Benefits of cross-training

Press, 8 June 1989, Page 12

Benefits of cross-training

Q: I have been running pretty regularly for the last year. I thought I was doing fine until I heard about cross-training. Would that be better for me than just running? A: What are your objectives? If your goal is to be the fastest runner you can be, the experts would probably advise you to stick exclusively with running. If you work out to be in your best possible physical shape, however, :ross-training may make more sense.

If you want to run well, ;ay many experts, the best way to improve is to rain the muscles you use when you run. In other words, you get better at running by running. Glenn Town, author of “Science of Triathalon

Training and Competition,” says cross-training has never made sense to him as a physiologist. He claims, “If you want to improve in a certain sport, you better be exercising as close to that sport as you possibly can.” Not everyone agrees with Town. Some athletes insist they get better and more efficient at their main sports largely because they cross-train. But there really have not been any scientific studies on whether varied exercise can improve an athlete’s performance. The many variables in people and conditions would prevent researchers from making definitive statements. If you want to be in your best physical shape, however, you will want better-rounded exercise than running provides. Running strengthens your heart, to be sure, but so does any other aerobic exercise. Even Town concedes that your heart does not knovz what exercise you are performing; it is a muscle that delivers oxy-gen-rich blood to other muscles in response to whatever you’re doing. But if you run exclusively, you repeat essentially the same, fairly limited

motions each time you work out, and you neglect your upper body. If, however, you integrate swimming or weight training into your routine, you will develop upper-body strength; if you pepper your schedule with recreational sports, like volleyball, tennis, or soccer, you will improve your co-ordination and agility. Those sports, with their intense bursts of muscle activity, also provide strong anaerobic conditioning. You will be working muscles and tendons that you don’t ordinarily exercise, which makes for a well-rounded programme. There is another benefit to variety: When all of your muscles and tendons are well-toned, you are much less likely to suffer an injury while you are running. If you are bored with running, then rotating your runs with other workouts is an effective strategy to keep your enthusiasm from flagging. Variety always adds spice to the mix. And when you are figuring out a cross-train-ing schedule, do not forget to pencil in some days of rest. Give your body an opportunity to rebuild and rejuvenate itself.