How Cross-Training Can Accelerate Your Fitness Goals

Everybody knows the exercise is right for you, but it can also be too much of a good thing too! That's why many people have turned to cross-training workouts. Cross-training helps you to get plenty of exercise without the discomfort, injuries, and fatigue of doing the same fitness routine day after day.

So, what is cross-training anyway? Technically, cross-training involves doing two or more types of exercise in one workout or combining types of exercise in consecutive workouts. Yet essentially, cross-training means mixing up the activities a little to get a better overall workout.

For example, if you are currently running, you might add weightlifting on certain days and opt for a bike ride or step aerobics on other days. Different types of exercise can provide the components for a total body workout by improving cardiovascular fitness, building muscle, growing body fat, and aiding in flexibility.

The variation your body undergoes by doing a variety of sports helps you to test or overwhelm your system much better than doing only one type of exercise.

There are other benefits unique to cross-training. The sheer variety of exercise choices provides both physical and mental stimulation-a good shield against mental burnout.

When trying new things, you stop staleness and find yourself using new muscle groups and trying new movements. Your fitness level may increase simply because of all those exercise choices, and you'll find yourself exercising more.

Now you will be persuaded of the reasons why cross-training improves your level of health and enjoyment. Yet perhaps one of the biggest advantages of cross-training is how it reduces the injury risk. If you focus your exercise on just a few areas of your body, you risk wearing those parts down.

Running, for instance, works a lot with your legs and heart but puts a strain on your knees and feet, increasing your risk of Achilles tendinitis, shin splints, and stress fractures. Or you might get constant knee, heel, or even hip pain. Such pains are symptoms of wearing down the tendons and ligaments in these areas.

You prefer to do less when the workout hurts. Cross-training helps you to continue to exercise even if one part of the body is injured. Just because tennis makes your elbow stiff, it doesn't mean you can't go skiing or cycling inline. If cross-training has one primary advantage, it is because it encourages continuity and regularity.

The best way to choose your workouts is to set your goals first then get a good kit at  NationOfShoes. Should you practice for a particular sport or event? You'll then need to pick exercises to work with specific muscle groups. It would help if you also spoke to a trainer about a particular cross-training plan.

Looking to lose weight? You're going to concentrate on exercises that burn the most calories. Here are some short, non-competitive cross-training guidelines to accelerate your fitness.

• Stretching is an integral piece of cross-training that is often ignored for its advantages due to time limitations and a lack of appreciation.

• Stretching helps prepare the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints for the exercise to come and relax from previous intense activity.

• The training helps move the body from a resting state to an active state, and back again.

• Stretching often reduces the soreness that you experience the day or two after exercising. 

• Ask the trainer at your gym for stretching exercises, or find a book or video that includes stretching instructions.

• Weight training is an essential part of any cross-training routine as it builds the strength required for the different exercises to be carried out.

• If you intend to burn calories, lifting weights will also benefit by increasing your lean muscle mass, which helps your body burn more calories even when you're not exercising. That does mean that when you sit at your desk, your body can burn more calories than it used to.
• Weight training also improves the muscles you use during aerobic and fitness sports.

Aerobic exercises are also important for cross-training, as they boost cardiovascular fitness and are the foundation of calorie-burning activity.

• You need to increase the heart rate and sustain it to burn calories and thus raising body fat.

• You can eventually build stamina and be able to execute aerobic activity over longer periods.

• Novice exercisers should be cautious in their first attempts at aerobic exercises to continue to go for too long.

• Stable endurance workouts are particularly effective in reducing body fat. Cross-trainers also can choose between several cardiovascular training options.

• Through incorporating personal enjoyment, team sports such as basketball, soccer, and rugby will help you increase the intensity of your workouts through increasing competitiveness and the duration of your workouts.

A variety of physical exercises are available to choose from. Know your weight helps to decide how many calories you eat.

More massive people generally burn more calories for a given level of exercise. You might want to partner with a professional physical trainer or fitness instructor to get the most out of a cross-training program. Nearby professors or workers will help you find the kind of experience you need to direct your workout preparation soundly.