Athletes and weekend warriors alike should always incorporate cross training into their exercise schedule. But why is it so important? There are lots of benefits to cross training and they may not be as obvious as you might think.
Why Is Cross Training So Important?
Mixing things up by incorporating different forms of exercises into your training gives your body a break from excessively repetitive movements. This is particularly true for sports like cycling, running, tennis and skiing, which have very repetitive motions and can put a lot of stress on a few muscles. This not only can lead to overuse injuries, but it also can cause muscle imbalances. All of which can result in unwanted injuries. By incorporating a different sport or exercise into your training, you can prevent injuries by giving your body a break as well as strengthen different muscles to help balance out any weaknesses.
Cross Training To Be a Better Athlete
Without a doubt, cross training makes you stronger and can make you a better athlete overall. Some of the best cross training any athlete (professional or recreational) can do is set aside some time to work on strength training and mobility exercises. Your time and efforts will pay off! Your performance will improve, and you will experience fewer and less severe injuries by building a more resilient body.
Cross Training To Stay Motivated
Sometimes you can get into a rut with our training. You’ve run the same route at the same pace 3 days a week for the past 2 years. You may be checking that box, but you are certainly not seeing any fitness improvements and are probably not feeling very motivated. Cross training is a great way to continuously challenge yourself by incorporating different activities into your exercise routine. Try supplementing your running with climbing or swimming and your body and mind will respond positively to the new challenges.