Cross-training is the incorporation of a variety of different exercises in a training or fitness program. Cross-training gained popularity in the 1980s and is a popular workout technique today. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, cross-training is ideal for the development of a balanced fitness regimen that provides a total body workout.
Cross-Training Program
A cross-training program can include aerobic activities, strength training and flexibility exercises. Aerobic exercises that improve cardiovascular fitness include walking, jogging, stair climbing and swimming. Strength training activities, such as weight lifting and resistance training, help build and develop muscle mass. Flexibility exercises, such as yoga and Pilates, improve muscle tone and nimbleness. To incorporate cross-training in your workout regimen, you can perform a different activity each day, or alternate between short intervals of varied exercises during a single workout.
Benefits of Cross-Training
Cross-training has several benefits to offer those who are trying to lose weight and improve fitness levels. A cross-training regimen involves different workout activities, which makes exercise more interesting. Cross-trainers adapt to newer exercises more easily from having trained different muscle groups. The risk of injury is lower and fitness benefits are greater as compared to a one-dimensional exercise program.
Cross-Training and Weight Loss
Many people who attempt to lose weight find their workout programs monotonous. A workout that involves repetitive exercises also increases chances of injury, because the same muscles are repeatedly subjected to the stress of exercise. These factors increase the rate of dropouts in workout programs. When you cross-train, the stress is distributed over different parts of your body. This reduces boredom and fatigue, which enables you to workout longer. According to the American Council on Exercise, cross-training is beneficial to individuals who are trying to reduce body weight and fat, because they can exercise longer and at higher intensities by incorporating different exercises in their workout.
Total Body Workout
Cross-training enables you to perform a variety of activities that improve aerobic conditioning, muscle mass and tone. For example, you can exercise on an elliptical machine for half an hour and then walk or run on the treadmill for 30 minutes. You could also combine half an hour of aerobic exercise with half an hour of strength training. Such a combination of exercises can effectively improve overall fitness and well-being. A person who only performs strength training or aerobic activities will not achieve the same fitness levels.
Flexibility
Even though people who cross-train have a lower risk of overuse injury, sometimes injuries occur because of insufficient rest or an unbalanced exercise regimen. In such cases, it is not necessary to discontinue your fitness routine. You can work on the uninjured parts of your body, and modify activities based on your doctor's advice. An individual who focuses on a single exercise would probably have to discontinue working out if there was an injury.
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