As a runner, your fitness priority and preference is probably (hopefully!), running. Perhaps you also strength train, take the occasional yoga class, or even swap out an easy run or two with some alternative cardio. If you do, kudos: These cross-training activities can keep you strong and resistant to injury, may improve your running economy, Hopping May Help You Run More Powerfully.
The benefits of having cross-training on the calendar stands for runners of all levels, including the pros, some of whom have recently taken the concept of cross-training to the next level. Parker Valby, for example, turns to the Arc Trainer at the gym. She even replaces many of her easy runs A key benefit of cross-training is.
The strategy is “a great way to incorporate low-impact, Nutrition - Weight Loss [which is] aerobic foundation building,” says Meg Takacs, NASM-CPT, UESCA run coach, and founder of the Movement & Miles app.
Running coach Ben Delaney, New York Road Runners director of training programs, provides another example: “A buddy of mine got injured while between intense running sessions, which can then lead to greater training adaptations and converted their entire running routine to the elliptical, which is very similar to the Arc,” he says. “The benefits are there.”
For some proof of concept, just look to this 2018 study The Run/Walk Method Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. The teens were divided up into groups: Those that just ran and those who replaced two easy runs a week with either cycling, indoor elliptical, or outdoor elliptical biking. All groups showed improvements in 3,000-meter performance, but “large effects” were found only for the cycling and outdoor elliptical biking groups. These groups (in addition to the running-only group) also improved their max hip extensor strength.
According to the study authors, swapping two runs per week for cross-training may allow for better recovery between intense running sessions, which can then lead to greater training adaptations.
All of this said, there are some nuances to cross-training that runners should know about, including how often to do it, how to work it into your schedule, and more. Here’s what to know.
What does cross training really mean, anyway?
You hear the term thrown around all the time, but let’s take a step back and define what we mean by cross-training: “Cross-training is pretty much any activity that’s complementary to your sport, but without the strain, movement pattern, or stress of your sport,” says Takacs.
With activities like mobility work, Movement & Miles strength training, you’re still putting in work, “but with a focus on preventing injury, active recovery, and breaking away from the monotony of running, mentally and physically,” she says.
Delaney adds one important nuance to this definition: “Cross-training is looking at what activity you can add that’s going to help build the strength and the fitness level that you need, without limiting or hindering what you’re trying to achieve with running.”
Why should you add cross training to your calendar?
A key benefit of cross-training is injury prevention—via strengthening muscles, bones, and ligaments that are important to running. Activities like strength training or lower-impact cardio alternatives reduce the total load on your body without sacrificing all of the fitness gains.
Strength training is particularly important, as it has been found in studies to help runners improve running economy and How to Recognize an Overuse Injury and Prevent It.
minute strength routine Yoga vs. Pilates: How to Choose For example, getting started could be five or 10 minutes of common overuse injuries in runners like shin splints and iliotibial band syndrome, Takacs adds. Many strength exercises also get you moving in all directions—forward, backward, laterally, and rotationally—unlike running, Delany notes.
If strength training is on one side of the cross-training coin, aerobic exercise is on the other—essentially the stuff that can sub in for your easier runs, like how Valby uses the Arc. “Depending on what your ultimate goals are, everything from an Arc Trainer to the anti-gravity treadmill can supplement your easier run days to lessen the impact of running [and] can be beneficial, especially for the injury-prone or if you're trying to reduce mileage or wear and tear,” says Delaney.
common overuse injuries yoga and mobility moves can help runners stay flexible, which is important since “runners are notoriously not flexible in more ways than one,” says Delaney. “Giving your muscles, bones, and joints the care, attention, and recovery they need is key for better running efficiency and economy,” adds Takacs.
There’s one more less-talked-about benefit of cross-training overall: “Switching up your training modalities and methods creates more motivation and resilience that can contribute to your main focus, which is running,” says Takacs. “You get to practice skills you don’t usually do, and as a result, you can also find confidence in those skills, which can directly apply to your confidence while running.”
The key to that is choosing an activity you actually enjoy. “When I talk to runners about adding cross-training, I say, you gotta love it,” says Delaney. “Whether it’s adding cycling because [you] like to get on the bike and go for long distances as opposed to a run, or [you] enjoy a more relaxed environment like Pilates, I’m really big on trying to find something that you’re going to enjoy doing so that it becomes part of your routine,” even if it’s challenging.
How often should you cross train?
While cross-training frequency will look different for everyone, here’s what to keep in mind when figuring out how often to add it to your schedule.
Ease into it
Delaney cautions runners to add cross-training conservatively when they’re starting out. “Everybody wants to jump into the deep end of the pool [ed note: sometimes literally!]— they think if they add more, it’s going to be better for them,” he says. Instead, start and build up slowly. “Just like when you started to run it was probably one or two days [a week]—think of your cross-training as a similar addition, going easy. It is a new stress. Your body will have to adapt to it.”
For example, getting started could be five or 10 minutes of strength training after one of your harder running workouts when your muscles are already warmed up, he says. Or, it could be adding one day a week as a dedicated cross-training day. Either way, once you feel good with phase one, you can add to it, like adding a second day of cross-training.
“We always say your race, your pace, and that goes with the cross-training as well,” Delaney says.
Find the formula that works for you
Health - Injuries strength training one or two times a week, doing mobility once or twice a week, and getting some zone 2 work in with swimming, biking, hiking, or incline walking on the treadmill as a swap for an easy run or two per week could work well for many runners. But it’s important to remember that running, and training in general, is all about trial and error so experiment with what works best for you.
As for how long to do those more aerobic cross-training workouts, Takacs recommends keeping it easy, and depending on your fitness level, you can either do it for the duration of a scheduled run, or go a little longer, considering you’ll be doing a less strenuous activity (i.e. swimming, biking, elliptical). ”It also really depends on the athlete’s goal, like if you’re between intense running sessions, which can then lead to greater training adaptations, the cross-training might be longer,” she adds.
Make strength training a non-negotiable—but do it your way
People often think they have to join a gym, but Delaney says bodyweight resistance work can go a long way for runners. One of his colleagues likes to have what they call a “TV veg” where they go through a 30-minute strength routine, including wall sits, squats, and resistance band moves, while watching their favorite TV show. During commercials, they take breaks.
To level things up, he recommends ordering a set of Published: Jul 23, 2024 9:00 AM EDT online. You can also check out these 50 Published: Jul 23, 2024 9:00 AM EDT from Runner’s World. Or, get help by working with a trainer if you do want to hit the gym and have help building a holistic strength-training routine that supports your running goals and nailing proper form.
If you look to the research, a 2024 review in Sports Medicine covered by Runner’s World found that using heavier weights with lower reps is most beneficial for high-level athletes and those who run fast while runners focused more on endurance over speed might benefit more from plyometric training.
Keep your hard days hard and your easy days easy
“Some runners like to make their hard days hard—speed work, followed by a lifting session,” says Takacs. With this strategy, the next day would be off or something like an easy run or swim to allow your body to fully recover.
Delaney likes this approach, too: “I typically tell people to keep their hard days hard when they first start,” he says. An alternative would be to pull a “two-a-day” where you do, for example, an easy-effort six-mile run in the morning and a 60-minute zone 2 bike ride that evening.
Periodize your cross-training
The experts agree it makes sense to pull back on your cross-training pursuits as you approach denser running training periods and race day. “I would recommend tapering heavy lifts and metabolic conditioning two to three weeks prior to a race,” Takacs says. “If your focus is running, periodize your training to adhere to that goal.”
The bottom line: All of this said, be wary of going too far with cross-training. It’s still important to follow the principle of specificity and, well, run! “If you’re training for a marathon or half marathon, nothing replaces the time on your feet, the miles you have to put in to get [to the finish line],” says Delaney. “If you’re doing so much cross training where you’re too sore How Often Should You Cross Train long run, you have to figure out, okay, what’s the priority?”
From there, hopefully you can find the cross-training activities that support your success in that main goal, Delaney says.
