Cross-Training for Fitness
Every time you exercise vigorously your muscles are
injured, and the harder you exercise, the longer it takes for your
muscles to heal. You are not supposed to exercise vigorously
again until your muscles stop hurting. You can exercise hard on
one day and easy on the next few days, or you can train in two
sports. This is called cross-training, and it can make you very fit
and help to prevent injuries.
Each sport stresses specific muscle groups. Cycling
stresses the upper legs, while rowing stresses your back and
upper body. If you cycle and row on the same day, you stress
your upper legs and upper body on the same day. To reduce
your chances of injuring yourself, you should take the next day
off, or at least exercise at a very low intensity. If you cycle on
Monday and row on Tuesday, you allow your muscles 48 hours
to recover from each sport. Pick two sports that use different
muscle groups and do them on alternate days. You can then
exercise more intensely in each sport and achieve a higher level
of fitness.
September 15, 2006
Checked 9/28/08