Cardio before or after weights? This new study finally has the answer I've been looking for

Like many people, I mix up my workouts with a combination of weight training and cardio exercise, whether at the gym or working out from home. It keeps me motivated, and I know they're both important types of exercise, so doing them together keeps me from doing one more often than the other.

However, it wasn't until recently that I thought about the order in which I do my strength training and treadmill workouts (or outdoor runs). Should I do my cardio before or after weights? A new 12-week study, published in the Journal of Exercise Science and Fitness, looked at how exercise sessions done one after the other affected body composition, physical activity levels, fat loss, and muscular strength.

Participants were divided into three groups: weights then cardio, cardio then weights, and a control group who did no exercise. The results showed that both exercising groups saw improvements in their physical activity levels, body composition, bone density, and muscle strength. However, one had the edge slightly over the other.

Cardio before or after weights?

The group that did weight training followed by cardio showed the most "remarkable progress" in the study. They saw reductions in fat mass, increases in fitness markers like explosive strength, and they exercised more often.

The study looked at men between 18 and 30 years old, and not very many of them, so we can't take the researcher's word that this will work for everyone. However, it is a clear sign that doing your dumbbell gym workout or kettlebell workout before a treadmill session could be the way to get stronger and maintain muscle with fewer limits.

The reasoning behind it is simple, too. If you work hard on your cardio session, you'll have less energy for your weights session as the muscles will be fatigued.

Another study, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, supports the researchers' conclusion. In this study, researchers found anaerobic exercise (short, intense bursts of activity) before strength training "impairs" the weights session by limiting endurance.

Do I need to do cardio and strength training?

To stay healthy, the NHS recommends adults do strength training at least two days a week, alongside 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise.

The guidelines also suggest spreading this exercise across four or five days, or exercising every day.

So, there's no need to choose between cardio vs weights. Both workouts also have unique benefits. Cardio is great for boosting your cardiovascular health, maintaining your mental health, improving your sleep quality, and lowering blood sugar levels. Even just walking 30 minutes a day can have a hugely positive impact.

Weight training also has similar benefits, but is especially good for women approaching menopause, when the decrease in oestrogen puts us at a higher risk of osteoporosis. Lifting weights can increase bone density and joint strength, which helps to avoid bone fractures and muscle injuries.

Both are some of the best exercises for longevity (along with Pilates and mobility exercises) and help reduce the risk of disease later in life.

Whether you do one or both of them is ultimately up to you. Everyone has a different fitness goal, and any exercise that gets your body moving and releases endorphins is a good thing.

Cardio doesn't have to be running or walking, either. Racquet sports like pickleball and Padel, rowing, paddleboarding, cycling, and even rollerblading all count.

Is 20 minutes of cardio enough after lifting weights?

If you do 20 minutes of intense cardio on four days of the week, that's enough. This meets the vigorous intensity exercise requirement and includes running, HIIT workouts, and faster walking, cycling, and swimming workouts.

Doing 20 minutes of moderate cardio (like walking, swimming, or cycling) every day works out to 140 minutes a week. Add 10 more minutes and you'll reap the benefits.

That being said, any cardio is better than none at all. If you can manage 20 minutes, start with that and work up.

There is another way to reap the benefits of cardio, though, without sacrificing time in the gym or risking muscle fatigue. This tip comes from Emily Servante, a personal trainer at Ultimate Performance.

She says: "If you’re weight training three times a week, my recommendations would be to try and hit a daily average of 10,000 steps a day. This will increase your daily calorie burn but is also very low in intensity, so it will not affect your recovery times."