain aging rises for every hour of sleep below the seven-hour mark. Chronic lack of sleep also encourages fat storage around the abdomen, weakens the immune system, and slows recovery after daily activities.

Simple habits such as keeping the room dark and cool, avoiding late-night screen time, and sticking to a regular sleep schedule can make sleep more restorative. Dr Eliopoulos describes good sleep as a free nightly hormone reset.

Stop neglecting strength training

Muscle loss is one of the most predictable changes after 40. According to Dr Eliopoulos, adults lose three to eight percent of their muscle mass each decade unless they actively work against it. Resistance training two to four times a week can slow this decline dramatically.

Strength work helps maintain bone density, improves insulin sensitivity, and builds lean muscle. Exercises such as squats, push-ups, weightlifting, or using resistance bands increase stability, balance, and overall metabolic rate. Studies also show that middle-aged adults build strength more efficiently with resistance training than relying on cardio alone.

Stop relying on highly processed foods

Packaged snacks, sugary drinks, instant meals, and ultra-processed foods can have a much bigger impact in midlife. More than half of adults over 40 struggle with obesity linked to these foods. They cause sudden spikes in blood sugar and promote inflammation, raising the risk of heart failure. These foods also lack fibre, which affects gut health and increases the risk of colon cancer. Brain health is not spared either, with several studies linking diets high in processed food to faster cognitive decline.

Switching to whole foods such as fruit, nuts, vegetables, and yoghurt can help stabilise energy levels and reduce the risk of diabetes. Reading labels to avoid additives and hidden sugars is an important habit at this stage.

Stop delaying routine health tests

Once a person enters their 40s, regular health screenings become essential. Many conditions, including high cholesterol, prediabetes, thyroid disorders, and vitamin deficiencies, develop silently. Monitoring levels such as A1C, lipid profiles, thyroid markers, and vitamin D helps detect issues early, allowing interventions before symptoms show up. Avoiding tests often means missing warning signs until fatigue, pain, or more serious complications appear.

Stop letting stress build up

Stress hits harder in the 40s because the body becomes more sensitive to cortisol. Continuous stress can raise blood pressure, increase inflammation, affect memory, and contribute to anxiety. Long-term stress even accelerates cellular aging and can push biological age forward by several years. When paired with poor sleep or unhealthy eating, stress significantly increases the risk of stroke.

Dr Eliopoulos recommends daily breathing exercises, regular walks, and simple meditation practices to help reduce stress and protect long-term health.

Disclaimer: Please note that this is a user-generated content. Health and Me does not encourage any changes to be made in your daily schedule without consulting your doctor.

A New York City teacher Pedro Soto, 56, who teachers at the Manhattan school had a simple sore throat and he believed it was from a viral infection, but it soon turned out to be type 2 diabetes.

This was in April 2024, when he went to his doctor with the complaint of a sore throat and took a blood test. This is when he was "officially diagnosed with type 2 diabetes".

In an interview with PEOPLE, he tells while the doctor recommended medications for him, he was determined to make a lifestyle change first. "After receiving the news, I chose not to start medication right away. Instead, I committed to exercising, running twice a week and improving my diet."

Turns out, running, changed his life.

Running With Diabetes: Soto's Determination To Change His Life(style)

Pedro Soto first considered running the TCS NYC Marathon after a colleague mentioned that her husband had completed it. Motivated, he applied through a special program for teachers, sharing an essay about his type 2 diabetes diagnosis. His story earned him a spot on the team. As he trained, he closely monitored his health, undergoing regular blood tests every three months. The improvement surprised him. His blood sugar levels, once concerning, gradually returned to the normal range. While type 2 diabetes cannot be fully cured, it can be reversed, and Soto was seeing that transformation firsthand.

Training Through The Tough Times

The marathon was scheduled for November 2, 2025. Soto’s training, however, didn’t begin smoothly. In June, he learned he had Lyme disease. Around the same time, he lost his father. Because of these back-to-back challenges, he wasn't able to train consistently until August. Running soon became more than exercise. It became a way to navigate grief and rebuild strength.

He describes those months as emotionally heavy. Running offered him space to reflect, heal, and feel close to his father. It became a ritual that allowed him to confront his feelings rather than avoid them.

Experiencing the Race

To prepare mentally, Soto dove into YouTube videos and articles about the marathon. Still, nothing compared to the real thing. To him, race day felt like a citywide block party. The cheering crowds, music, and energy made the pain more bearable. He said that although the long hours of pounding take a toll on joints and muscles, the city's encouragement kept pushing him forward.

Finding Strength in His Students

The toughest stretch came in the final six miles, when self-doubt crept in. What kept him going was thinking about his students. Soto works with teenagers in a transfer program, many of whom have struggled in traditional school systems. Their perseverance inspired him. If his students could show up every day despite their challenges, he believed he could finish the race.

He says he is taking care of his health and this itself is an act of commitment to his students. Whenever he feels healthier, he shows up as a strong educator and for him the marathon teaches him the importance one needs in life of balance, self-care, and knowing when to put themselves first.