Running is usually quite safe, but there’s a hidden danger: the risks of repetitive stress on your knees and ankles can creep up on you. Many runners know someone who jogged every day and was in fantastic shape — but then had to get a knee replacement in early middle age.
This is where cross-training for runners comes into play. Low-impact cross-training — like cycling, swimming, or yoga — works wonders for injury prevention. By beefing up muscle groups that running doesn’t target, your body gets a stabler foundation to withstand impact.
Why Cross-Training is Non-Negotiable for Runners
No matter how much you love running as a way to burn calories and build endurance, the evidence makes a clear case for diversifying. Here’s a few surprising (perhaps even alarming) stats from the National Library of Medicine:
- Every year, between 37 and 56% of runners get some sort of injury.
- For every 1,000 hours of running, injury incidence is between 2.5 and 12.1%.
- Fifty to 75% of running injuries are due to overuse (as opposed to being attacked by a bear or falling into a ditch).
Constantly repeating the exact same movement is a known hazard for musicians, baristas, warehouse workers … and, yes, runners. Even though you’re using your whole body, the impact on your knees is a repetitive one. Without cross-training workouts, you might not develop the right muscles that support injury prevention for runners.
At City Fitness, we’ve helped thousands of people develop a solid foundation for long-term health with the best low-impact cross-training for injury-prone runners. Let’s get into it.
What is Cross-Training for Runners?
Cross-training for runners refers to incorporating different types of exercises into your routine that complement running and help improve overall fitness, prevent injury, and avoid burnout. By working muscles that might not be engaged during running, you build greater strength, flexibility, and balance than you would through running alone.
So, what are the very best cross-training exercises for runners? There’s really no “best option,” but many people prefer cycling, given that it’s low-impact and, like running, gets you out seeing the scenery. To get your blood pumping, it’s really a toss-up when it comes to cycling vs. running for endurance athletes.
Weightlifting, especially focusing on glutes, core, and legs, is also widely endorsed for injury prevention and stability. Other ideas include yoga, swimming, and rowing.
Benefits of Cross-Training for Runners
Research shows varying your exercise methods to be key to staying in good shape and living longer overall. You’ll want to, at the very least, do a combo of aerobic and strength training.
Some competitive cross-country runners worry that any hour not spent running is an hour that won’t make them faster. We can’t stress this enough: Cross-training will NOT make you slower. In fact, most cross-training activities for running still build speed — just in a different way.
Cross-training benefits include:
- Injury Prevention. Diversifying your movement patterns keeps overuse injuries to a minimum.
- Enhanced Performance. Activities like strength training and rowing improve power and endurance.
- Mental Refresh. Running can get old, and activities like cycling or team sports can help break the monotony.
- Better Resilience. If you suffer from certain common weak points, such as your glutes and your core, target exercises and strength training for runners can help.
This last point is especially important when it comes to functional strength training for marathon runners. Cross-training ideas for marathon training are designed to give you the robust frame you need to keep hitting the pavement for 26 miles.
Top Cross-Training Activities for Runners
We’ve touched on some of these, but let’s take a closer look. Outside of your daily jogging, there’s really three categories of workout you should try to fit in at least weekly: strength and stability training, low-impact cardio that isn’t running, and mobility exercises to prevent running injuries.
Low-impact cardio includes cycling, swimming, and rowing. Cycling has incredible benefits for endurance and quad strength, while lap swimming provides a low-impact, full-body workout ideal for recovery (in fact, many sports therapists recommend aqua jogging for injured runners).
If you take up rowing for cardiovascular fitness, you can congratulate yourself on engaging 86% of your muscles for both cardio and strength. Not everybody has a crew club to join, however, or a kayak and a lake, so gyms stepped in to provide the next best thing: the good old rowing machine.
For strength and stability training, you’ve got tons of options: squats, deadlifts, kettlebell swings, Turkish get-ups, to name a few. After a few weeks of consistent workouts, you’ll start to notice a better running economy and dramatically reduced fatigue.
Don’t forget flexibility and mobility! Stretching before and after a run is great, but what’s even better is devoting a whole workout to this particular focus. Yoga and foam rolling exercises for runners boost recovery and improve range of motion.
How to Design Your Cross-Training Routine
How often should runners cross train? It depends on how much experience you have with your chosen non-running activity. If you choose weightlifting and you’re a beginner, you’ll want to take it slow so you don’t hamper your running workouts.
A good beginner-friendly plan will start with 1–2 sessions per week, focusing on low-impact options. Example: “Monday: Easy run. Tuesday: Cycling. Thursday: Yoga.” Complement every burst of cardio with some low-key flexibility exercises for runners.
Advanced runners should integrate functional strength training and interval sessions like HIIT cycling or rowing into their weekly program. For example, replace one recovery run with swimming or a spin class. If you’ve suffered an injury recently, you can take advantage of aqua jogging or the elliptical for maintaining fitness while healing. (Wondering how to use the elliptical for running recovery? You might want to consult with a personal trainer.)
Pro Tip: Always Track your heart rate during cross-training to match the effort of your runs.
Avoid These Common Cross-Training Mistakes
Perhaps the biggest caveat around cross-training for runners is overtraining. If you try to maximize yoga benefits for runners by doing three hot yoga classes in a row, it might be hard to run the next day. For competitive runners, this goes without saying, but don’t do too much (or introduce lots of new activities) too close to a race.
Whatever you do in your cross-training workouts, be sure to do it with the proper form. Improper technique in rowing and weightlifting can lead to back and shoulder injuries if you’re not careful. Also, don’t ignore variety — mixing up your modalities helps prevent overuse injuries.
NEVER skip your recovery time. Yes, it’s tempting when you’re already taking time off running to focus on cross-training benefits. But active recovery, like walking and light yoga, should be built into your program on a weekly basis at the very least.
Unlock Your Potential with Cross-Training
As a tool for injury prevention, improved performance, and mental refreshment, there’s really nothing that tops cross-training. You can start as small as you like, experimenting with activities you really enjoy. Heck, even dancing to your favorite Merengue Mix on YouTube counts!
Ready to transform your running? Visit City Fitness to create a personalized cross-training plan today!