How to do it: Place a resistance band around both legs just above your knees, and stand tall, with your feet hip-width apart. Hold your chest upright, pull your shoulders back and down, and engage your core muscles.

Then shift your weight to your heels, and squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Push through the heels to stand back up. Drive your knees outward against the band throughout the movement to keep them parallel.

Focus on proper form and knee position, and maintain a straight back. Volume: Start with just body weight only, and do 20 reps or until your form breaks down. After a few weeks, add weight with a vest, a kettlebell which you can hold in front of your chest , or a barbell on your shoulders.

Reduce weighted reps to six to eight per set. What it does: Strengthens the upper body and core, including the obliques , to help you maintain posture and stability when running. How to do it: Start in a standard push-up position , with your hands flat on the ground directly below your shoulders, your arms straight, your back flat, and your feet no more than 12 inches apart.

Complete a strict push-up: lower yourself until your upper arms are parallel to the floor, elbows tracking backward, and return to the starting position, all in a rigid plank position. Then transition into a side plank by rotating to one side until your hips are perpendicular to the floor, your feet are stacked, and your upper arm is extended to the ceiling.

From here lower your hips toward the floor and raise them back up, targeting your obliques. Transition back into the high push-up position, and repeat the exercise—including the push-up—on the opposite side.

Alternate sides every rep. If a strict push-up is too difficult, start on an incline elevate your hands on a box, a bench, or even a table—the higher, the easier or with your knees on the floor.

When you can easily complete ten or more reps of this exercise, make it more difficult by elevating your feet on a box, a bench, or an exercise ball or by wearing a weighted vest. For an extra upper-body workout, hold light dumbbells in your hands. What it does: Strengthens the hip abductors to improve stability and control of the knees.

How to do it: Stand with your feet together and knees slightly bent, and loop a resistance band around your ankles. Place your hands on your hips to make sure they remain level, take a hip-width step to one side, and, with control, bring the second foot to meet the first.

Continue in the same direction for 12 to 15 steps, then repeat in the opposite direction. Pay close attention to proper form. Make sure to keep your toes pointed forward and your pelvis level throughout the movement. Volume: Three to four sets of 20 steps in each direction or until your form breaks down.

What it does: Builds strength and stability in the core muscles through an isometric hold. How to do it: From a kneeling position, place your forearms on the ground shoulder-width apart, with your elbows directly below your shoulders.

Extend your legs behind you, feet together and toes tucked under, so that your body forms a straight line from your heels to your head. Engage your core. Keep your back flat—no sagging, arching, or tipping the hips—and your head up so your neck is in line with your spine.

Hold this position until you break form when your hips sag or lift. Remember to breathe. If you lose form in less than a minute, begin with multiple shorter holds such as six reps of second holds, with 15 to 30 seconds of rest between each , and work your way up to a minute. If one minute feels too easy, lift one limb from the ground for a three-point plank alternate which arm or leg you lift every set , wear a weighted vest, or have a friend place a plate weight on your back.

What it does: Strengthens the glutes and hips to better assist the hamstrings and to improve stability and control of the knees.

How to do it: Loop a resistance band around your ankles, and stand with your feet together and a slight bend in your knees. Take diagonal steps backward, alternating sides. Between each step, bring your feet back together.

Keep your toes pointed straight ahead, and focus on knee position and good form. What it does: Strengthens your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. How to do it: Stand in front of a sturdy box or bench that comes to somewhere between midshin and just below your knee the shorter the easier.

Step onto the box with one foot. Make sure your entire foot is on the box, not just the forefoot, then engage your quad, press through with your heel, and stand to bring your lower leg up onto the box.

Your upper leg should do all of the work. Step back down for one repetition. Alternate which leg goes first every rep.

Keep your torso upright and your hips and shoulders level throughout the movement. Make it harder by wearing a weighted vest or holding dumbbells. Volume: Start with 15 reps on each leg, and once you add weight, reduce to six to eight reps on each leg. What it does: Strengthens the core, with a focus on the obliques and rotational core control.

How to do it: Lie on your back, with your arms out to either side, palms down for support. From this neutral position, slowly rotate your hips and lower your legs to one side until your feet almost touch the floor, then reverse the movement back to neutral and repeat on the other side for one repetition.

Continue swinging your legs from side to side like windshield wipers. Perform the exercise slowly and in control.

Read more: How cross-training improves your running. Cycling is a great way to give your leg muscles an aerobic workout without the impact that comes with running. Calories burned: per hour at a moderate speed. Not only will a hike mix it up, but it can help improve your cardio fitness and muscle strength.

Calories burned: per hour. Swimming engages your core and helps work your upper body, all while giving your joints a rest. Yoga helps your flexibility, gives you a mental break, and allows you to stretch your muscles that might be tight from running. Calories burned: calories per hour.

Using the elliptical is a great option for low-impact aerobic activity. Plus, elliptical machines engage both the upper and lower body, something that running does not do.

Calories burned: per hour at a moderate pace and resistance. Walking uses the same muscle groups as running, but at a lower intensity that will help in active recovery. Make it social by inviting a friend or family member to take a walk with you.

Calories burned: per hour at a leisurely pace. An exciting aerobic activity, Zumba helps strengthen some of the muscle groups that you use while running — specifically your hip-stabilizers and calves. Not only is rollerblading fun, it is a great way to build endurance and tone your muscles!

Try one of these activities this week in place of a running workout.

Note that HIIT workouts such as CrossFIT or Orange Theory Fitness are not directly beneficial for runners. And, if a runner does them, it should NOT be done on a rest day!

Beginner runners will likely cross-train every other day as their bodies adjust to running for a total of 2 to 4 days. More experienced runners will likely cross train less as they run more.

Their cross-training activities will be to help them recovery faster or give their legs a rest while they still work their cardiovascular system. Thus, more advanced runners will typically cross train 1 to 2 times per week, in place of recovery runs. Most injured runners trying to maintain fitness while on a running break know that part of what makes cross-training so difficult is that it can be hard to elevate your heart rate.

Sometimes perceived effort is not the best guide when cross-training. That is why a heart rate monitor, such as a chest strap, or fitness watch such as a Garmin or WHOOP , is an effective way to monitor actual effort.

Monitoring your heart rate can ensure you stay in the appropriate zones for your workouts. For example, if you are injured and trying to maintain or gain fitness, monitoring your heart rate can tell you if you are working hard enough.

The WHOOP has helped me immensely in scaling my workouts and having peace of mind that I am maintaining a level of fitness. Get a complete guide to heart rate zone training here. For tips on how to stay entertained while cross training, check out my treadmill tips for moms article.

For help on how to leverage cross-training for runners, learn more about The Mother Runners coaching services. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Download my FREE FULL MONTH of strength workouts for runners! Looking for a free running plan? Email me at [email protected].

About Get on the List! When done incorrectly, cross-training can hurt runners or be a waste of time. Pin these cross-training tips for runners for later!

Here are 5 reasons why cross training is good for runners: Cross training prevents running injuries. Cross training allows you to add volume. Cross training prevents burnout and over-training. Split squats, Bulgarian split squats, and TRX-supported pistols are some examples.

Perhaps the ultimate core-building exercise, planks teach you to brace your core to protect your spine and build up stamina in the core musculature.

This classic but tough exercise is arguably the most effective way to build upper-body pulling strength. Pull-ups are especially helpful for swimmers, rowers, and skiers, but also have a place in the cross-training routines of other endurance sports.

See the best pull-up bars. RELATED: Best Back Exercises. This is where things can get a little tricky for endurance athletes. Because endurance athletes already perform so much aerobic activity, most personal trainers will not prescribe more cardio exercise.

There are different types of cardiovascular exercise that endurance athletes can still perform outside of their sport. For example, distance swimmers can benefit from elliptical training , stair-steppers, and even running.

But a skier or runner would benefit more from rowing or cycling. Cross-training is broadly defined as any physical activity that is different from your primary sport. So, for a runner, cross-training is anything but running. For a triathlete, cross-training is anything other than running, cycling , and swimming.

For a cross-country skier, cross-training is anything but that. And so forth. So, cross-training for a runner will include exercises that are not running, but help them get better at running. Broadly, that would encompass strengthening exercises for the leg muscles specifically calves, hamstrings, and glutes , as well as unilateral single-side and core exercises that act as an antidote to the repetitive movement of running.

The benefits of cross-training are many. First and foremost, cross-training helps mitigate your injury risk. Another study in high school cross-country athletes reports that low-impact aerobic exercises in conjunction with running can both prevent injury and improve performance.

It does seem counterintuitive that spending less time and energy on your sport can result in better performance in that sport. But alas, a study on the relationship between cycling and running reports that distance cyclists can see improvements in bone density, muscular strength and endurance, and exercise tolerance by cross-training with running.

Of course, proper periodization and careful application of overload are still important to prevent injury. Additionally, a meta-analysis of highly trained runners found that a strength training program consisting of two to three sessions per week can improve running economy , which is defined as the relationship between oxygen consumption and running speed see our guide to VO2 max , in distance runners.

Cross-training gives you a physical and mental break from your usual sport. Too much of anything can be a bad thing, no matter how much you love your sport.

Indications of overtraining syndrome include persistent weakness and fatigue; decreased performance despite more training; unintentional weight loss; and decline in motivation to perform your sport. Anyone whose workout routine consists primarily of high-volume cardio workouts will benefit from cross-training exercises.

If you do any of the following, consider adding cross-training activities into your training schedule:. Of course, any type of athlete can benefit from cross-training, but endurance athletes in particular will benefit from the strength exercises above. The frequency of cross-training depends on many factors unique to your specific sport and training plan.

For the most part, trainers recommend two to three dedicated cross-training sessions per week to support optimal performance.

Another option is to tack on shorter sessions focused on a specific skill or movement pattern to the beginning or end of your regularly programmed workouts.

You may also opt to include cross-training exercises in your warmups each day. The important thing is to find a balance that works for you: Cross-training should support your regular training, not serve as a detriment to your performance.

Remember that cross-training still counts toward your overall volume of work each week, and doing too much of anything can push you toward overtraining syndrome.

Hold a dumbbell of a moderately heavy weight in the hand opposite of the working leg. Woodchops and plank holds, supersets.

Adding cross-training exercises into your training routine can certainly help reduce your risk of injury. Strengthening all of your major muscle groups via weight training or bodyweight training yields better body control, joint support, and alignment during your high-intensity cardiovascular workouts.

Yes, runners should include cross-training exercises in their training program. For example, If you start a workout program with the goal of running three miles at a minute-per-mile pace, it's probably going to feel pretty challenging at first, and it might take you a while to hit your goal.

But if you keep at it, your body adapts and you hit the mark. If you then continue to run three miles at a minute-per-mile pace, never adjusting or changing your routine, your body becomes more efficient, and the workout becomes easier and you stop seeing improvements beyond your initial gains—something that becomes especially obvious if you're tracking your progress with an Apple or Garmin running watch.

Cross-training is a way to keep your body guessing. When you introduce new exercises and new routines into your schedule, you're reminding your brain and your body that you haven't mastered these new routines—that your body needs to work harder to overcome its inefficiencies.

These constant changes and adaptations ultimately enhance your level of fitness and help bust you through workout plateaus. It Can Help You Develop New Skills. Let's say you're a cyclist who decides to take up dance on a large scale, you're learning a new skill. But skill development through cross-training goes deeper than that.

In addition to the five health-related components of fitness, there are also six skill-related components of fitness. These athletic skills include speed, power, reaction time, agility, balance, and coordination. Like the health-related fitness components, the skill-related components are all equally important for well-balanced athletic performance.

Cross-training gives you the opportunity to develop skills that might fall outside those of your favorite workout. Take, for instance, the example of the cyclist who starts cross-training with dance.

While cycling is an excellent way to develop power , speed , and balance, it's not necessarily going to enhance agility , coordination, or reaction time. It Offers Workout Flexibility. When you stop pigeonholing yourself into a single workout routine, you're more mentally and physically prepared to roll with the punches that sometimes interfere with day-to-day workout plans.

For instance, if you typically run three days a week and cross-train two days a week by taking a strength training class at your local gym, the next time a big storm prevents you from getting your run in, you can simply mix up your workout schedule and hit the gym for a rain-free routine.

Or if your boxing class is unexpectedly full, you don't have to ditch your workout plans. You can simply hit the cardio equipment or weight room instead. The more comfortable you are with a variety of workouts, and the more open you are to the benefits of cross-training, the more flexible you can be about your schedule and plans.

If you're still not sure how to incorporate cross-training into your weekly workout, use these tips to develop your plan. Make a Schedule. There's no need to completely upend your current workout schedule to accommodate cross-training.

Look at your weekly plan and ask yourself a single question: How can I fit cross-training into the mix?

A good rule of thumb is to include one to two cross-training routines each week. You can do this one of three ways:. The option that works best for you is completely reliant on how much time you have to dedicate to your workouts and what type of cross-training you're hoping to do.

For instance, if you want to add flexibility training to your routine, you could add a yoga class to your schedule once a week, you could replace one of your other workouts with a yoga class, or you could carve out 15 extra minutes on the days you're already scheduled to workout and dedicate those 15 minutes to stretching.

The important thing is to come up with a game plan and a schedule to make cross-training happen. Try New Things. Even when it comes to cross-training, it's easy to get stuck in a rut. Plan to switch up your cross-training workout roughly once a month. You can do this in four different ways:. Think About Impact.

One other way to think about incorporating cross-training is to consider the level of impact your current workout has so you can select a cross-training routine that counterbalances that impact.

You see, high-impact and weight-bearing exercises help build muscle mass and bone density, but they also place greater stress on your bones and joints.

If your routine consists heavily of high-impact activities like running and jumping, it's a good idea to cross-train with lower-impact activities like swimming, cycling, or rowing.

The reverse is true as well. If your primary workout is lower-impact, it's a good idea to incorporate weight-bearing or higher-impact exercises into your cross-training routine. For example, swimmers may want to cross-train with strength training or dancing. If you need a place to start, consider the following information on cross-training for specific sports, activities, and goals:.

At the end of the day, there's no right or wrong way to go about implementing a cross-training routine. Don't waste time overanalyzing your decisions or getting caught up in the "rules. The goal is to develop better health through the cultivation of well-balanced measures of physical fitness.

This won't happen overnight, so start by choosing a cross-training activity, then stick with it. After a month, you can reassess.

There's simply no need to stress about how to get started. By Laura Williams, MSEd, ASCM-CEP Laura Williams is a fitness expert and advocate with certifications from the American Council on Exercise and the American College of Sports Medicine.

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