Cross-Training

Enjoying different forms of exercise is a great way to cross-train.

You consider yourself to be in better-than-average shape. You run several times a week for health and fitness, and maybe do an occasional fun run on the weekend.

Then friends come into town during the winter and you decide to go skiing. "No problem," you think, "I'm in great shape." After a day on the slopes, however, you feel like you've been run over by Santa's sleigh and all his reindeer. What's going on?

You may think you're in great shape, but if you focus solely on one activity, you may not be in as great of shape as you think. You may, in fact, be setting yourself up for injuries, overuse syndromes, or worse still—boredom and dropping your fitness routine. What to do? Simple: cross-train.

Why Cross-train

Cross-training is a great way to condition different muscle groups, develop a new set of skills, and reduce boredom that creeps in after months of the same exercise routines. It allows you to vary the stress placed on specific muscles or your cardiovascular system. After months of the same movements, your body becomes extremely efficient performing those movements.

While that's great for competition, it limits the amount of overall fitness you possess and reduces the actual conditioning you get while training. Rather than continuing to improve, you simply maintain a certain level of fitness. Additionally, cross-training is extremely helpful at reducing the risk of injury from repetitive strain or overuse.

Put Variety in Your Routine

The term "cross-training" refers to a training routine that involves several different forms of exercise. While it's necessary for athletes to train specifically for their sport if they want to excel, for most sports enthusiasts, cross-training is a beneficial training method for maintaining a high level of overall fitness.

For example, you may use both biking and swimming each week to improve your overall aerobic capacity, build overall muscle strength, and reduce the chance of an overuse injury. Cross-training limits the stress that occurs on a specific muscle group because different activities use muscles in slightly different ways.

With cross-training, you can do one form of exercise each day, or more than one in a day. If you do both on the same day, you can change the order in which you do them. You can easily tailor cross-training to your needs and interests; mix and match your sports and change your routine on a regular basis.

Exercise can strengthen the cardiovascular system, bones, muscles, and joints; reduce body fat; and improve flexibility, balance, and coordination. To see all of these benefits, you'll need to start cross-training!