According to the Mayo Clinic, cross training--which combines two or more types of physical activity--is an effective way to improve your fitness, add variety to your workout program and reduce your risk of repetitive strain injuries. Cross training is also a helpful way to inject new energy into your workout program, help you to meet your fitness goals and boost your overall fitness. Cross training workout programs should include exercises that work multiple body systems.
Strength Training
An effective and well-rounded cross training workout program should include some strength training, whether it be weight training or resistance training that incorporates your body weight or elastic tubing. According the Running Planet website, strength training is an important exercise that improves your athletic performance. The Mayo Clinic lists the following as health and fitness benefits associated with strength training: increased bone density and strength, improved weight regulation, a reduced likelihood of injury, increased joint stability, enhanced endurance and stamina and an improved sense of well-being. If you regularly participate in endurance-based activities such as running, cycling or swimming, mixing strength training into your routine can provide you with a welcome change of pace. It can also help you to avoid repetitive strain injuries by taking some time away from the movements of your primary sport or activity.
Stair Climbing
Stair climbing is a helpful exercise to include in your cross training workout program because it's simple, cost-effective, physiologically challenging and convenient--especially if you work in an office building with multiple flights of stairs. A 2005 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine states that stair climbing on a regular basis improves your aerobic fitness and helps you to better regulate your blood lipid levels. These researchers also note that even short bouts of stair climbing can yield beneficial results, which means that stair climbing as a cross training activity can be easily slotted into your day without you having to worry that your fitness levels will decrease. If your primary sport or activity has created a lower extremity muscle imbalance, stair climbing can help you regain this balance. Because of the up and down nature of the activity, stair climbing helps balance the strength and tone of your hamstring and quadriceps muscles.
Water Running
Water running, especially deep water running, is an effective injury rehabilitation tool and cross training activity that you should consider incorporating into your cross training workout program. Water running is an appropriate cross training activity for all athletes, although runners, especially, may benefit from the activity because it's so specific to the running motion. One of the principle benefits of water running as a cross training workout is its low-impact nature. Because most sports, especially competitive sports, involve a tearing-down process, and because water-based activity unweights your body and relieves pressure on your joints and tissues, water running is an effective method of helping your body to recover while maintaining your high level of fitness. The Marathon Training website touts deep water running as a particularly beneficial cross training activity for long distance runners.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Cross Training: Rev Up Your Exercise Program With Variety
- Running Planet: Top Ten Cross Training Workouts for Distance Runners
- Mayo Clinic: Strength training: Get stronger, Leaner and Healthier
- Marathon Training: Marathon Training Program: Cross Training
- "British Journal of Sports Medicine;" Training Effects of Short Bouts of Stair Climbing; C.A.G. Boreham et al.; 2005
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