Holding is not a bad way unless you have some other sources for earning as well and those ways must be increasing your held bitcoins, but if you just have some bitcoins and doing nothing but just holding them then that is really not a good decision.
Yeah and to make profits from only holding you need to wait for a long time as you never know when price will g o higher, so its good to trade with them to get regular profits and also to increase the level of coins.
But trading is also high risk until you dont have good bankroll, you can do is giving your skills for bitcoin payment and like this you will start to earning bitcoins and you can save big and even do some investment of holding them.
Holding is safe but not profitable, if can give you good profits only if price goes higher but the number of coins will be the same it will not grow by holding, even if you trade with small amount it can increase the level of your coins slowly and steadily.
Why to just hold them if you have an opportunity to grow them, holding will not increase your number count in wallet even if price goes higher the number of coins will be the same.