Want to meet and exceed your fitness goals? You'll need to incorporate the cardio and strength training combo. Cardiovascular exercises are important because they help your body to increase endurance and stamina. They raise the heart rate for an extended period of time and burn calories at a higher rate in a short period of time. {relatedarticles}Strength training builds and develops lean, active, fat-burning muscle. As you continue to build and develop muscle, your metabolism speeds up. This means you will continue burning calories hours after you've left the gym and even when you're at rest. Make sure to kick your workout into full gear by combining the two fitness powerhouses -- cardio and strength training -- into your fitness program. It's easy to find a cardio workout - just lace up your shoes and hit the bricks, the pool or one of the various machines at the gym, like the treadmill, stair stepper or elliptical trainer.