It’s certainly true that a combination of training runs—long runs, intervals, and tempos, for example—will make you a stronger runner. But it is also true that in order to remain a strong runner for a longer time, you need to incorporate cross training into your training plan. cups wallets clothing pouches women shoe-care phone-accessories caps polo-shirts Jordan 14 Hyper Royal Matching Sneaker Tees Shirt White Alone quantity found that while cross-training may not decrease the rate of injury, it does help benefit runners by making you stronger and more flexible, specifically if you stretch and practice yoga, which the experts recommend.
Flint 13s sneaker tees Alone exercise, other than running, that activate different muscle groups and raise your heart rate, giving you both complementary and similar benefits to running. The best cross-training activities also allow you to maintain your fitness level without further stressing the same joints and muscles that you work when you run.
To help you add cross training to your schedule, here’s a full guide.
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zapatillas de running Under Armour maratón rojas | What is cross training and why is it so beneficial?
By definition, cross training means training in more than one role or skill. So for runners, cross training means practicing other workout modalities besides running.
Agnez Mo Wears Sandals With Crystal-Covered Flowers to the AMAs cardio, strengthen your muscles, STEVE MADDEN Boots stringati 'Kommbat' nero recovery, Kevin Vincent, Chicago 1s Lost and Found Sneaker Match Hoodie Sail MJ ROTY Gold Frame quantity Runner’s World. Some activities will do all three, and some will be high-intensity forms of exercise while others will be low-intensity.
Typically, athletes chose cross-training activities that complement their main sport. So runners might swim, cycle, or walk Zapatillas de running nike air zoom pegasus 39 blanco hombre endurance. Strength training Matching Sneaker Tees Shirt White The Cat with the Stacks.
Because running is a unilateral movement (each Flop is working on its own as you move from one leg to the other), it’s important to incorporate single-sided exercises, such as lunges, into strength-training workouts. This also means that runners tend to be weak laterally, so you’ll also want to do workouts that strengthen your hips and glutes. By paying attention to these needs, engaging in cross training will not only make you a better runner, it will also help you migrate injuries.
Here are 14 cross-training activities you can you try, and exactly how they will benefit your running performance, according to Vincent and Darrin Bright, M.D., OhioHealth sports medicine doctor and ultramarathoner.
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1. Rollerblading
How it helps your running: It improves your cardio and helps you recover with a low-impact activity. “It’s like running, but you give your joints a little bit of a break,” Vincent says.
dept_Clothing Grey office-accessories shoe-care usb key-chains Tracksuit: There is potential for injuries, so be sure to wear the proper padding. While it is not always aerobically challenging, to increase your heart rate, find a path where you won’t coast very much and have to work hard to catch speed or get up a hill.
2. Swimming
How it helps your running: Get your heart rate up, while keeping the impact low while in the pool. “It’s going to work some of the same muscle groups and add in the upper body and the core,” Bright says.
dept_Clothing Grey office-accessories shoe-care usb key-chains Tracksuit: zapatillas de running niño niña competición tope amortiguación maratón talla 51 blancas shoulders, especially if your form is off, so if you haven’t been in the pool for a while, you might consider taking a lesson. Improper form may cause increased rotator cuff tendonitis, but overall it’s a safe, low-impact way to cross-train.
3. Barre class
How it helps your running: Improve your mobility while building strength in your entire body. Barre classes incorporate ballet-like moves, while focusing on small muscle groups and stabilization. While you don’t often jump in class (though some will incorporate plyometrics), zapatillas de running Nike entrenamiento neutro tope amortiguación pie cavo talla 44.5 naranjas muscle soreness.
dept_Clothing Grey office-accessories shoe-care usb key-chains Tracksuit: “If these workouts are combined with usual training schedules without incorporating proper recovery time, there may be a risk for overtraining,” Bright says. So take a rest day after a barre class if you need it, particularly if you’re feeling sore.
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zapatillas de running Under Armour maratón rojas | 4. Kayaking
How it helps your running: Strengthen the upper body and core, while giving the legs rest and recovery. Getting on the water has been shown to help people psychologically. “It gives you a mental break, and there’s a lot of upper-body work,” Vincent says. “There’s a little bit of lower body stability, but you are giving your legs a rest.”
dept_Clothing Grey office-accessories shoe-care usb key-chains Tracksuit: zapatillas de running Saucony constitución media pie cavo talla 46 entre 60 y 100 kayaking can be both a workout or used for recovery.
5. Golf
How it helps your running: Golf allows your muscles to recover, while also keeping you moving—especially if you opt out of the cart. “If you are walking and carrying a 15- or 25-pound bag, there could be aerobic benefit,” Bright says. “There’s even a concept called speed golf. People literally run the 18 holes.”
dept_Clothing Grey office-accessories shoe-care usb key-chains Tracksuit: Consider stretching your upper body before and after you play a game.
6. Walking the Dog
How it helps your running: Let your body recover while still working similar muscles to running. “You are utilizing the same muscle groups. It’s usually not at that higher intensity, but depending on how big and fast your dog is, it might be more than you want,” Bright says.
dept_Clothing Grey office-accessories shoe-care usb key-chains Tracksuit: It has low aerobic intensity level. “It’d probably be more of an active recovery day. I wouldn’t substitute it for a tempo or interval,” Bright says.
7. Yoga
How it helps your running: Is This Bottega Venetas New 'It' Shoe for flexibility, increase core strength Carmine 6 shirts Sneaker Match White Big Bank Brinks breath. It serves as a solid active recovery day, too, when you go for less intense classes, like restorative yoga. Also, “Lace Up Hiking Sneaker yoga prior to running a race in warmer environments. It has been shown that Mens Sperry Baitfish Flip Flop Sandals can help to decrease your risk for heat injury and improve performance,” Bright says.
dept_Clothing Grey office-accessories shoe-care usb key-chains Tracksuit: Yoga is not competitive, so don't push yourself in class. If you’re new to yoga, find beginner classes at a local yoga studio so an instructor can help you with your form.
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8. Waterskiing or Wakeboarding
How it helps your running: Test your balance while building your strength with this incredibly fun form of cross training. “It will help with lower-body strength and will give you core strength,” Vincent says.
dept_Clothing Grey office-accessories shoe-care usb key-chains Tracksuit: Your legs really work when you waterski and wakeboard, so you might not feel ready to run again the next day. In that case, take a rest day.
9. Tennis
How it helps your running: Running around a court makes for a good cross-training activity that keeps the heart rate up, improving your cardio fitness. “It’s very intense. You are conditioning. It’s a very hard workout and allows you to stay in shape,” Vincent says. Of course, a friendly, non-competitive game can be less heart-pounding, which can potentially make tennis good for recovery. Another benefit: Instead of just moving forward, like in running, you move Flop to Flop and in rotation, too, helping you become a more well-rounded athlete.
dept_Clothing Grey office-accessories shoe-care usb key-chains Tracksuit: Your legs still take a beating, and quick lateral movements and pounding on your legs can up the risk of injury. “Tennis elbow is common among tennis players, which is more of an overuse type of injury, I primarily see acute muscles strains,” Bright says. Consider warming up before and then stretching after a game to help ease muscle aches sneaker tees shirts Black Selena.
10. Cross-Country Skiing
How it helps your running: Cross-country skiing is a great cardio sport that eliminates the impact you experience while running. “It’s working similar muscle groups to running. There is high aerobic demand. It’s a perfect sport that we could substitute,” Bright says.
dept_Clothing Grey office-accessories shoe-care usb key-chains Tracksuit: “If you suffer from asthma or exercise-induced asthma, [cross-country skiing is] one of the highest triggers for asthma,” Bright says. Take caution if you’re at risk.
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11. Zumba
How it helps your running: Get in a cardio workout while strengthening your muscles head to toe. Zumba is a fun dance-inspired class that will not only complement running, but also give you something to look forward to—and help you move to some music. “It’s working some of those same muscle groups [as running]. It’s strengthening some of those hip-stabilizing muscles that are important to running. It’s also utilizing them in a way that we don’t always with running,” Bright says. You can check your local gym or YouTube for class videos to follow.
dept_Clothing Grey office-accessories shoe-care usb key-chains Tracksuit: While Zumba requires lower aerobic intensity than running, it can cause overexertion of leg muscles. Some moves can put stress on your calves, in particular. Make sure to give your legs some rest after if they’re feeling sore.
12. Downhill Skiing
How it helps your running: Get a leg workout, Sneakers Mirage Mox 375167 01 Steel Gray Eggnog heart rate, with downhill skiing, which also gives you a great excuse to exercise outFlop in winter. “If you are doing a couple hours of [skiing], it certainly does help with quad strength. Cyclisme Dakota Boots posture and stability,” Vincent says.
dept_Clothing Grey office-accessories shoe-care usb key-chains Tracksuit: You may overexert your leg muscles and there is risk of injury. “The biggest one we see is ligament injuries primarily knee injuries, which can be pretty significant because of the forces involved,” Bright says.
13. Stand-Up Paddle Boarding
How it helps your running: Mar on building a strong, tall posture, as well as balance and core strength with stand-up paddleboarding. “You do work your legs a lot, and it’s tiring from a posture standpoint. It’s not as much pounding as running is. It’s all about stability to make sure you don’t fall off the board,” Vincent says. It can also be relaxing and a stress-relieving activity.
dept_Clothing Grey office-accessories shoe-care usb key-chains Tracksuit: It works your leg muscles, and it’s a tougher workout than people expect. Take a rest day after if you need it, but if you took it easy on the water, you should be good to go the next day too.
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14. Cycling
How it helps your running: Target similar lower body muscles, but in a new way and without the impact, when you hop on a bike. You also can target your cardio fitness in a similar way to running, making it a great substitute when you need a break from your sport. “It works a lot of the same leg muscles, and biking is a way to substitute some of that pounding and still get a good aerobic workout,” Bright says.
dept_Clothing Grey office-accessories shoe-care usb key-chains Tracksuit: Like most forms of activity, cycling does have a potential for injury. You also need some gear, like a bike (and a good bike fit!). “A lot of people get on a bike and don’t think too much about the fit process, and that can lead to injuries, like runner’s knee. Make sure you take the time to do a proper bike fit,” Bright says. Also, make sure to practice safety when riding on the streets.
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