Athletes are always looking to push themselves harder. If you’re a sprinter, you’ll want to shave time off your 400-meter dash. If you’re a cyclist, maybe you want to increase your stamina. The best way to get there, though, isn’t to focus exclusively on one sport and only one sport. Instead, cross-training is an excellent way to improve your performance in your own sport, not to mention you’ll enjoy the break from training mainly in your sport of choice.
What Is Cross-Training?
The purpose of cross-training is to add more than one type of workout and/or sport into exercise regimen for maximum physical benefit. For example, runners can supplement their intensive cardio workouts with resistance training, yoga, Pilates, or a combination of these activities. Another reason athletes are encouraged to cross-train is to stay in good physical form without risking overuse injuries like sprains, strains, and other mishaps. By mixing it up and trying to do other exercises outside of your wheelhouse, overuse injuries can be prevented. The reason why is simple: constantly performing the same physical activity targets the same muscle groups repeatedly, and it taxes the body over time. Avoiding an overuse injury isn’t the only benefit of cross-training, though.
Cross-training promotes better overall fitness, it bolsters faster recovery, and it rejuvenates the mind as it provides a break from formal training in the athlete’s sport of choice. This break from intensive training in your sport can provide new motivation, too, and help alleviate any gym-session boredom.
What Does Cross-Training Involve?
Cross-training programs vary, depending on the sport you practice. Generally, though, the purpose of cross-training is to strike a balance. For instance, if you are an avid cyclist or runner, you may choose to ramp up your weight training to give yourself a break from your cardio-heavy activities. Cross-training may simply mean mixing up your regular routine by taking a new Zumba class or doing yoga in the park with friends. This sense of camaraderie will help you find the joy in working out in a new, exciting way.
How Can Cross-Training Make Me a Better Athlete?
The fringe benefits of cross-training are many, such as:
- Better recovery: By focusing on other muscle groups, you can further your overall fitness. If you’re recovering from an overuse injury, cross-training can help get you back in the game playing your main sport more quickly.
- Better performance: You don’t need to pound the pavement for every workout as a runner. If you’re a cyclist, you don’t need to be in the saddle every waking moment to be a top competitor. Instead, working in other disciplines can supplement your core sport training and bring its own benefits rather than simply logging more training time for your own sport.
- Better fitness: Because most sports rely only on certain muscle groups, that means others are left somewhat neglected by comparison. Cross-training can work out multiple muscle groups, which can help you overcome physical obstacles.
Want to learn more about the cross-training exercises that could benefit you? Contact us at ProFysio by dialing (732) 812-5200 to speak to a member of our staff and book an appointment.