What's the deal with Cross-Training? A LOT!

 I've been out of running for over a month now with a post-tibial tendon issue. It's been in rehab and enjoying itself. Well, I've pushed my body to the make in cycling because I couldn't run and I love  cycling but one sport has its limits. I got my custom orthotics today (it was like Christmas) and I'm about to set out on a very short run to see how they work and to re-introduce my body to the feel of running. Just in time I came across a WebMD article on the benefits of cross-training. Everybody, every athlete, every runner, every cyclist, every kickboxer should engage in multiple types of fitness. Here's why:

"When you only do one fitness activity -- like running or weight lifting, for example -- and you only work on the muscles involved in that sport, you may discover that you are far less fit than you think," says Todd Schlifstein, DO, a sports medicine rehabilitation doctor at New York University Medical Center's Rusk Institute. 

Using just one set of muscles repeatedly can also increase your risk of repetitive injury, Schlifstein warns.

"The harder you train your body for just one activity, the more stress you put on all the muscles and bones involved in that one activity, so the more you do and the better you get, the more you risk overuse -- and the greater your risk of injury," says Schlifstein.

So what's the answer? Athletic trainers and personal coaches agree it's cross training -- essentially, alternating your workout routines in a way that will increase your performance and overall fitness without stressing your body to the max.

For example, while a runner needs to build strong leg muscles, he or she must also pay attention to the muscles that control pelvic movement, core strength -- even the upper body. "All these areas are utilized when you run," says Thornton, director of athletic training services at Clarion University of Pennsylvania and a member of the board of directors of the National Athletic Trainers Association.

But that's not all. Experts say cross training can also help us with the tasks of our daily lives. cross training doesn't require specific exercises. In fact, as long as you create variation in your activity, you're cross training!

"The point here is to vary activities between aerobic conditioning, strength training, endurance, and balance -- and you need to vary the workouts that emphasize each one of those areas," says Herrera.

For optimal success, he says, plan two to three days of flexibility and strength training, and three to five days of aerobic focus. But don't worry if you don't have that much time to devote to exercise.

"The most important thing is to make sure fitness is a priority in your life," says Herrera. "So if you're currently exercising twice a week, then simply finding time for one more workout during that week will help you burn more fat and make more progress."

In fact, experts say, you don't even have to do a specific workout to get the effects of crossing training if you live a varied and physically active life. Because variation is key to cross training, it's easy to confuse it with the rotating workouts involved in "circuit training" (in which participants move right from one exercise to another, like jogging for a few minutes in between different weight training exercises). But experts say the two aren't necessarily the same.

"Generally speaking, circuit training is just doing one exercise after another, but that doesn't always ensure that the routine is incorporating strength training, cardio, flexibility and balance," says Schlifstein.

For true cross training, Herrera says, you must "utilize many activities to ensure complete fitness gains."
READ A LOT MORE HERE AT RUNNER'S WORLD

FROM WEBMD.COM