Can cross-training improve your running?

Most experts believe there is no substitute for training in your own sport if you are serious. If you want to improve your speed in running and your endurance, you need to devote a lot of your training to running.

However, casual competitors and exercisers, for whom exceptional performance in just running is not the uppermost goal, are most likely to benefit from cross-training. Top athletes too take to cross-training to maintain aerobic fitness while recovering from an injury.

Take a look at theses questions below and see if you answer ‘yes’ to any of them:

1. Are you bored with your current exercise / training regime?

2. Have you suffered any exercise related injuries in the past year? (There is a link between poor flexibility and injury, so do you answer ‘yes’ to the next question too?)

3. Do you miss out stretching and rarely find time to relax and "chill out" after your exercise regime?

4. Apart from running, the other two most common activities for cross-training (in aerobic fitness) is cycling and swimming. Do you like these activities?

5. Do you feel like being more challenged in your training? (If you have an hour a day, four days a week, that you can devote to exercise, you could include cross-training into your life.)

6. Do you want to feel stronger? Do you suffer with poor posture or back ache? Do you want to keep your bones strong and healthy?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions then cross-training could help to complete the picture. It helps to fill in the gaps and balance our training. Why not look at your training regime now and think how cross-training makes sense.

Make cross-training beneficial to you and your running!