Cross Training: The Mixology of Functional Fitness

With marathon season coming up, a lot of people begin to focus primarily on being a better person than the rest of us running, quickly forgetting the importance of cross training. The same is true throughout the year as people find a favorite activity and stick with only that one form of exercise. Although it’s great to be active, especially doing something you love, it is important to mix it up in order to prevent an injury among other reasons (one being you hear one biking story you’ve heard them all, am I right?No? OK).

Not mixing it up can lead to burning out or overuse injuries such as tendon injuries, muscle strains, or even stress fractures.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends incorporating cardio respiratory, resistance, flexibility, and neuromotor exercises, sometimes referred to as functional fitness training, into your regular routine. Incorporating just one other activity into your training regimen isn’t going to cut it, but doing multiple activities that include aerobic exercise, strength training, stretching, as well as balance and coordination training will provide the overall health benefits we all need . There is even evidence to suggest that adding exercises focused on improving core strength can help to prevent injury particularly in the hips and knees.

Cross-training can  be a valuable aspect of a fitness routine once injured. If the appropriate activity is selected an individual may be able to continue to improve cardio respiratory and strength without causing further injury.

References:

http://www.acsm.org/about-acsm/media-room/news-releases/2011/08/01/acsm-issues-new-recommendations-on-quantity-and-quality-of-exercise

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3806175/pdf/10.1177_1941738113481200.pdf