Cross-training helps you to engage in different workouts that work together in synergy. Scott Weiss, co-owner of Bodhizone Physical Therapy and board-certified athletic trainer says, “cross-training with different exercise modalities or sports trains other muscles, stimulates the neurological system in different ways and stresses a different metabolic pathway entirely”. You can use trial and error to discover the best cross-training activities that complements your preferred exercises. Below are some cross-training workouts to look into.
1. Running & Yoga
Yoga works effectively to open up the hip flexors, one of the tightest muscle groups in the bodies of runners. This allows them to put less stress on their hamstrings while they train. To improve your running skills and get other benefits, combining yoga with running will definitely be a great option. Yoga also helps to improve flexibility, which will help you run better.
2. Indoor cycling & Pilates
“A strong body makes a strong cyclist, and a strong body starts with core strengthening. The best cyclists are strong in their deep abdominals and hips as a result of routine core strengthening found in Pilates training. Without the deeper, structural strength gained via core strengthening, cyclists waste a lot of their energy moving around on the bike.”, says Chad Timmerman, a USAC-certified cycling coach and co-founder of TrianerRoad.com. Complementing cycling with some Pilates will greatly help your body to perform better.
3. Swimming & TRX
Swimming is a great cardio exercise, and a great way to see improvements is by adding some strength training like TRX. Strength training has been known to increase muscle mass and this benefits the body in a lot of ways. It also helps to stimulate bones and reduce the risk of bone density loss. While you complement swimming with a strength training exercise, it is also important that you include balance exercises, to challenge your core and leg muscles to perform better.
4. Tennis & Kettlebells
Every ideal gym should have kettlebells, and because they are different from a traditional free weight, you may want to be well trained on how to use them or take some time to practice on them. Polina Kovalevska, a level-three personal trainer in the U.K and owner of MeanFixFoxes.com says “If done properly, exercises like the kettlebell swing train you to develop force and strength from the ground up, generating power from your legs which is transmitted through your core and transferred to your arms. You develop whole-body power as opposed to isolation work you see in most gyms.”
Have you ever tried cross-training workouts? Are you about to start one? If you are, then you should consider these cross training tips to greatly improve the results of exercising.
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