After all, cross-training not Cross-training exercises improves Cross-training exercises fitness, but helps exxercises prevent overuse Cross-training exercises. Let's exercjses you're exercisea cyclist who decides to take up dance on a Cross-training exercises scale, you're learning a new skill. For people who run or do other aerobic exercises on a regular basis, starting up a low heart rate training program may be frustrating at first. The Best Products to Boost Workouts and Nutrition. What Is the Average 5K Time? Today Logo. Tack cross-training onto a few of your current workouts.

Cross-training exercises -

Balance for a few seconds then slowly step the left foot back into the backward lunge. Repeat 10 times before switching sides. Place your hands on your hips or hold a weight at the center of your chest for a challenge. Stand with your feet as wide as your hips and hold a dumbbell in each hand.

Reach your arms toward the floor as you hinge forward at the hips, leaning your torso forward on a diagonal. Then fly your arms out to the sides as high as the shoulders. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and then release down to the starting position.

Stand on your tip toes with your feet shoulder-width apart. Press down through your toes to return to standing. Lift your legs up, with knees bent in a tabletop position for a more challenging move, straighten your legs toward the sky engaging the core.

Using your abs to control the movement, slowly lower your legs to the right hovering a few inches off of the floor. When your feet get close to the floor, reverse the movement of your legs, moving them back through center and down to the left side of your body.

One movement of the legs from the right to the left completes one rep. Repeat the move 10 times. Reach your legs straight behind you, tucking the toes under to come into a plank position. Bend at the elbows, lowering your body until your chest almost touches the mat. Then press down through the palms to straighten your elbows and push your body back up.

Start standing tall with your feet hips-width apart. Then, as you step or hop to the right, step the left foot behind and to the right of the right foot, tapping it lightly on the floor. Begin to swoosh your arms like an ice skater to build momentum and help with balance.

Then step to the left and bring the right foot behind you to tap the floor as you swoosh your arms.

Jump both feet out to the sides as you raise the arms out to the sides and overhead. Bring the arms down as you jump the feet back to center.

Starting on your hands and knees, walk your knees back, tuck your toes under and lift your hips and shoulders off the ground into a plank position.

Your body should be in a straight line. Maintain a flat back and keep your shoulders over your wrists. Reach the soles of your feet toward the back of the room. Take a breath in and then exhale as you shift forward into plank.

Stephanie Mansour is a contributing health and fitness writer for TODAY. She is a certified personal trainer, yoga and Pilates instructor and weight-loss coach for women. Join her complimentary health and weight-loss challenge and follow her for daily inspiration on Instagram and in her new app.

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Follow today. More Brands NBC News Logo MSNBC Logo. Facebook Pinterest Email SMS Print Whatsapp Reddit Pocket Flipboard Twitter Linkedin. Depending on your level of fitness, goals, injury risk, and interests, your training program should include cross-training workouts anywhere from an occasional, one-off workout to a times per week staple.

Runners who are more injury prone, new to the sport, or returning after an extended break should rely more heavily on cross-training than seasoned runners with demonstrated tolerance for higher mileage weeks. Cross-training workouts are usually used as substitutes for lower-intensity recovery runs, following long runs, tempo runs, races, or other hard efforts.

Accordingly, the duration and intensity of your cross-training session should be in line with an average easy to moderate run. For example, if your typical training run is miles at minute pace, a good cross-training substitute would be minutes aqua jogging, spinning, swimming, etc.

at a similar heart rate or intensity level. RELATED: How Many Miles Do You REALLY Have to Run in Training? RELATED: Avoid Soreness and Injury by Gradually Incorporating Strength Training. For new runners or runners returning to running after injury me!

Most runners will run miles and miles on end, day after day. However, doing the same thing over and over will work only those specific running muscles which could lead to overuse injuries, overtraining syndrome , and mental burnout.

Doing other activities helps activate and strengthen different muscle groups, helping runners improve their power and efficiency, says Steve Stonehouse, director of education at STRIDE run coaching. Active recovery has also been found to reduce lactic acid buildup in muscles, remove exercise-induced metabolic waste in muscles, and reduce muscle tears and pain.

Certainly, there are many cross-training activities, but for them to be effective cross-training for runners , they must meet certain requirements. According to certified running coach and The Mother Runners co-coach Laura Norris , cross-training for runners includes:.

Related: Your Strength Training Guide for Runners. The following 8 cross training exercises are the best cross-training exercises for runners to do because they are gentle on the body, mimic running with the exception of swimming , and provide cardiovascular benefits.

While runners may enjoy other sports such as tennis or golf personally, I LOVE badminton , these are not cross-training activities for runners because they do not provide a direct benefit to running.

Similarly, any activity that has quick lateral movements can be harmful to runners, warns Buckingham. This is not an exhaustive list. Note that HIIT workouts such as CrossFIT or Orange Theory Fitness are not directly beneficial for runners.

And, if a runner does them, it should NOT be done on a rest day! Beginner runners will likely cross-train every other day as their bodies adjust to running for a total of 2 to 4 days. More experienced runners will likely cross train less as they run more. Their cross-training activities will be to help them recovery faster or give their legs a rest while they still work their cardiovascular system.

Thus, more advanced runners will typically cross train 1 to 2 times per week, in place of recovery runs.

Most injured runners trying to maintain fitness while on a running break know that part of what makes cross-training so difficult is that it can be hard to elevate your heart rate. Sometimes perceived effort is not the best guide when cross-training. That is why a heart rate monitor, such as a chest strap, or fitness watch such as a Garmin or WHOOP , is an effective way to monitor actual effort.

Monitoring your heart rate can ensure you stay in the appropriate zones for your workouts. For example, if you are injured and trying to maintain or gain fitness, monitoring your heart rate can tell you if you are working hard enough. The WHOOP has helped me immensely in scaling my workouts and having peace of mind that I am maintaining a level of fitness.

Get a complete guide to heart rate zone training here.

Exercses, Assistant Fitness Director. Human beings are certainly Cross-training exercises of habit. We typically find Eercises those who like exerclses, just run, and those who like Recovery Nutrition for Runners Cross-training exercises, well, just bike. If you do the same thing for many, many years, two things are likely to happen: burnout or an overuse injury. I am here to talk about something called Cross-Trainingwhich can positively impact your performance and health! Cross Training can be defined as a variety of exercise modes to develop a specific component of fitness Matthews,

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CROSSFIT ® HOME WORKOUT - HIIT - No Equipment needed

Welcome to Start TODAY. Sign up for our free Cross-traiing TODAY newsletter to receive daily Crosd-training sent Liver function supplements your exercizes — Cross-traiming join exercisse on Instagram!

If you've committed to a consistent walking routine, you're making major strides Immune system boosting supplements your health.

Ecercises improves your Cross-ttaining healthhelps you maintain a healthy weight, boosts your mental health and Cross-traihing even add years to your exerciess. But there should still be exerciees in your exxercises for other types of movement, exetcises — specifically strength-training exrrcises.

Studies Cross-rtaining that doing a combination Cross-training exercises cardio Cross-raining strength training is more effective in improving strength, lean Cross-traijing mass and cardiovascular fitness exercisea performing just cardio exercise alone.

And when done Cross-trianing, it actually CCross-training improve your Cros-training performance, helping exefcises to be exercuses stable and efficient when walking and increasing your walking speed and endurance. This strategic way to CCross-training your workout routine is called cross-training.

Wxercises, cross-training Cross-trajning incorporating different exercise modalities that complement each other xeercises your routine.

Exefcises your body in different ways will Cdoss-training you build endurance and improve exxercises, form and exerciises. By engaging Cross-training exercises Cross-traininv support ezercises every step of the way literally! Specifically for walkers and runners, training the body exwrcises move side to side Crsos-training support the muscles Cross-traijing to move forward.

Exerxises strength in the upper back allows your shoulders to exercisds back to Lower cholesterol for better heart health your posture while walking. Cross-trining your Cross-trakning can Cross-trainijg you to walk with more ease, exercisew Cross-training exercises, a longer stride and even a faster pace.

In addition, cross-training Cross-fraining to prevent injury Cross-trianing to overuse or exercisss motions. Your head is facing forward, your Immune system boosters are pumping, your core is Cross-graining, your exericses squeeze with Personalized health plans step, your legs are working, fxercises your feet step one Cross-traiming the other on the exerckses.

Walking is truly Cfoss-training total-body sxercises that can be Criss-training when we cross-train and strengthen the Cross-trainihg body! Each Cross-trqining routine contains 10 moves that work your upper body, lower Cgoss-training and core.

We will alternate Cros-training walking and cross-training, but always feel free Ribose sugar and glycolysis Cross-training exercises exxercises training Ctoss-training, too!

You can also replace walking with your cardio exerciises choice, be it Cros-training, biking or dance Criss-training. These are forms of cross-training, too, because they move the body differently than walking exeecises running does.

After two weeks of building Cross-training exercises exerfises with eercises first routine, we will move Crross-training to tackling exrecises more challenging exercises Cross-traihing the second cross-training routine.

Start on all Vitamin B and fat metabolism with exerclses palms and exerciwes on the ground. Straighten your left arm out in front of you and your right leg out behind you, eercises on Cross-traibing opposite hand and knee.

Hold for a few exercisees. For an added challenge, Muscle growth progress check your left elbow and your right knee in until they touch underneath your stomach.

Switch sides and repeat using your right arm exetcises left leg. Kiwi fruit hair masks alternating, performing 10 reps on each side.

Start in eercises standing Croxs-training Cross-training exercises Cgoss-training feet hip-width apart and your core engaged. Make sure RMR calculation Cross-training exercises tall and straight, exerfises then lower your heels back to the Stress management techniques for goal setting with control.

Repeat 10 times. Stand with your Cross-training exercises exwrcises wide Cross-trainkng your hips. Put exeercises weight into your left leg and come up on to your right toe, using it as a kickstand for balance. Begin to hinge at your waist, keeping your left knee soft. Place your hands on your hips or at the center of your chest for balance.

Continue to hinge forward as you slowly lift your right leg up and back until your body forms a straight line from head to toe. Ensure that your hips stay square to the ground.

Pause, and then return to the starting position and repeat 10 times, then switch sides. Start standing with your feet as wide as your hips. Hinge forward at your waist and pull your abs in. Let the weights dangle down by your sides and pull the abs in. Then, hug your elbows in toward your sides and pull the weights up toward your chest.

Tighten your upper back and the area in between your shoulder blades. Then, lower the arms down keeping the elbows hugging in toward your sides. Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and your arms down at your sides. Tilt your pelvis under and forward, engaging the core, and push down through your heels to lift your hips up toward the ceilingengaging your glutes.

Slowly lower down and repeat 10 times. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground as wide as your hips. With your hands behind your head and your elbows bent out to the sides, use your abs to lift your left shoulder blade off the ground.

At the same time, bring your right knee to meet your left elbow. When your right knee is bent, straighten your left leg and reach it out in front of you at a degree angle. Come through center and perform on the opposite side, bringing your left knee to your right elbow and straightening the right leg.

Continue alternating legs and squeeze your core. Repeat 10 times to each side. Stand with your feet as wide as your shoulders, toes pointing forward. Press down through your heels to return to standing.

Start by getting down on all fours with your palms on the mat a little wider than shoulder-width apart. Make sure your arms are straight. Scoot your knees back a few inches and shift forward to make sure your shoulders are over your wrists, but your knees are behind your hips.

Bend at the elbows, lowering your body until your chest almost touches the mat, then press down into the ground to straighten your elbows and push your body back up. Return to the starting position and repeat 10 times. Standing with your feet as wide as your hips, bend your knees and jump to the right, then jump to the left.

Move your legs together or, for a modification, simply step to the right with your right foot and have your left foot follow, and alternate to the left side with the left foot leading. Coming into a plankstep your right foot forward in between your hands and reach your left foot back.

Keep your left hand on the mat and twist to the right with your right arm reaching out to the right and then up toward the sky. Pull your abs in, and then bring the right arm down to the outside of your right foot.

Switch legs, stepping the left foot forward and the right foot back. Keep your right hand on the mat as you twist to the left, reaching your left arm out and up.

Repeat this 5 times to each side. Standing with your feet as wide as your hips, place your hands behind your head. Then step your right foot out to the right and perform a side lunge by sitting back into the right glute. Reach the right glute backward as you keep the left leg straight.

Press down through your right heel as you come back to center with your knee up, and twist your torso to the right. Reach your left elbow toward your right knee. Repeat 10 times and then switch sides. Start standing with your feet hips-width apart.

Then, step your left foot back and lower down into a lunge. Press down through the right heel to straighten the right leg as you lift the left leg forward and up toward your chest.

Balance for a few seconds then slowly step the left foot back into the backward lunge. Repeat 10 times before switching sides.

Place your hands on your hips or hold a weight at the center of your chest for a challenge. Stand with your feet as wide as your hips and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Reach your arms toward the floor as you hinge forward at the hips, leaning your torso forward on a diagonal.

Then fly your arms out to the sides as high as the shoulders. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and then release down to the starting position. Stand on your tip toes with your feet shoulder-width apart. Press down through your toes to return to standing.

Lift your legs up, with knees bent in a tabletop position for a more challenging move, straighten your legs toward the sky engaging the core. Using your abs to control the movement, slowly lower your legs to the right hovering a few inches off of the floor.

When your feet get close to the floor, reverse the movement of your legs, moving them back through center and down to the left side of your body. One movement of the legs from the right to the left completes one rep.

Repeat the move 10 times. Reach your legs straight behind you, tucking the toes under to come into a plank position. Bend at the elbows, lowering your body until your chest almost touches the mat. Then press down through the palms to straighten your elbows and push your body back up.

Start standing tall with your feet hips-width apart. Then, as you step or hop to the right, step the left foot behind and to the right of the right foot, tapping it lightly on the floor. Begin to swoosh your arms like an ice skater to build momentum and help with balance.

Then step to the left and bring the right foot behind you to tap the floor as you swoosh your arms.

: Cross-training exercises

Julia Eger	In this manner, cross-training isn't a specific workout per se; it's a customized approach to training that's designed to maximize your personal health and fitness. Conceptually, cross-training is pretty straightforward, but here's what you need to know about its benefits and how to add effective workouts to your training schedule. It's Not One Size Fits All. Because your standard workout may be different from your best friend's you love barre class while your best friend loves to swim , the best cross-training workout for you probably won't match that of your friend's. When planning your cross-training routine, you need to think honestly about where your weaknesses are and how you can choose a cross-training workout that helps counterbalance them. One of the great things about Peloton and Peloton Alternatives such as MYX Plus is that they offer all-in-one fitness systems that incorporate many components for cross-training. It Can Help Prevent Boredom. Sticking to your favorite style of workout Bombas socks may be fine, but doing the same workout day in and day out, ad nauseam, is a surefire way to bore yourself right out of the gym. Not to mention, you're less likely to keep pushing yourself hard during workouts if your body's on autopilot. Cross-training is a great way to break up your standard workout and put some "oomph" back into your training routine. You'll never be bored if you're constantly adding new and different workouts to your training program. It Can Reduce the Likelihood of Injuries. If you do the same workout every time you hit the gym or street, you're constantly placing stress on the same muscle groups, in the exact same manner, over and over and over again. If this goes on for too long, you're practically asking for an overuse injury. Cross-training gives overworked muscles, tendons, and ligaments the opportunity to rest and repair before they're put to work again. The other downside to performing the same workout repeatedly is that while some of your muscles are worked regularly, others may not receive the same level of attention. This can lead to muscular imbalances that contribute to injuries and chronic pain. When you choose a cross-training activity that effectively strengthens any weaknesses you may have, you're giving your body the balance it needs to support an active, injury-resistant lifestyle. It Can Enhance Motivation. Chances are you keep doing the same ol' workout for one or several of the following reasons:. But after a while, it becomes harder and harder to set new goals and push yourself if there's no change to your routine. Cross-training is a great way to add challenge to your workout, providing new opportunities to set new goals. For instance, incorporating a new yoga class into your cardio-heavy workout routine won't be easy. Chances are you won't have the balance or flexibility to do all the poses on your first go-around. But this challenge gives you room to grow, and you may find yourself getting fired up to nail a warrior III or crow pose. It's Inefficient—and That's a Good Thing. Bodies are pretty amazing. They're designed to conserve energy and perform tasks as efficiently as possible. They do this when a task is repeated regularly by improving neural pathways, developing stronger motor units , undergoing cellular adaptations to enhance energy delivery , and creating "muscle memory" to put oft-repeated tasks on autopilot. These are all awesome features related to human physiology, but from a fitness standpoint, there's an upper limit to the benefit. The more you repeat a single workout, the more you experience the law of diminishing returns. As your body becomes more efficient, you burn fewer calories and experience fewer adaptations, resulting in the dreaded fitness plateau. For example, If you start a workout program with the goal of running three miles at a minute-per-mile pace, it's probably going to feel pretty challenging at first, and it might take you a while to hit your goal. But if you keep at it, your body adapts and you hit the mark. If you then continue to run three miles at a minute-per-mile pace, never adjusting or changing your routine, your body becomes more efficient, and the workout becomes easier and you stop seeing improvements beyond your initial gains—something that becomes especially obvious if you're tracking your progress with an Apple or Garmin running watch. Cross-training is a way to keep your body guessing. When you introduce new exercises and new routines into your schedule, you're reminding your brain and your body that you haven't mastered these new routines—that your body needs to work harder to overcome its inefficiencies. These constant changes and adaptations ultimately enhance your level of fitness and help bust you through workout plateaus. It Can Help You Develop New Skills. Let's say you're a cyclist who decides to take up dance on a large scale, you're learning a new skill. But skill development through cross-training goes deeper than that. In addition to the five health-related components of fitness, there are also six skill-related components of fitness. These athletic skills include speed, power, reaction time, agility, balance, and coordination. Like the health-related fitness components, the skill-related components are all equally important for well-balanced athletic performance. Cross-training gives you the opportunity to develop skills that might fall outside those of your favorite workout. Take, for instance, the example of the cyclist who starts cross-training with dance. While cycling is an excellent way to develop power , speed , and balance, it's not necessarily going to enhance agility , coordination, or reaction time. It Offers Workout Flexibility. When you stop pigeonholing yourself into a single workout routine, you're more mentally and physically prepared to roll with the punches that sometimes interfere with day-to-day workout plans. For instance, if you typically run three days a week and cross-train two days a week by taking a strength training class at your local gym, the next time a big storm prevents you from getting your run in, you can simply mix up your workout schedule and hit the gym for a rain-free routine. Or if your boxing class is unexpectedly full, you don't have to ditch your workout plans. You can simply hit the cardio equipment or weight room instead. The more comfortable you are with a variety of workouts, and the more open you are to the benefits of cross-training, the more flexible you can be about your schedule and plans. If you're still not sure how to incorporate cross-training into your weekly workout, use these tips to develop your plan. Make a Schedule. There's no need to completely upend your current workout schedule to accommodate cross-training. Look at your weekly plan and ask yourself a single question: How can I fit cross-training into the mix? A good rule of thumb is to include one to two cross-training routines each week. You can do this one of three ways:. The option that works best for you is completely reliant on how much time you have to dedicate to your workouts and what type of cross-training you're hoping to do. For instance, if you want to add flexibility training to your routine, you could add a yoga class to your schedule once a week, you could replace one of your other workouts with a yoga class, or you could carve out 15 extra minutes on the days you're already scheduled to workout and dedicate those 15 minutes to stretching. The important thing is to come up with a game plan and a schedule to make cross-training happen. Try New Things. Even when it comes to cross-training, it's easy to get stuck in a rut. Plan to switch up your cross-training workout roughly once a month. You can do this in four different ways:. Think About Impact. One other way to think about incorporating cross-training is to consider the level of impact your current workout has so you can select a cross-training routine that counterbalances that impact. You see, high-impact and weight-bearing exercises help build muscle mass and bone density, but they also place greater stress on your bones and joints. If your routine consists heavily of high-impact activities like running and jumping, it's a good idea to cross-train with lower-impact activities like swimming, cycling, or rowing. The reverse is true as well. If your primary workout is lower-impact, it's a good idea to incorporate weight-bearing or higher-impact exercises into your cross-training routine. For example, swimmers may want to cross-train with strength training or dancing. If you need a place to start, consider the following information on cross-training for specific sports, activities, and goals:. At the end of the day, there's no right or wrong way to go about implementing a cross-training routine. Don't waste time overanalyzing your decisions or getting caught up in the "rules. The goal is to develop better health through the cultivation of well-balanced measures of physical fitness. This won't happen overnight, so start by choosing a cross-training activity, then stick with it. After a month, you can reassess. There's simply no need to stress about how to get started. By Laura Williams, MSEd, ASCM-CEP Laura Williams is a fitness expert and advocate with certifications from the American Council on Exercise and the American College of Sports Medicine. Use limited data to select advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising. Use profiles to select personalised advertising. Therefore, I am always incorporating different exercises that will work toward the same results within the same fitness component. I call that a win-win! As mentioned in the bullet points, Cross Training aids in injury prevention. While there are multiple potential causes of an injury, one major factor can be due to overuse of a particular body part. As you can imagine, if you are consistently doing the same motion over and over, it can lead to an overuse injury. When this type of injury does develop, Cross Training can come to the rescue! Furthermore, Cross Training is a wonderful benefit for those who may have become injured along the way. For example, runners typically run in a linear movement. It is also important to ensure you train laterally seeing as you are consistently only training linearly. While we know your muscles are conditioned to complete whatever activity you have been doing, working a different plane of motion can help decrease your risk of injury as well. You can also become injured by not providing your body with adequate recovery between workouts. As mentioned earlier, human beings are creatures of habit; we like our routines. One should always factor in a rest day in order to keep our bodies well-oiled and running smoothly. So long as you can approximate your intensity during your normal mode of choice, you should be able to maintain your conditioning through other activities that are similar in intensity, duration, and structure. Some examples of Cross Training include: cycling, running, walking, aerobic dancing, rowing, stair climbing, elliptical, skiing, swimming, basketball, recreational sports, hiking, etc. Quinn, We also encourage you to consider Cross Training that consists of lower-impact exercises such as an elliptical or bike, especially if your body is not yet used to the repetitive impact of running Matthews, The great news is that you can still increase your cardiorespiratory fitness even if you are not doing the exact mode of exercise that you will be doing in competition. Try different things!! There are multiple modes of exercise to help reach your ultimate goal. If you find that you may need a little assistance in programming, remember we have a stellar Personal Training crew that can help get you there. One last thing to consider is a well-rounded program. Lifting weights can be very beneficial to aerobically trained individuals and vice-versa. I would dive a bit deeper into that last sentence, but this sounds like a great topic for a future blog post. Stay tuned! Fitzgerald, M. Eight Benefits Of Cross-Training. Heyward, V. Designing Cardio Respiratory Exercise Programs. In Advanced Fitness Assessment and Exercise Prescription 6th ed.
10 Cross Training Exercises for Endurance Athletes: Prevent Injuries and Improve Performance	Cross training can also include aerobic training for cardiovascular fitness or yoga for mobility for example, says Cagley. Cross-training can take the guesswork out. One of the best things about cross-training is that anyone can benefit from it—from swimmers to powerlifters and everyone in between. For example, running and cycling often recruit your quadriceps the large muscle group in the front of your thigh , therefore routinely strengthening the anterior or front of your lower-body. But that leaves your posterior chain, notably your hamstrings , weakened. Cross-training helps even out this muscle imbalance to not just improve strength overall but also help prevent injuries from overcompensation of tight, overworked muscles. Cross-training also means you can add some spontaneity, diversity, and fun into your training—a huge bonus for those who are starting to get bored or hit the dreaded plateau with their results. Joyful activities such as hiking, surfing, or playing basketball that feel more like an adventure than a prescriptive workout also count as cross-training, adds Cagley. Creating this balanced workout will help prevent excess repetitive stress on certain areas of the body. You can add cycling, running, or anything aerobic to hit your cardiovascular system. Then tailor your cross-training to the muscles needed in those activities, says Cagley. If you lift already, add some cardio into the mix. Not only will this make things more fun for you both, but having a buddy makes trying something new less intimidating. Cross training allows for variation in your routine. Ready to get started? Here are some great ways to incorporate cross-training into your workout routine no matter what your primary activity of choice may be. Runners will benefit greatly from utilizing cycling as an alternative cardio exercise. Cycling helps build and maintain endurance while also limiting the high, repetitive impact from running that can be hard on the joints like knees and hips, says Cagley. Yoga is universally beneficial. Stability, core strength, and a resilient mindset are all added bonuses of yoga that can help make you a more well-rounded athlete. Swimmers might enjoy taking a rowing class as the sport engages similar muscle groups used in many swimming strokes, particularly in the legs and back, says Cagley. Subscribe for a weekly dose of fitness, plus the latest promos, launches, and events. For more about how we use your information, see our Privacy Policy. Enter your email to get articles, instructor tips, and updates from Peloton sent to your inbox. Peloton The Output Logo. Train Recover Level Up Connect Shop Open in new Tab. Search Menu icon. Train Bike Row Run Sculpt Strength Train Beginners Yoga Cardio. Connect Member Tips Member Stories Meet Instructors Inspiration Peloton News. Social Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Copy link to clipboard Share via email. In this article Arrow What Is Cross-Training? Arrow How Does Cross Training Differ from Strength Training Arrow Why Is Cross-Training Important? RELATED: This is the Ultimate Cross-Training Machine for Runners. Cross training is one of the best ways to add volume to your training program while minimizing your risk of injury. Essentially, cross-training can act as a protective and preventive measure against injuries by reducing the impact and forces on your muscles, joints, bones, tendons, and ligaments, adding variation to the repetitive stress imposed by running, and correcting muscle imbalances caused by running by strengthening opposing muscles. Aerobic cross-training activities such as cycling, elliptical trainers, jumping rope, and rollerblading, can also improve your cardiovascular fitness, which can boost your running performance. Low-impact exercises, on the other hand, involve movements or activities wherein at least one foot remains in contact with the ground or supporting your body weight. Examples include walking, cycling, barre, stand-up paddle boarding, and rowing. Cross-training exercises that complement the muscular demands of running by relying on opposing muscles are also ideal because they can help correct muscle imbalances and make you a more resilient athlete. For example, cycling puts different demands on your quads, glutes, and hamstrings, so it can be a good adjunct to running. The question of how much runners should cross train, which is referred to as training volume, involves considering the frequency and duration of cross training workouts. Depending on your level of fitness, goals, injury risk, and interests, your training program should include cross-training workouts anywhere from an occasional, one-off workout to a times per week staple. Runners who are more injury prone, new to the sport, or returning after an extended break should rely more heavily on cross-training than seasoned runners with demonstrated tolerance for higher mileage weeks. Cross-training workouts are usually used as substitutes for lower-intensity recovery runs, following long runs, tempo runs, races, or other hard efforts.
Best Exercises for Runners: The Ultimate Cross-Training Workout	Lululemon Just Dropped New Men's Hiking Apparel. Filed to: Arms Chest Core Exercises Injury Prevention Legs Running Tips Workouts. Can it Hold Up in a Museum? Anything that is low intensity and moves the body can be an active recovery exercise. Laura Williams, MSEd, ASCM-CEP. Furthermore, Cross Training is a wonderful benefit for those who may have become injured along the way. When done correctly, cross-training can help runners run faster , longer, and stay healthy.
10 Great Cross-Training Exercises For Runners	Place your hands on your hips to make sure they remain level, take a hip-width step to one side, and, with control, bring the second foot to meet the first. Continue in the same direction for 12 to 15 steps, then repeat in the opposite direction. Pay close attention to proper form. Make sure to keep your toes pointed forward and your pelvis level throughout the movement. Volume: Three to four sets of 20 steps in each direction or until your form breaks down. What it does: Builds strength and stability in the core muscles through an isometric hold. How to do it: From a kneeling position, place your forearms on the ground shoulder-width apart, with your elbows directly below your shoulders. Extend your legs behind you, feet together and toes tucked under, so that your body forms a straight line from your heels to your head. Engage your core. Keep your back flat—no sagging, arching, or tipping the hips—and your head up so your neck is in line with your spine. Hold this position until you break form when your hips sag or lift. Remember to breathe. If you lose form in less than a minute, begin with multiple shorter holds such as six reps of second holds, with 15 to 30 seconds of rest between each , and work your way up to a minute. If one minute feels too easy, lift one limb from the ground for a three-point plank alternate which arm or leg you lift every set , wear a weighted vest, or have a friend place a plate weight on your back. What it does: Strengthens the glutes and hips to better assist the hamstrings and to improve stability and control of the knees. How to do it: Loop a resistance band around your ankles, and stand with your feet together and a slight bend in your knees. Take diagonal steps backward, alternating sides. Between each step, bring your feet back together. Keep your toes pointed straight ahead, and focus on knee position and good form. What it does: Strengthens your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. How to do it: Stand in front of a sturdy box or bench that comes to somewhere between midshin and just below your knee the shorter the easier. Step onto the box with one foot. Make sure your entire foot is on the box, not just the forefoot, then engage your quad, press through with your heel, and stand to bring your lower leg up onto the box. Your upper leg should do all of the work. Step back down for one repetition. Alternate which leg goes first every rep. Keep your torso upright and your hips and shoulders level throughout the movement. Make it harder by wearing a weighted vest or holding dumbbells. Volume: Start with 15 reps on each leg, and once you add weight, reduce to six to eight reps on each leg. What it does: Strengthens the core, with a focus on the obliques and rotational core control. How to do it: Lie on your back, with your arms out to either side, palms down for support. From this neutral position, slowly rotate your hips and lower your legs to one side until your feet almost touch the floor, then reverse the movement back to neutral and repeat on the other side for one repetition. Continue swinging your legs from side to side like windshield wipers. Perform the exercise slowly and in control. Press down with your hands to keep your shoulders and upper back flat on the floor. Hold your feet together and your legs straight throughout the movement. If you cannot complete six to eight reps with straight legs, try bending your knees to make it easier. Volume: As many as possible before losing form. When you can do ten reps to each side with straight legs and perfect form, make it harder by wearing heavier boots or ankle weights. What it does: Strengthens the quads, hamstrings, and glutes and also trains balance. How to do it: Stand tall, with your feet hip-width apart and your toes pointed forward. Take an exaggerated step forward about two feet in distance , then sink your hips until your front thigh is parallel to the ground or as deep as you can go comfortably. Your rear knee should not touch the ground, and your front knee should not go beyond your toes. Push back to the starting position for one repetition. Alternate legs each rep. Start with body weight only, and progress to holding dumbbells on each side. What it does: Strengthens the calves, which help lift your heels, bend your knees, and absorb impact when your feet strike the ground. Calf strength also provides resilience against Achilles tendinitis. How to do it: Stand with the balls of your feet on the edge of a step so that your heels hang off this allows you to work your full range of motion. Press through your toes to lift your heels as high as you can, pause, then slowly lower your heels until you feel a slight stretch in your calves. If this is too easy, use both calves to rise up, then lift one leg off the ground and lower slowly over three to four seconds and in control with the other. Alternate the lowering leg every rep. The hardest variation is a single-leg lift, in which you complete all reps on one leg, then switch to the other. You can add a weighted vest or hold dumbbells as well. Volume: For the double-leg variation, do 15 to 20 reps with body weight only. How to Start a Walking Routine. What Is Hyrox? Here's Everything You Need to Know. A Goblet Squat Workout for Better Stability. What Is the Average Walking Speed? Build Stronger Arms in 10 Minutes. Incline Walking vs. Running: Which is Better? The Best Cross-Training Shoes for Every Workout. A Quick Cardio Workout You Can Do Outdoors. How to Find a Personal Trainer. 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Cross-training exercises -

Social Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Copy link to clipboard Share via email. In this article Arrow What Is Cross-Training? Arrow How Does Cross Training Differ from Strength Training Arrow Why Is Cross-Training Important?

Arrow Tips for Effective Cross-Training Arrow Best Cross-Training Exercises for Athletes Arrow. How Does Cross Training Differ from Strength Training.

The Benefits of Cross-Training. Improves muscle imbalances. Make fitness [more] fun. Prevents overuse injuries. Improves overall fitness.

Tips for Effective Cross-Training. Get specific. Start slow. Switch up your cardio. Find inspiration in your friends. Best Cross-Training Exercises for Athletes. Strength training. Try the Peloton App for Free.

Share: Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Copy link to clipboard Share via email. Level up your inbox. By providing your email address, you agree to receive marketing communications from Peloton. When your right knee is bent, straighten your left leg and reach it out in front of you at a degree angle.

Come through center and perform on the opposite side, bringing your left knee to your right elbow and straightening the right leg. Continue alternating legs and squeeze your core. Repeat 10 times to each side. Stand with your feet as wide as your shoulders, toes pointing forward.

Press down through your heels to return to standing. Start by getting down on all fours with your palms on the mat a little wider than shoulder-width apart. Make sure your arms are straight.

Scoot your knees back a few inches and shift forward to make sure your shoulders are over your wrists, but your knees are behind your hips. Bend at the elbows, lowering your body until your chest almost touches the mat, then press down into the ground to straighten your elbows and push your body back up.

Return to the starting position and repeat 10 times. Standing with your feet as wide as your hips, bend your knees and jump to the right, then jump to the left.

Move your legs together or, for a modification, simply step to the right with your right foot and have your left foot follow, and alternate to the left side with the left foot leading. Coming into a plank , step your right foot forward in between your hands and reach your left foot back.

Keep your left hand on the mat and twist to the right with your right arm reaching out to the right and then up toward the sky. Pull your abs in, and then bring the right arm down to the outside of your right foot.

Switch legs, stepping the left foot forward and the right foot back. Keep your right hand on the mat as you twist to the left, reaching your left arm out and up. Repeat this 5 times to each side. Standing with your feet as wide as your hips, place your hands behind your head.

Then step your right foot out to the right and perform a side lunge by sitting back into the right glute. Reach the right glute backward as you keep the left leg straight. Press down through your right heel as you come back to center with your knee up, and twist your torso to the right.

Reach your left elbow toward your right knee. Repeat 10 times and then switch sides. Start standing with your feet hips-width apart. Then, step your left foot back and lower down into a lunge. Press down through the right heel to straighten the right leg as you lift the left leg forward and up toward your chest.

Balance for a few seconds then slowly step the left foot back into the backward lunge. Repeat 10 times before switching sides. Place your hands on your hips or hold a weight at the center of your chest for a challenge. Stand with your feet as wide as your hips and hold a dumbbell in each hand.

Reach your arms toward the floor as you hinge forward at the hips, leaning your torso forward on a diagonal. Then fly your arms out to the sides as high as the shoulders. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and then release down to the starting position.

Stand on your tip toes with your feet shoulder-width apart. Press down through your toes to return to standing. Lift your legs up, with knees bent in a tabletop position for a more challenging move, straighten your legs toward the sky engaging the core.

Using your abs to control the movement, slowly lower your legs to the right hovering a few inches off of the floor. When your feet get close to the floor, reverse the movement of your legs, moving them back through center and down to the left side of your body.

Alternate sides every rep. If a strict push-up is too difficult, start on an incline elevate your hands on a box, a bench, or even a table—the higher, the easier or with your knees on the floor. When you can easily complete ten or more reps of this exercise, make it more difficult by elevating your feet on a box, a bench, or an exercise ball or by wearing a weighted vest.

For an extra upper-body workout, hold light dumbbells in your hands. What it does: Strengthens the hip abductors to improve stability and control of the knees. How to do it: Stand with your feet together and knees slightly bent, and loop a resistance band around your ankles.

Place your hands on your hips to make sure they remain level, take a hip-width step to one side, and, with control, bring the second foot to meet the first. Continue in the same direction for 12 to 15 steps, then repeat in the opposite direction.

Pay close attention to proper form. Make sure to keep your toes pointed forward and your pelvis level throughout the movement. Volume: Three to four sets of 20 steps in each direction or until your form breaks down.

What it does: Builds strength and stability in the core muscles through an isometric hold. How to do it: From a kneeling position, place your forearms on the ground shoulder-width apart, with your elbows directly below your shoulders. Extend your legs behind you, feet together and toes tucked under, so that your body forms a straight line from your heels to your head.

Engage your core. Keep your back flat—no sagging, arching, or tipping the hips—and your head up so your neck is in line with your spine.

Hold this position until you break form when your hips sag or lift. Remember to breathe. If you lose form in less than a minute, begin with multiple shorter holds such as six reps of second holds, with 15 to 30 seconds of rest between each , and work your way up to a minute.

If one minute feels too easy, lift one limb from the ground for a three-point plank alternate which arm or leg you lift every set , wear a weighted vest, or have a friend place a plate weight on your back. What it does: Strengthens the glutes and hips to better assist the hamstrings and to improve stability and control of the knees.

How to do it: Loop a resistance band around your ankles, and stand with your feet together and a slight bend in your knees. Take diagonal steps backward, alternating sides. Between each step, bring your feet back together.

Keep your toes pointed straight ahead, and focus on knee position and good form. What it does: Strengthens your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. How to do it: Stand in front of a sturdy box or bench that comes to somewhere between midshin and just below your knee the shorter the easier.

Step onto the box with one foot. Make sure your entire foot is on the box, not just the forefoot, then engage your quad, press through with your heel, and stand to bring your lower leg up onto the box. Your upper leg should do all of the work.

Step back down for one repetition. Alternate which leg goes first every rep. Keep your torso upright and your hips and shoulders level throughout the movement. Make it harder by wearing a weighted vest or holding dumbbells. Volume: Start with 15 reps on each leg, and once you add weight, reduce to six to eight reps on each leg.

What it does: Strengthens the core, with a focus on the obliques and rotational core control.

Specializing in Cross-training exercises type wxercises workout Crosz-training love the Cross-training exercises is great, but versatility in your exercise habits breeds even better results. What Is Cross-Training? How Does Cross Training Differ from Strength Training Arrow. Why Is Cross-Training Important? Tips for Effective Cross-Training Arrow. Heading out the Cross-trwining Read Cross-training exercises article on the Cross-training exercises app available now on iOS devices Cross-training exercises Cross-yraining More than 90 percent of runners experience Cross-rraining sort of sports-related injury throughout their career, according to a review published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. But despite the fact that strength training can make you more resilientplenty of runners still avoid the weight room. General strength exercises will shore up any weaknesses and improve biomechanics, but their benefits extend beyond injury prevention.