I have always prescribed to the theory that a balanced approach to fitness is a good approach and because of this I have always been a big fan of cross training.
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Cross training, if you are wondering, is basically where you incorporate many forms of exercise into your fitness regime.
It is great for a few reasons. It keeps you motivated by alleviating boredom in your training and it also keeps your muscles guessing because you vary the activities and are not using the same movements and muscles over and over.
For instance, if you just run then that is fine, but over time you may find that you start having some overuse injuries. So it is a good idea to add some specific strength work into your program as well as ensuring you work on your flexibility.
But it is also good to try some other forms of exercise too. You might think you are fit and strong but then try something new, such as water skiing or in my case, yoga a few years back, and feel like you have been hit by a truck for the next few days.
That is generally because you are using muscles you do not usually work.
Due to a range of commitments in our household at the moment I have been unable to get to soccer training yet, but when I have been getting the chance to exercise I have tried to vary it with some mini triathlons, long runs, strength and cardio sessions, hill intervals and stair sessions.
Cross training can help you build a good base for your chosen sport. That is why you see football teams hitting stairs, hills, sand dunes and doing military-style boot camps in their pre-seasons.
I also made my return to early morning training last week. It was the first time I have managed to get up for a 6am session since I gave birth to our now 16-month-old. I had forgotten how energised I felt training at a cooler time of the day.
It got me thinking about the many factors that can affect physical performance. Not being physically prepared is one of them and that is where cross training can play a role. Fatigue is another factor to consider. It has taken me a long time but I generally listen to my body now when it comes to training. I used to push through the tired barrier thinking if I did not train then I would be missing out. But now I find that I am fresher for it when I do miss a session.
Injury prevention is another thing to think about. I spoke to Ethos physiotherapist Dave Naylor last week about the signs of overtraining as well as ways to combat them. We were talking specifically about running and different running injuries he sees. He suggested insufficient strength was one cause of injury and this could be the case in any sport. Dave told me “strength, co-ordination, balance and core stability are all hugely important in preventing injury”.
Nutrition is another factor for consideration and one I cover next week.
The main thing to consider when you are planning to do any fitness or sporting event is to ensure your body is well-prepared for it and cross training is a good start.