When your trainer asks you if you did any exercise over the weekend, never answer with “I went shopping”.  The mall is not a fitness centre.  Unless you spent a considerable amount of time on the treadmill in Sears, the answer is no.

Kidding aside, active living is very important in our daily lives.  Cleaning the house, taking the stairs and parking at the furthest end of the lot, is absolutely necessary in our sedentary lives. We need to balance all of the sitting with some movement.  Go out for a walk on your lunch, do some squats or climb some stairs on your break and get up and stretch throughout the day.  Keep it moving and keep it working.

Cardiovascular exercise is quite a different thing.  Activities such as power walking, running, cycling, swimming, elliptical and  stair climbing all require a bit of sweat, effort, and skill.  The endurance, strength and intensity involved in these activities will strengthen your heart and lungs. They can also improve your  balance, proprioception and joint mobility.  When you walk for exercise it should be brisk.  You should be able to talk, but you may prefer not to.  It is recommended that you do  3 – 5 sessions of aerobic activity per week.  If you only have 20 minutes, crank up the intensity (always consult your Doctor first, of course).  If you have more time, high to moderate intensity will give you a good workout.  Also, make sure to add some resistance and flexibility training to your routine as well.

This being said, sometimes there is nothing better than a slow, thoughtful hike on a nature trail.  We all need that for peace of mind. Everything has it’s place.  It always comes back to finding balance and giving your mind, body and soul what it needs, when it needs it.

Cross Training combines different modes of training and exercises, avoiding adherence to just one modality that repeatedly works the same muscle groups.  Adding other modes of training to supplement your preferred activity will ensure that you work your opposing muscle groups to avoid injury. For example, a runner may want to incorporate cycling, elliptical, core training or swimming into their routine.  These are all low impact forms of exercise that will enhance running performance.  By doing other activities, you will be calling on muscle groups that may not be as engaged in your primary activity. Overuse injuries are extremely common in someone who does the same type of workout day in, day out.  Add something new at least one day per week and avoid the repetitive stress on your body.

A Few More Reasons To Cross Train

Weight Loss:  Staying locked into the same routine month after month won’t stimulate and challenge your body.  Without change in your routine, your body will adapt and eventually hit a plateau.  To keep your body responding, challenge it by adding different modes of training and you will continue to see change.

Exercise Adherence:  Add a secondary activity to keep yourself motivated and engaged.  The more creative you are with your workouts, the more likely you will be to stick with it.

Enhanced Performance:  Cross training can enhance your performance in your chosen sport.  If you want to be a better endurance runner, do core training, stair climbing and cycling. This will  engage other muscle groups not primarily used when running and stimulate different patterns of recruitment.

Brain Health:  Adding variety to your routine and trying new activities will keep your brain engaged. The brain’s neuroplasticity will improve as it processes each new activity, creating new neural pathways. Here is the mind-body connection at work again!

Happy Training!