If you’re struggling to find motivation to stick to your fitness routine, this will help! 

Nourishing your body with healthy food is a great start but pairing this with an optimal exercise plan can really improve your metabolic, hormonal, gut and neurological health!

But don’t work harder without first working smarter! As a personal trainer, I’m often asked, “How much cardio and how much weight lifting should I be doing?”.

Let’s break it down! (If you have a health condition like autoimmunity, see the end of the article for key considerations.)

Many assume exercise is all about calories burned, but that’s just scratching the surface. A 30-minute walk burns around 150 calories, while a 30-minute run or moderate-intensity full-body weightlifting session burns roughly 300 calories, or about an avocado’s worth (5). However, the true benefits of exercise extend far beyond calorie burn or even what your fitness tracker can reflect…

Cardio Benefits: 

Neurological Health (2,9,10):

• Running boosts cognitive function by increasing dopamine and norepinephrine, which can enhance motivation, mood and mental clarity. 
• Walking, particularly at a brisk pace, has a more sustained impact on mood, with a focus on serotonin release, which promotes long-term emotional well-being and reduces stress.

Gut Health (3):

• Brisk walking specifically can boost the abundance of Bacteroides in the gut, which is linked to better overall digestive health (7).
• Both walking and running have been shown to improve gut health by increasing beneficial gut bacteria that support gut barrier integrity and reduce inflammation.
• However, excessive high-intensity running can cause gastrointestinal damage, inflammation, and intestinal permeability if done at high intensities too frequently.
• Cardio – especially walking – helps stimulate digestion by encouraging peristalsis, the wave-like muscle contractions that move food through the digestive tract.

Metabolic Health (1,9):

• Both walking and running have similar benefits on cardiovascular and metabolic health markers ranging from improved cholesterol to blood pressure to blood sugar levels,.

Walking is gentler on the nervous system and adrenals, making it a key part of long-term sustainability—especially for those managing stress, fatigue, autoimmune conditions, certain injuries or joint pain. 

If high-impact running isn’t ideal, alternatives like the elliptical, rowing machine, or swimming provide similar benefits with less joint strain.

Strength Training Benefits: 

If you’re not lifting weights at least twice per week, you’re missing out! Strength training provides unique metabolic and neurological benefits that cardio alone cannot. 

Neurological Health (2,9): 

• Boosts brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a key molecule involved in learning, memory, and reducing neurodegenerative disease risk. 
  • A 2022 systematic review (Zhou et al.) found that strength training produced the greatest increases in BDNF compared to other exercise modalities. 
• Enhances mood and cognitive function by stimulating dopamine and serotonin release. 
• This is similar to cardio exercise, where the intensity of the exercise determines the degree of stimulation—higher intensity leads to a more powerful release of these brain chemicals. 

Gut Health (3): 

• Positively impacts gut bacteria composition. 
• Supports the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which strengthen the gut lining, reduce the risk of leaky gut and improve brain health. 
• As with excessive intense running, excessive intense weightlifting can negatively impact the gut microbiome and gut lining. 

Metabolic Health (1,8,9):

• Boosts mitochondrial density, making your body more efficient at producing energy. 
• Improves glycemic control through multiple mechanisms, reducing blood sugar spikes and improving insulin sensitivity. 
• Adds lean muscle mass, which increases resting metabolic rate and helps the body burn more calories at rest. 
• Builds and maintains bones – a review of all the research on the topic shows weightlifting yields significant improvements in bone mineral density (8) 

HIIT Benefits:

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) combines short bursts of all-out effort with rest, incorporating both cardio-based (e.g., sprints) and strength-based (e.g., squat jumps, kettlebell swings) exercises. HIIT offers unique metabolic and neurological advantages beyond steady-state cardio.

Neurological Health (2,10):

• Enhances dopamine and norepinephrine release, improving focus, motivation, and mood. 
• Promotes resilience to stress by increasing the body's ability to handle short, intense bursts of exertion. 

Gut Health (3,4): 

• Increases the composition of the gut microbiome and production of SCFAs, which help reduce gut inflammation and support immune function. 
• Excessive high-intensity training can lead to gut stress if overdone! 

Metabolic Health (1,6): 

• Reduces cravings by improving hunger hormone (leptin and ghrelin) signaling. 
• Enhances insulin sensitivity by improving glucose uptake into muscles. 
• Boosts growth hormone and adrenaline (epinephrine), helping improve fat metabolism and cardiovascular function. 
• Increases resting fat metabolism, shifting the body toward burning more fat even when not exercising. 
  • One study found that 8 weeks of HIIT (2x per week) significantly decreased the respiratory exchange ratio (RER), indicating a greater reliance on fat for energy at rest (3). 
• Provides an “after burn” effect, meaning your metabolism remains elevated for hours post-workout.

The Optimal Weekly Plan for Maximum Results

Based on research, a well-rounded workout routine should include:

• 2 weightlifting sessions 
• 1 HIIT session 
• 1–2 cardio sessions

These sessions can be as quick as 30 minutes and still deliver great results. Start each with 5 minutes of dynamic stretching (like arm circles or high knee marches) and end with 5 to 10 minutes of static (still) stretching to improve flexibility and prevent injury.

Daily Movement Is Key

You don’t necessarily need a gym or heavy dumbbells to optimize your health. If your daily activities increase your heart rate and meaningfully activate your muscles, they can be just as beneficial. However, a structured plan ensures all muscle groups are engaged, preventing pain and maintaining health as you age.

Simple ways to incorporate daily movement include: 

• Parking farther away and walking 
• Taking the stairs instead of the elevator 
• Walking an extra lap around the grocery store 
• Carrying kids 
• Gardening 
• Using a basket instead of a cart (switch arms for balanced muscles) 
• Standing up and marching in place every hour if you have a desk job 

This light movement aids digestion and supports gut health by improving circulation and stimulating the gut-brain axis.

Exercising with an Autoimmune or Health Condition

If you experience frequent autoimmune flares or other challenging health conditions, intense workouts may add more stress than benefits. During a flare, scale back to gentle movement like yoga, stretching, or walking to support recovery. These activities can also enhance gut motility and reduce stress-related gut issues.

Once in remission, gradually increase workout intensity with guidance from a healthcare professional. The goal is to get your body healthy enough to tolerate higher-intensity training so you can maximize the metabolic, neurological, and gut-related benefits.

The Takeaway? Exercise Is More Than Just Burning Calories

Every workout rewires your metabolism, hormones, brain, and gut health—whether or not your fitness tracker reflects it. By combining strength training, HIIT, stretching, cardio, and daily movement, you build a body that thrives long-term.

References:

1. Bajer B, Vlcek M, Galusova A, Imrich R, Penesova A. Exercise associated hormonal signals as powerful determinants of an effective fat mass loss. Endocr Regul. 2015;49(3):151-163. doi:10.4149/endo_2015_03_151
2. Basso JC, Suzuki WA. The Effects of Acute Exercise on Mood, Cognition, Neurophysiology, and Neurochemical Pathways: A Review. Brain Plast. 2017;2(2):127-152. Published 2017 Mar 28. doi:10.3233/BPL-160040
3. Hintikka JE, Ahtiainen JP, Permi P, Jalkanen S, Lehtonen M, Pekkala S. Aerobic exercise training and gut microbiome-associated metabolic shifts in women with overweight: a multi-omic study. Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):11228. Published 2023 Jul 11. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-38357-6
4. Hirsch KR, Greenwalt CE, Cabre HE, et al. Metabolic effects of high-intensity interval training and essential amino acids. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2021;121(12):3297-3311. doi:10.1007/s00421-021-04792-4
5. Loftin M, Waddell DE, Robinson JH, Owens SG. Comparison of energy expenditure to walk or run a mile in adult normal weight and overweight men and women. J Strength Cond Res. 2010;24(10):2794-2798. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181cc26cd
6. Markofski MM, Carrillo AE, Timmerman KL, et al. Exercise training modifies ghrelin and adiponectin concentrations and is related to inflammation in older adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2014;69(6):675-681. doi:10.1093/gerona/glt132
7. Morita E, Yokoyama H, Imai D, et al. Aerobic Exercise Training with Brisk Walking Increases Intestinal Bacteroides in Healthy Elderly Women. Nutrients. 2019;11(4):868. Published 2019 Apr 17. doi:10.3390/nu11040868
8. O'Bryan SJ, Giuliano C, Woessner MN, et al. Progressive Resistance Training for Concomitant Increases in Muscle Strength and Bone Mineral Density in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med. 2022;52(8):1939-1960. doi:10.1007/s40279-022-01675-2
9. Williams PT, Thompson PD. Walking versus running for hypertension, cholesterol, and diabetes mellitus risk reduction. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2013;33(5):1085-1091. doi:10.1161/ATVBAHA.112.300878
10. Zhou B, Wang Z, Zhu L, et al. Effects of different physical activities on brain-derived neurotrophic factor: A systematic review and bayesian network meta-analysis. Front Aging Neurosci. 2022;14:981002. Published 2022 Aug 26. doi:10.3389/fnagi.2022.981002