Which exercise is best? Well … you have to ask “best for what?” Recently, I’ve found myself listening to — and reading — quite a few conversations about which exercise regime is “best”. Heavy weights versus Pilates. Personal training versus group fitness. Cardio versus strength training. This versus that. And because social-media apparently loves nothing more than picking a side, there is usually someone very confidently explaining why their preferred method of exercise is superior to someone else’s.

Why are we comparing which form of exercise is best without first knowing why someone has chosen to exercise in the first place?

Without knowing the why, how can we possibly determine what is better? Better for what or for whom? And better at achieving what?

Start With the Person

Imagine five people walk through the doors of HindsSight. The first says: “I want to get stronger. I want to lift heavier things, build muscle and feel powerful”.

Great. Progressive resistance training should probably feature heavily in that person’s programme. But another says: “My body feels stiff. I want to move better. I want better control, mobility and core strength.”

That person’s programme may look completely different. Then someone else says: “Dre, I know what I’m supposed to do. The problem is, when I’m by myself … I don’t do it.”

Well, now we’re getting somewhere. The third person may absolutely thrive in group fitness. Give them some music, an energetic instructor and other people sweating beside them, at a time they have committed to showing up, and suddenly exercise becomes something they look forward to.

Another person may be intimidated by exercise. They may have specific goals or movement limitations. Perhaps they want individual attention, need help learning technique or simply prefer privacy.

Personal training may be the perfect fit. Then there is the person who says: “I just want to move. I want to have fun, see my people, sweat a little and leave feeling better than when I walked in.”

Guess what? That counts too.

What Does the Body Actually Need?

I strongly believe that just about everyone can benefit from some form of resistance training, as maintaining muscle and strength as we move through life matters.

Being able to push, pull, squat, hinge, carry, get ourselves up and down and manage the physical demands of everyday life matters.

But so does cardiovascular health, and so does body awareness, core strength, balance. mobility, flexibility and co-ordination and recovery. Each one matters.

And perhaps this is where the conversation gets unnecessarily complicated. We seem to want to identify the one style of training that does everything best, when a well-functioning body requires us to develop and maintain several different qualities. How you achieve those results, however, can vary tremendously.

Resistance training doesn’t have to mean everybody needs to fall in love with a barbell. Cardiovascular training doesn’t mean everybody needs to become a runner.

Mobility doesn’t mean you need to dedicate an hour to stretching. Core training doesn’t have to mean lying on the floor doing hundreds of crunches.

And body awareness, control and stability can be developed through many different forms of movement. One person may lift heavy three days a week, walk daily and practise yoga.

Another may take group fitness classes that combine resistance and cardiovascular training, then add mobility work throughout their week.

Someone else may love Pilates, cycle, swim and incorporate a couple of dedicated resistance-training sessions. There are many roads. The responsibility of good coaching — and of the individual — is to look at the entire picture and ask:

What am I already getting from the exercise I enjoy, and what might I still be missing?

Because your favourite form of exercise does not necessarily have to provide everything. You can love Pilates and still benefit from additional resistance training.

You can love lifting heavy and still need to pay attention to your cardiovascular fitness and mobility. You can run several times a week and still benefit from strength training.

That isn’t an argument against any particular methods ― It’s an argument for well-rounded fitness.

The components matter. How you achieve optimum results can vary.

And that brings us right back to the point of this entire conversation: instead of arguing over which method is superior, perhaps we should be looking at what the individual needs, what their chosen activities already provide and where the gaps may be.

Ultimately, I’m far less interested in how you tick each box than I am in making sure we aren’t forgetting that the boxes exist.

Happy Wednesday, fitfam. As usual, remain unapologetic about your entire fitness and wellness journey, stay true to yourself and always be honest with your efforts.

• Dre Hinds is a personal trainer, aerobic and yoga instructor and fitness “addict” with more than 20 years’ experience. She specialises in nutrition, weight and sprint training, operating out of HindsSight Fitness and Wellness at the Berkeley Cultural Centre. Contact her at absbydre@gmail.com or on 599-6683. Find her on Facebook, X and Instagram under @Absbydre