7 Cross Training Activities to Help You Ace Your Next Race ...

1. Resistance Training

Adding resistance training into your fitness routine can strengthen your joints and help you from being sidelined due to an injury. By simply adding weights you can control the future of your runs. So do you participate in resistance training as one of your cross training activities?

2. Rowing

Indoor or outdoor rowing is an ultra-effective exercise in strengthening your core and upper body. This is helpful to runners when their legs get fatigued. Your arms can then help pull you through.

3. Biking

Biking is a great workout for your larger muscle groups and it is a great cross training activity to build strength and avoid the repetitive movements of running. This can prevent an overuse injury by running too much.

4. Indoor or Outdoor Rock Climbing

Rock climbing is one of the highest calorie burning exercises that can help you to be a more effective runner. This is a great cross training activity that all runners should try. Similar to running, rock climbing will challenge your body and mind, so are you up for the challenge? Not ready to get outdoors for some rock climbing just yet? Head to an indoor rock climbing gym to test your skills and get a great workout. Many rock climbing gyms offer unlimited monthly memberships, so in the winter months you can head to the rock climbing gym several times per week at a reasonable rate.

5. Bootcamp

Okay, maybe I am partial since I am the owner of a Bootcamp, but Bootcamp is a great cross training activity. It is ultra-effective because of the variety of exercises and it is great because it combines both cardio and strengthening exercises. With my countless marathons I never get injured because I continually cross train through Bootcamp workouts and it prevents an injury.

6. Swimming

Swimming is a great workout and it can offer your legs that much needed break from pounding on the pavement, but still offer you a great total body workout. Swimming is forgiving because of the buoyancy of being in water, but it still offers body weight resistance. And there are so many different strokes to target different muscle groups. Swimming should be part of your fitness program once a week to offer variety.

7. Elliptical Machine

The elliptical is a great exercise machine to work your total body without putting the same pounding on your joints as running. This machine works your larger and smaller muscle groups, making it an effective workout to do as your cross training. If you find yourself tired of running on the treadmill in the winter, the elliptical could become a regular workout for you. Just like in running, you should add some intervals and speed to amplify your workouts.

Hope you have enjoyed my list of cross training activities and this motivates you to diversify your activities so you can run stronger and longer. So tell me, runner, do you cross train?