Cross-training is an absolute must for long-distance runners. This approach offers many benefits that can significantly enhance performance while mitigating the risk of injuries. I advise swimming, cycling, strength training, and yoga. Firstly, cross-training helps to improve overall fitness levels by targeting different muscle groups and energy systems that may not be adequately developed through running alone. Another benefit of cross-training involves the prevention of injuries through the correction of muscular imbalances and weaknesses that might predispose runners to problems. We must not forget another significant thing — the mental refreshment provided by varying workout routines. Cross-training introduces diversity into training regimens, preventing monotony and burnout, which are common due to repetitive running workouts.
Content & SEO Lead - Registered Nutritionist at Second Nature Health
Answered 2 years ago
The main benefits come from still maintaining or improving fitness, without adding increased load to our tendons, joints, etc. Running is a very repetitive stressor on our body, and it's very easy to overdo it and place more stress on our system than our body is able to manage and recover from. Running isn't bad for us per se, but many recreational runners won't have the knowledge or capacity to self-monitor effectively to avoid overtraining or overuse injuries like runner's knee. So, cross-training, on a bike or swimming for example, gives our body a chance to recover from the repetitive strain that comes from running, while still maintaining or increasing fitness. Personally, I've found that I'm still able to run as fast and hard in races despite halving my running mileage in recent years due to adding a lot more cycling and swimming to my routine.
As a Physical Therapist/Athletic trainer, and former collegiate runner, I've continued with my running; but have modified my personal approach to training based on injuries to myself and my endurance based athletic clientele. I went to PT in the past for my own back pain, but it did not improve until years down the road when I began incorporating cross training--specifically weightlifting into my routine. Long distance activities can be so catabolic and uniplanar, it's advantageous for me to have something that loads my body in a different way. To make your tissues--tendons, ligaments, joints; more resilient; it is helpful to challenge them in a variety of ways apart from the usual frontal plane movement of running, cycling, etc.. My favorite things to personally incorporate are single leg RDLs/barbell deadlifts, Bulgarian split squats, and lunge variations (reverse, lateral, rotational). This ensures that I cover multiple planes of motion during a workout; and the single leg work provides both strength and stability challenges for runners; to name a few benefits.