Learn about cross training and its benefits

Perhaps you are great at one particular activity, running or spinning for example. It’s something you do routinely and excel at it. But if that’s all you do day after day you may be setting yourself up for injury or boredom. Cross training can help. 

The term cross training refers to a training routine that involves several different forms of exercise. For an athlete it is necessary to train specifically for their sport in order to excel but for most of us cross training is beneficial for maintaining a high level of overall fitness. Cross training also limits the stress that occurs on a specific muscle group because of different activities use muscles in different ways. It can also reduce the risk of injury from repetitive strain or overuse. 

Cross training is a good way to condition different muscle groups, develop new skills and reduce boredom from doing the same routine month after month. It can also allow for varying the stress placed on specific muscles or even on your cardiovascular system. After months of the same movements your body becomes efficient at performing these movements. While great for competition, overall fitness and actual conditioning you get while training is limited. Rather than continuing to improve you maintain a certain level of fitness. Sticking to just one activity the number of calories burned by that activity may decrease as much as 25%. For example exercise 45 minutes a day on a treadmill at the same intensity each workout, over time you will not benefit as much as you did when you first started. Your body will become used to the routine and it’ll become more and more difficult to meet fitness goals. 

How to incorporate variety or cross training into your routine can be challenging. For example, instead of using the treadmill for 45 minutes each time you’re at the gym, try a stationary bike for 30mins and then 15minutes on a stair climber. Some treadmills have programs that allow you to simulate hills with varying steepness. Or the intensity level can be adjusted. Or perhaps swim one day and lift weights another. Gyms with an extensive choice of group fitness classes make cross training easy. Try a spinning class one week, step aerobics the next and kick boxing another. Try a Pilates class one day and yoga the next. 

Benefits of Cross Training

• Reduces exercise boredom 
• Allows for flexibility when training 
• Produces a higher level of all around condition 
• Conditions the entire body, not just specific muscle groups 
• Reduces the risk of injury 
• Some muscles are worked while other rest and recover 
• Can continue to train while injured 
• Improves skill, agility and balance 

With cross training a different form of exercise can be done each day or even more than one form in a day. Exercise can strengthen the cardiovascular system, bones, muscles, joints, reduce body fat and improve flexibility, balance and coordination. But to see all the benefits, cross training need to be incorporated.

Pilates Cross Training for Spring and Summer

Pilates is a great form of cross training for any sport.  With summer fast approaching and the weather getting increasingly better, playing and enjoying the outdoors will soon be reality.  Making the reality of enjoying the summer season and lifestyle as pleasant an experience as possible means being ready for it.  Whether it’s running, cycling, playing tennis, golf, just lounging around on the beach or being able to wear the latest summer styles, Pilates is a fantastic way to strengthen, tone, increase energy and enjoy the longer days and sunshine.  The core strength that is commonly associated with Pilates classes is beneficial to so many.  It helps alleviate back pain that is common among runners and cyclists.  In addition to ‘core’ strength, working on strengthening the obliques is beneficial to sports that rely on force due to increased torque as in golf and tennis. Stability is a big part of Pilates and in particular in the pelvic region and the scapular region (shoulder blades).  This plays a large part in all sports and recreational activities, such as rock climbing, because core strength and stability aid with balance.  Breath and posture is a big part of Pilates.  Being able to breathe more effectively allows more efficient transport of oxygen to working muscles.  More can be found on how Pilates benefits the more common activities and sports exercised during the summer season.

In particular, in the winter for summer activities.  

Piates for Winter Cross Training

With winter always around the corner, so too are winter activities like, skating, skiing, snowshoeing and more.   To make the most of the winter sports season, preseason conditioning can help.  Whether you’re skating, skiing, snowshoeing or just shoveling the snow increased cardio, muscular capacity, flexibility, balance, coordination, agility, reaction time, speed, power, stability can make the experience easier and more enjoyable.  For example, when skating increased ‘core’ strength and hip abductor strength can make your skate last long and easier; increased ‘core’ strength will help with balance and stability on the ice and greater hip abductor (gluteus medius) strength will make the act of skating, pushing off, easier.  Reformer exercises such as the side splits or mat exercises such as the side leg lift series, are a great way to strengthen and tone the hip abductors. 

While snow is soft and fluffy and pretty when falling, more often than not it’s covering icy patches on the roads and sidewalks.    It’s no fun running out the door on a cold winter morning just to slip on a patch of hidden ice and fall, injuring yourself and ruining a perfectly good winter season.  Core strength is essential for increased balance and stability.  Working deeper, smaller stabilizing muscles around all the joint will help with balance on those icy patches.  Working to balance out muscle imbalances will also help with overall balance and stability.  All areas that can be addressed with regular Pilates practice.