What Is the Meaning of Cross-Train?

Cross-training involves developing comprehensive fitness by expanding your physical activities outside a single sport or training regimen. Participating in a variety of exercises develops your physical abilities and muscles in a number of ways. Sticking to a single type of physical activity, in contrast, might not lead to comprehensive fitness.

  1. Function

    • Suppose a runner wants to develop physical skills and abilities outside just the sport of running. The runner might lift weights, play basketball, ski, swim or participate in any other activity that involves movements that challenge her body in new ways. Similarly, a weightlifter might play basketball, a basketball player might lift weights and a baseball player might play football. Some sports themselves are a type of cross-training. For example, the sport of triathlon involves swimming, running and bicycling. Participants aim to excel in each of these categories, developing overall physical fitness.

    Benefits

    • The specific benefits of cross-training depend on many factors, such as the intensity and frequency of the training and the nature of the activities. Generally, cross-training reduces your risk of injury by spreading the physical demands of exercise across many muscle groups, enhances weight loss by burning extra calories, and develops greater cardiovascular and muscular fitness, according to exercise physiologist Jessica Matthews of the American Council on Exercise.

    Prevents Boredom

    • Another advantage of cross-training is that it keeps your exercise regimen interesting. Doing the same sorts of exercises over and over can get boring. But stepping outside your usual activities to participate in different sports and types of exercise can breathe some life back into your workouts. And anytime your routine grows stale again, you can switch to entirely new sports and physical activities.

    Disadvantage

    • A disadvantage of cross-training is that dedicating your time to other sorts of physical activities might dilute your focus. For example, if you’re a baseball player, playing other sports might distract you from practicing baseball-specific skills. Similarly, if you plan to run a marathon, cross-training might not help you increase your running speed or endurance as much as dedicating your workouts to developing running-related skills.

    Expert Insight

    • If you're not sure which physical activities are appropriate for you, but you want to get involved in cross-training, ask a certified fitness instructor for guidance. Explain what sorts of activities you like and tell her your fitness goals. Getting an expert’s opinion on how to begin cross-training helps you design a challenging path forward that won't overwhelm you with too much physical activity.