Many runners don’t especially care for biking, swimming, or other forms of exercise, but running every day can bring about overuse injuries that necessitate a break from exercise to let your body heal.
Incorporating different types of training activities into your routine program – even when you are healthy and preparing for a significant competition – can reduce your chances of getting injured and may even make you a faster runner.
If you feel unenthusiastic when you see a cross-training day in your workout plan, there are lots of sound explanations to appreciate the range and importance of these essential exercises that are not running, in the same way as you do for your much-loved long run or hill repeats.
If you are new to running, have a penchant for getting injured, feel the effects of getting older, or want to reach a difficult race goal, you can gain from including cross-training into your running routine regularly.
Continue reading to understand what is meant by cross-training, the reasons why it is important, and how runners should do it to get the most out of it.
Cross-Training
Cross-training involves doing different types of workouts and activities that can help enhance performance in your primary sport. As a runner, some other activities to incorporate into your routine are biking, yoga, strength exercises, climbing, and playing soccer. These are all ways of cross-training. If you were a cyclist, you may want to look into walking, hiking, and possibly even running as an alternate form of exercise for your main sport.
Cross-training uses your body and muscles in different ways. When you’re engaging in jogging, you’re performing the same monotonous movements over and over again, utilizing your lower extremities, abdominal muscles, and also your upper limbs in the exact same way. Cross-training helps you switch it up.
Riding a bicycle focuses more on your glutes, calves, quads, and hips. You not only focus on minor muscles that are usually not worked on when running, but also use different and difficult techniques to exercise the more important muscles.
Diversify Your Schedule With a Runner’s Cross-Training Program
Not all forms of cross-training will be effective for runners. A runner’s plan for engaging in activities other than running will focus on certain activities and have a particular timetable.
As an example, you could do your pace run exercise on a Monday and use Tuesday as a cross-training recuperation day with an effortless swim or bicycle ride. You could make Wednesday a day of easy running followed by a strenuous weightlifting routine in the evening.
Scheduling a runner’s cross-training can get tricky. Doing it correctly can assist in the healing process, prevent harm, even out muscle discrepancies, and raise your capacity for aerobic exercise.
What Kind of Cross-Training Can Runners Do
Cross-training involves any type of physical activity aside from running, including but not limited to: hiking, walking, cycling, swimming, aqua jogging, rowing, rollerblading, cross-country skiing, weightlifting, yoga, Pilates, dancing, martial arts, boxing, and using elliptical trainers or stair steppers.
While exercises such as jumping rope or playing basketball can be seen as cross-training, it is usually advised by running instructors and plans that athletes should focus on low-pressure cross-training exercises in order to reduce the tension on the body and to balance the impact of running.
The Best Cross-Training Exercises
It all comes down to what you want to achieve and why when deciding which cross-training exercises are best.
Do you want to make your lower body more powerful so you can move faster? Some of the best cross-training activities for this could be low-speed, high-intensity bike rides, or doing weighted calf raises with dumbbells.
Want to prevent injury and promote long-term health? This could be the ideal way to cross train- by focusing on building core and lower body strength, as well as engaging in low impact pool workouts.
Here are a few universal cross-training exercises we recommend for all runners:
- Cycling: Cycling is a great way to add low-impact aerobic activities to your weekly volume.
- Swimming: Swimming helps build back, core, and shoulder strength with a no-impact cardio workout.
- Weightlifting: Weightlifting builds your primary and secondary running muscles, helping reduce injuries and build explosive speed.
The Benefits of Cross-Training for Runners
Incorporating different types of exercise into your regimen is an ideal way to increase the amount of workouts you do while reducing your chances of getting hurt.
Cross-training can be beneficial in preventing injuries by lessening the effects on muscles, joints, bones, tendons, and ligaments, introducing a change to the consistent strain of running, and rectifying any asymmetries brought about by running by reinforcing opposing muscles.
Doing aerobic exercises like cycling, using an elliptical machine, skipping rope, and rollerblading can help to strengthen your heart and lungs, which can in turn improve your running skills.
There are several types of cross-training activities that could be beneficial for runners based on their goals, such as minimizing strain on their muscles and bones, enhancing aerobic fitness, getting stronger, fixing muscular discrepancies, increasing suppleness, replacing repetitive movements, and reproducing or backing up running activities.
It is advisable to select low-impact exercises for cross-training as part of a running training program in order to reduce the likelihood of injury and balance out the stress of running.
What is considered to be “low-impact exercise”? Activities such as jogging or hopping involve a phase of suspension when both feet have left the ground, before experiencing a high-impact landing.
Activities that are considered to be low-impact involve movements or activities where one foot is kept on the ground or used to support your body weight. Examples of exercise could be going for a walk, riding a bike, doing barre classes, stand-up paddle boarding, and rowing.
Doing exercises that are opposite to the muscles used when running can be beneficial in making you a better athlete. These types of exercises can help balance out the muscles used for running and make you more capable of enduring strenuous physical activity.
Cycling can be a great addition to running, as it puts various pressures on your front thigh muscles, buttocks, and back of thigh muscles.
1. Choose The Right Cross-Training Workout Routine For Your Purpose
It is essential to recognize what you desire to gain from your cross-training that day, such as improving your stamina, strength, recuperation, or something else. If you are intending to take a day of rest, it would not be wise to do a cycling session.
Conversely, if you are using cross-training to accomplish a speed exercise, make certain that you reach the same vigor that you would on a run. In order to effectively cross-train, you should aim to achieve the same results you would have acquired if you had gone for a run.
Best cross-training for recovery: Yoga, Pilates, Walking, Golf
2. Don’t Replace Running With Cross Training—Enhance It
At times, we may experience more physical discomfort than on other days, and that is to be expected. Cross-training is beneficial in this instance, making it possible to simulate a run without exerting as much strain on your body parts.
Hop onto a bicycle or a rowing machine, or even jump into a swimming pool, to do the same exercise routine you would do outside without as much force for a top-notch cardiovascular workout! Interval training can switch quickly from running to other forms of exercise.
However, keep in mind that solely relying on cross-training exercises won’t be enough to reach your goal by race day. Ensure that running remains the primary activity, with these exercises being additional and advantageous for a day when you don’t feel your best physically or mentally.
The best way to incorporate cardio into a cross-training routine is to use an elliptical machine, go swimming, bike, do aqua jogging, cross-country skiing, or dance.
3. Add Strength Training To Your Week
Incorporating full-body strength training into your cross-training routine one or two times a week can help you to become a better runner. As an illustration, strengthening your butt and your shoulders will focus on two of the primary muscles employed in jogging.
Your glutes assist you in climbing the slopes and reduce tiredness while running. The strength of your shoulders allows you to make powerful swings and maintain an upright stance over a period of time.
It is beneficial to dedicate time to strengthening your core muscles. Having a robust core assists with your stance and diminishes the chance of suffering from lower back pain as it upholds your body during the force of running.
By doing two strength-training sessions a week using only bodyweight exercises, you will have enough energy to do well on your runs while also being able to handle the running distances without losing any strength.
Research indicates that strength training can be an added benefit, as it can help to improve running efficiency. Another way to enhance your running performance is to incorporate a variety of exercises into your workout routine.
The most beneficial form of cross-training for building strength is weight lifting, along with rock climbing, kayaking, and paddle boarding.
4. Add High-Intensity Work In Small Doses
When you are working on running, you should make sure to switch between intense days and days where you can take it easier in order to stay balanced. If you go for a tempo run one day, it’s best to avoid doing HIIT the next day.
It would be comparable to running two track sessions consecutively, which is not beneficial in the long term and may result in running injuries.
It is especially vital to keep in mind this advice as you get closer to the race day and your running exercises become more and more demanding. At this point, concentrate on your weightlifting and recuperation, and take a break from the high-intensity interval training routines until after the race is finished.
Best cross-training for HIIT: rowing machine, spinning
5. Use Your Off-Season For New Cross-Training Activities
After a big race, your training possibilities are endless! During this time away from competition, we can work on becoming a well-rounded athlete, not just focusing on running. Now is the optimal opportunity to concentrate on those HIIT exercises you shied away from before the race.
In the off-season, the most beneficial cross-training for runners is to participate in activities that are similar to running. Activities such as cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and hiking are very effective at achieving this.
Bootcamp and circuit-style fitness classes are excellent choices if you’re looking for an exercise regimen that has been pre-planned.
If not, come up with a workout routine that involves activities that increase your heart rate. If you’re looking for exercise options, be sure to look at our single workouts in the app that are terrific for cross-training for runners.
How Much Should You Cross Train
How often and how long runners should do cross training, known as training volume, is an issue that needs to be considered.
Depending on the degree of your physical fitness, aims, chance of injury, and hobbies, your exercise regimen should incorporate cross-training exercises anywhere from a single, one-off workout to a weekly routine of 1-3 times.
Those who are more vulnerable to injury, just beginning running, or coming back after a long pause should focus more on cross-training than experienced runners who have shown they can handle higher numbers of miles in a week.
Cross-training exercises are usually utilized as an alternative to lower-intensity recovery runs, after completing long runs, tempo runs, races, or other difficult tasks. The length and intensity of your cross-training workout should be similar to a typical, easy to moderate run.
As an example, if your normal running routine is 5-6 miles at 10 minutes per mile, then a comparable cross-training activity would be aqua jogging, spinning, swimming, etc. for 45-60 minutes at a similar intensity or heart rate.
Cross-Training Tips for Runners
Pick an activity you enjoy. If you are starting out with cross-training, the thought of going to the gym and using the elliptical or stair master may not be your idea of fun, but if you find an activity that you like, you will have an enjoyable experience, much like running.
The more enjoyment you experience, the more you will value your days of doing different kinds of exercise.
Choose wisely. If you are easily injured or have aches and pains, it is essential that you pick a form of cross-training that reduces the chance of further harm.
For instance, if you have a track record of stress fractures, opt for low-impact activities such as swimming or pool running, if you can. If you are prone to IT band syndrome, it is advised that you stay away from exercises that are comparable to running, like aqua jogging or using the elliptical machine.
Mix it up. The same way running is likely to cause injuries because of the repeated movements, engaging in one type of cross-training too much can also result in overuse injuries.
If you’re doing cross training multiple times per week, attempt to switch up the activity each day. Think about taking a Zumba class one day, going on a hike with your pup another, and attending a spin session on the third.
Keep the goals in mind. It is essential to bear in mind that the main purpose of cross training for the majority of runners is to lessen the danger of injury, so it is important to think about the potential for getting hurt with the activity that you are undertaking.
Exercise caution when trying activities such as rollerblading or downhill skiing if you are not used to them. Falls can result in severe harm that can impede your progress in your training.
Make it social. If you’re attracted to running due to its social aspect, ask your running buddies to accompany you during your cross-training exercises.
You can have a lot of fun doing cross-training activities with other people, and this can really make the exercise more enjoyable than running alone.
