Fitness Trends Cross-Training The Benefits of Cross-Training By Elizabeth Quinn Elizabeth Quinn is an exercise physiologist, sports medicine writer, and fitness consultant for corporate wellness and rehabilitation clinics. Learn about our editorial process Elizabeth Quinn Reviewed by Reviewed by Michael Lau, PT, DPT on August 31, 2019 facebook twitter linkedin instagram Michael Lau, PT, DPT, CSCS, is a licensed physical therapist, strength and conditioning coach, and co-founder of The Prehab Guys. Learn about our Review Board Michael Lau, PT, DPT Updated on December 12, 2019 Print Cultura / Chad Springer / Getty Images You may consider yourself to be in better than average shape because you run or bike several times a week, however, if you aren't mixing up your workouts, you may be setting yourself up for injury or mental burnout. Cross-training is simply a training routine that involves several different types of exercise. This works more muscle groups, improves agility, and makes it easier to participate in a variety of recreational sports, like skiing. In addition, cross-training reduces exercise boredom, which many people find helps to keep them motivated. What Is Cross-Training? While it is necessary for an athlete to train specifically for their sport if they want to excel, cross-training is a beneficial way to achieve and maintain a higher level of overall fitness. For example, you may use both biking and swimming each week to improve your overall aerobic capacity, build overall muscle strength, and reduce the chance of an overuse injury. Cross-training limits the stress that occurs on a specific muscle group because different activities use muscles in slightly different ways. Benefits of Cross-Training Cross-training is a great way to condition different muscle groups, develop a new set of skills, and reduce the boredom that creeps in after months of the same exercise routines. Cross-training also allows you the ability to vary the stress placed on specific muscles or even your cardiovascular system. After months of the same movements, your body becomes extremely efficient at performing those movements, and while that is great for competition, it limits the amount of overall fitness you possess and reduces the actual conditioning you get while training; rather than continuing to improve, you simply maintain a certain level of fitness. Cross-training is also necessary to reduce the risk of injury from repetitive strain or overuse, and offers these benefits: Reduces exercise boredomAllows you to be flexible with your training needs and plans (if the pool is closed, you can go for a run instead).Produces a higher level of all-around conditioningConditions the entire body, not just specific muscle groupsReduces the risk of injuryWorks some muscles while others rest and recoverCan continue to train while injuredImproves your skill, agility, and balance How to Create a Cross-Training Routine When developing a cross-training routine, the possibilities are endless. The goal is to select exercises that require different movements than your preferred activity. For example, runners may want to add racketball, swimming, or weight training into the rotation. Combining circuit-training, sprinting, plyometrics, and other forms of skill conditioning, such as balance training, is a well-rounded option as well. To customize your personal cross-training routine, select exercises from each group below. Depending on how often you work out, aim to use this cross-train routine at least once or twice a week. Cardiovascular Exercise While cardio primarily works your heart and lungs, these exercises all work on various muscle groups. Choose a different cardio workout for your cross-training sessions, such as: RunningSwimmingCyclingRowingStair ClimbingRope jumpingSkating (inline or ice)SkiingRacquetball/basketball/other court sports You should also consider adding speed, agility, and balance drills to your regular cardio workout. Strength Training Strength training increases muscle and bone strength, improves balance and coordination, and boosts your metabolism. Pick one or more of the following to add strength training to your exercise routine: Calisthenics, such as push-ups, crunches, and pull-upsFree weightsWeight machinesTubing and bands Flexibility and Balance Training Flexibility and balance are important for overall wellness at any age or level of physical fitness. Regardless of the type of exercise you do, it is crucial to stretch after a workout to reduce pain and injury. Add one or more of the following to your fitness routine: Stretching YogaPilatesBOSU balance training Determining Cross-Training Frequency Depending on your current workout schedule and the amount of time you have, aim to cross-train at least once or twice a week in place of your usual routine or as additional workouts. With cross-training, you can do one form of exercise each day, or more than one in a day. If you do both on the same day, you can change the order in which you do them. You can easily tailor cross-training to your needs and interests; mix and match your sports and change your routine on a regular basis. Exercise can strengthen the cardiovascular system, bones, muscles, joints, reduce body fat and improve flexibility, balance, and coordination. Cross-training can help ensure you achieve all the benefits. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get exercise tips to make your workouts less work and more fun. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Cross training. OrthoInfo. 2011.