Rev Up Your Fitness Program with Cross-Training
Cross-training instantly adds spice to a stale fitness program. Here’s how it can work for you.
Cross-training is a combination of two or more kinds of fitness training. If this is starting to sound complicated or expensive – don’t worry. Cross-training is an easy way to instantly bring variety to a stale fitness program, no matter if you are just looking to live a more healthy lifestyle or even if you are a serious, hardcore athlete who is looking for a more challenging training regimen.
So, just what is cross-training?
If you are tired with the same old boring workout, you are at a loss to lose those last 10 pounds or you are geared up to bring a better level of fitness to your exercise program, cross-training will help you reach your fitness goals. Examine these ways to add cross-training to your fitness program:
Multiple physical activities. In this strategy for cross-training, two or more kinds of activity are combined with the same fitness goal in mind — like aerobic conditioning — in the very same training session. Example: swimming twenty laps before your morning fitness boot camp.
Rotating days. Another strategy, you should choose is to rotate two or more kinds of physical activities during the week. Example: jog on Monday and Wednesday and play racquetball on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
It’s best to choose the kinds of physical activities that you like and make them an integral part of your exercise plan.
And, what will be the pay-off for cross-training?
Cross-training definitely will enhance your overall performance and fitness, but wait, there’s more:
- Keeps you healthy and injury free. Cross-training alternates the stresses on your body giving your bones, muscles and joints a rest from stresses that come from too many repeated motions. Rotating between high-impact activities, like running, and low-impact activities, like swimming, will help you avoid repetitive injuries and reduces the risk of overall injuries.
- Keeps you motivated. Exercise is always more fun when you are switching up your activities every day. Variety is the key to sticking with your fitness program.
- Blasts extra calories. By continually challenging your body with a cross-training program, you will burn more calories overall. Your improved health and fitness will produce better overall performance numbers.
- Gives you fitness options. If your racquetball racket breaks, you can still bicycle. If you strain your ankle, you probably still be able to swim laps.
Sounds great, how do I start cross-training?
To start a cross-training program, make a strategy based on physical activities and sports that you love. Above all, be creative! Think outside the gym, in addition to walking, swimming and cycling, don’t forget that you can get a great workout from physical activities likes dancing, jumping rope and fitness boot camp. Ideally, your exercise regimen should include variations of aerobic conditioning, resistance training, strength training and flexibility.
With your strategy in place, choose your physical activities and make sure you have good quality gear, including appropriate athletic shoes for specific fitness activities. Begin slowly, allow your body to adapt. Regularly pace your fitness sessions throughout the week and avoid consecutive days of high-impact exercise. As with any quality fitness program, always warm up before your workouts and cool down and stretch afterwards.
If you have always wanted to cross-train, have at it! You will find that experimenting with different exercise strategies and schedules will keep you moving and grooving.
—Michael Arnone is the TigerFit Blog Health and Fitness Writer & Fitness Ambassador for Tiger Fitness Los Angeles.
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Categories: Boot Camp, Fitness, Health, Weight Loss
Fitness Tip: Cardio…Cardio…Cardio – Cardiovascular exercising does more for the health and the appearance of the human body than any other form of exercise.
