Ladies: how to boost your running, and avoid injuries with cross training
Learn what cross training is, and exactly HOW it will empower your running (even when injured).


To be better at running, you need to just run and get the ‘miles in your legs’ right? well, not quite actually. Runners of all levels benefit from including cross training in their weekly routine. Why? Because not only does cross-training reduce your risk of injury but also challenges your bodies aerobic capacity. Both will help you run better (and for longer).
Well it’s a broad, umbrella term covering many types of aerobic exercises (all that you can substitute for running) such as spinning, cycling, swimming, hiking. They don’t have to mimic running motions such as swimming, but you can if you choose to; running in the water or elliptical machine for example.
I know what you’re thinking ‘but I already have a gym session included in my training plan’ and that’s great because resistance training is imperative to improve your strength, muscular endurance and mobility; but its not exactly classed as an aerobic workout; more of a supplement to your running. So, keep your gym session! And swap a run for a cross training session if you can’t add another session.
University of Tennessee at Knoxville study found that training effect on VO2max (V02max is the maximum capacity a person’s body to transport and use oxygen during exercise) transfers between cycling, running and swimming. In other words, whether you swim, bike or run, you’re still training your body to use oxygen in a similarly effective way. So there’s nothing to lose by mixing it up a bit.
Start with breaking down your week:
(sometimes instead of upping the milage significantly in your running sessions you can add another cross-training session instead).
Cross-training doesn’t have to be complicated, or exceedingly long. You can add 20 minutes of indoor bike before your resistance training session, even cycle to and from work, or hike with your dog on the weekend. You can be really sociable with cross-training too; hey maybe your run friends will want to join your sessions (because your smashing your goals right now, no doubt).
*Also when thinking about training, it may be worth looking at your menstrual cycle and adhere to the hormones driving your body week by week as in some weeks it would be more beneficial to hit the resistance training and others it is optimal to cross train. For an in depth week-by-week guide on how to do this (click here) – bring a pen and notebook.
It is a well known fact that females suffer from knee injures significantly more than men. This can be due to so many factors although most-commonly due to a muscular imbalance (causing biomechanical irregularities) and overuse/over-training in fellow runners.
And one piece of advice you’ll often receive as a runner with a niggling pain (and unable to rest because race day is looming) will be to consider cross training. Cross-training challenges the body in a different motion than it will be used to with running. You can:
So your injured and cant run for a few weeks, it happens. Don’t worry! You can sill make race day and put in a dazzling performance many will be envious of. So many believe an injury is the biggest set-back, to de-rail your goals but its not – Cross-training provides you an alternative way to stay fit as your rehabilitate your injury (enabling you to improve your level of fitness during your injury time off; wow, right?)
What type of cross-training you do whilst injured highly depends on the injury you have. Stress fractures will limit you to a low/non-load bearing activities like swimming and cycling, whereas sprain, strains and tendonitis type injuries have more freedom. Please note it is important to speak to your physical therapist or doctor regarding which types of training you can do safely as you recover from your injury.