Want to change up your exercise routine? Consider hybrid training. This combines aerobic activity with muscle-strengthening moves all in one exercise session. This strategy is a great way to meet two of the key goals of federal Physical Activity Guidelines at once. It also appears to be one of the best — and most time-efficient — ways for people who are overweight to lower their risk of cardiovascular-related risk factors, according to a new study (see “A comparison of 5 workout strategies”).
Hybrid training, like many fitness trends, likely began in the athletic community and then spread to the rest of the population, says Dr. Imin Lee, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, who studies physical activity as a means of disease prevention. She says that it’s not a new concept because people have been combining exercises informally for some time (for example, carrying small weights and doing biceps curls while walking). Fitness classes feature a variety of combinations, including a squat and an overhead press (also known as a thruster). These types of exercises would make up a hybrid workout, as they work multiple major muscle groups and simultaneously increase your heart rate.
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Time-saving hybrid training
Recent research has found that combining aerobic exercise with muscle strengthening in one session is the most effective workout pattern for improving cardiometabolic risks (such as blood glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure). It’s also time-consuming. This type of training, according to the study, took, on average, 187 minutes a week. Hybrid training took, on average, 128 minutes per week.
One caveat: hybrid exercises can be more difficult than aerobic and strength training done consecutively. As Dr. Lee points out, the study involved younger people who did not have any health issues other than being overweight or obese. She cautions that it is not yet clear whether the findings apply to older people or those who have health conditions.
Why Strong Muscles Matter
It’s important to add strength-based exercise to your daily routine in a way that makes sense to you. Strong muscles increase your basal metabolism rate, which is the amount of energy that your body requires to continue working even when you are not moving. This increases your calorie burn, which will help you lose weight. It is believed that building muscle mass can help improve diabetes by regulating blood sugar and cardiometabolic factors. The Workout Workbook by Harvard Health Publishing has sample workout routines that you can tailor to your fitness level.