10 AWESOME Cross Training Activities for Trail Runners

Last updated on April 14th, 2021 at 05:25 pm

By its nature, running is a repetitive sport. Trail running definitely provides more terrain variation, but the simple act of running is still repetitive. Overuse injuries, reduction in motivation, and constantly stressing the same muscles and tendons can have negative impacts on your body and mind. This is why I’ve put together a list of my top ten cross-training activities for trail runners.

Below are ten cross-training activities that can help to reduce strain on your body, build hard-to-reach muscles, and provide variation from the long-distance endurance strains of trail running:

Cycling/Biking
Bouldering
Hiking
Scrambling
Cross Country Skiing or Elliptical Training
Snowshoeing
Swimming
Soccer or Basketball
Weight Training
Walking

There are some common themes to the list of cross-training activities we list above, but we go into much more detail through the rest of this post.

1. Cycling / Biking (A Classic)

Cycling is one of the most popular and effective cross-training activities for trail runners.

One big benefit of cycling is it can be done indoors or outdoors, and at any time of the year. The movement of pedaling is also very similar to that of running, but cycling will have a lower impact on the body (which is what we’re seeking with these activities).

You can take it easy while biking, or you could turn the activity into a challenging aerobic activity without running the risk of an impact injury.

How to Incorporate Biking to Improve Runs

There are two main ways to incorporate cycling as part of your training for running:

Recovery Cycling: Use the activity as a form of recovery from a running workout. Cycling in a low impact manner flushes out the legs by moving blood through them, relieving soreness from lactic acid and returning your muscles to their fresh and ready form.
Adding Hardcore Cycling Days to Your Workout Plan: You could utilize cycling as a serious training tool to enhance stamina and overall fitness. There are many ways to do this, but here are three basic routes:

Choose an outdoor route that is primarily uphill to build leg strength. If indoors, pedal at high gear, and grind it out.
Do interval sprints, jumping up out of the seat and pedaling at a high pace, to get a good aerobic workout.
Go for a long ride with both flat and hilly terrain to build your endurance.

Primarily, biking is going to strengthen the muscles in your legs as well as your cardiovascular system. Keep this in mind as you choose this for one of your cross-training activities.

2. Bouldering One of My Favorites

Bouldering is one of my favorite cross-training workouts. It is another activity that can be done indoors or outdoors, and it is an easy activity to learn.

What is Bouldering?

Bouldering is a form of climbing that focuses on intricate routes instead of high summits. Essentially, imagine climbing from point A to Point B in a side-to-side fashion… Instead of strapping into a harness, and setting up ropes, bouldering stays close to the ground.

Most of the climbing routes for bouldering move the climber horizontally through a series of grips. Making your way from the beginning of the route to the end of the route is the goal.

Because bouldering is focused on specific routes there could be countless variations on one section of climbing wall or rock.

Why we love bouldering?

These are the two main reasons we love bouldering so much. Bouldering is raw and simple. Besides being a challenge, tackling new routes is always fun. Because the routes always change there is a lot of variation, and you don’t get bored.

While climbing might deter people afraid of heights, bouldering takes that issue out of the equation. You don’t go very high at all, usually just 7 to 15 feet off the ground. If that is still too high for you there are plenty of routes at rock climbing gyms that stay much closer to the ground than that.

Why is bouldering so good for you?

Bouldering is considered one of the best full-body workouts there is.

Unlike cycling, which provides a platform for consistent and repetitive body motions, bouldering presents an endless series of variable movements. Simply put, more is required of the body.

You push. You pull. Your body tenses and releases. You are constantly required to balance yourself. You aren’t moving fast, but your heart is getting one hell of an aerobic workout.

Virtually no bouldering surface is the same so no movement is the same. One moment your arms are burning like crazy, the next moment your legs feel like they are on fire. From one moment to the next, both your upper and lower body are being tested.

In short, bouldering forces you to focus and coordinate your movement to maintain balance and stability.

The overall workout of bouldering and its low impact benefit make it a perfect cross-training activity for trail runners. Improving overall body fitness will certainly help during your next trail race.

3. Hiking – The Cousin of Trail Running

Hiking enables you to get out on the same trails as you would (or perhaps ones you couldn’t) while trail running. It is another activity that replicates the movement of running but at a slower pace and lower impact on your body. Hiking can build leg strength as well as improve respiratory and cardiovascular health.

The Mental Benefits of Hiking

There is a mental element of hiking that cannot be overlooked either. Taking the trails at a slower pace allows you to see where you’ll eventually be running from a different perspective.

You can better evaluate trail characteristics that you may miss when zooming by on a run. And you’ll better anticipate trail challenges and areas of opportunity, giving you more confidence when you are actually out there on a run.

Furthermore, going out on a hike just feels good. It can be the ultimate stress relief. When you’re in a funk, getting out into nature and taking it slowly might be the best way to get back to your best.

“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks”. -John Muir

4. Scrambling – ROCKS Baby

If you want to do a trail activity that is a little bit more challenging than hiking, but a little less challenging than climbing, scrambling may be a good solution.

Scrambling is the traversing of steep terrain that sometimes requires the use of the hands to balance or advance forward. You can read more about what scrambling is by checking out our post that goes into more detail on scrambling.

Scrambling can be done at a slightly faster pace than vertical climbing, and it allows you to move over and around obstacles that are not considered conducive to normal hiking.

Here is a rundown on why scrambling is great cross-training:

The fitness benefits of scrambling are great
All parts of the body are required
You get a better all-around workout
You get to lightly challenge your musculoskeletal system
Provides focused training for body balance

For all of the reasons outlined here, scrambling is one of our favorite cross-training activities.

5. Cross Country Skiing or Elliptical Training

Winter weather can make it challenging to get out on a run. This is especially the case when there is an accumulation of snow on the trails. But we’re not afraid of a little snow?… Right?

Exercising in the cold can have physiological benefits, so some runners view snow as an opportunity to get in beneficial cross-training. This is where cross-country skiing comes in.

Cross country skiing is an awesome activity when the countryside is snow-covered. Again, it is another activity that mimics running movements while taking out the impact of running.

Cross-country skiing can be very challenging though. You will find that it’s an activity that provides an elevated heart rate for most of the workout. But, you’ll also probably be too distracted by the beautiful scenery passing by to even notice that you’re improving your fitness drastically.

If you cannot get outside to go cross country skiing, elliptical training is a great indoor alternative. As one of the best activities to mimic running (without the impact) you’ll be able to maintain fitness without the risk of injury. Here are some quality elliptical workouts for runners.

6. Snowshoeing

Because of their useful design, snowshoes make it easier and safer to walk or run on snowy paths.

Buying or renting a pair of snowshoes will enable you to hike (or even run) on otherwise impassable trails. Yes, you can DEFINITELY run while wearing snowshoes, although you will likely want to get the right pair for this.

Because they provide an amazing workout, snowshoeing has become a more popular winter cross-training tool for all level of committed trail runners.

There are multiple types of snowshoes for different activities, including models designed specifically for fitness training.

These tailored snowshoes allow for intense workouts. Typically they will wrap around your existing trail shoes (make sure they are waterproof) and are either sleek or wide depending on activity (running vs. heavy backpacking, for example).

Working out in snowshoes is obviously a bit different than normal hiking or running. It requires more exaggerated movement up and down, which leads to more exertion. Specifically, lifting the knees toward the waist; this is necessary in order to clear debris or snowy obstacles before the next step.

7. Swimming

It can be difficult to motivate folks to go through the effort of incorporating swimming workouts. One of the leading reasons for this is that swimming well does not come easily to all. That said, swimming does have its benefits, and cannot be overlooked as a valuable cross-training option. Swimming is a great activity to add to a hard trail running regimen.

Benefits of Swimming

Swimming runs literally no risk of impact injury and can be done indoors or outdoors, depending on the weather and your available options.

As a non-weight bearing activity, you can put together a serious aerobic exercise. Swimming is also a seriously beneficial workout to consider when recovering from injuries, particularly to the legs, due to the low impact nature of the exercise.

Because swimming is such a low impact activity it is often used as an intentional recovery workout in between hard runs.

Some quality swimming workouts for runners can include high-intensity interval training, active recovery workouts, and long endurance swimming.

8. Weight Training (Bodyweight)

Using the weight of your body for resistance exercises is one of the most practical cross-training workouts you can do.

In fact, we would venture to say that bodyweight, or lightweight, training is critical to building overall fitness.

No, this is not the same thing as eating 8 chicken breasts a day, lifting heavy weights, and trying to bulk up as much as possible. This is about getting leaner and stronger in a relevant manner.

Push-ups, pull-ups, lunges, squats, core exercises like sit-ups, and other bodyweight workouts are critical to improving as a runner.

Another huge benefit of bodyweight workouts is the fact that they are free and can be done anywhere! The world is your gym. Try some pull-ups on a tree branch. Just make sure it’s a strong one!

Lifting free-weights can also accelerate and build your muscle strength. Targeting specific muscles can build your upper and lower body alike. Focus on chest and triceps, biceps and back, shoulders, and lower body workouts.

9. Soccer or Basketball

Team sports such as soccer or basketball provide an effective and enjoyable social workout to a cross-training regimen. Many of us grew up playing team sports and can attest to the benefits they provide.

Some of the benefits include:

Discipline
Relationship building
Cooperation
Balanced fitness

The team aspect will also build a competitive edge, which hopefully can transfer over to your next trail race.

Multifaceted Training Benefits of Soccer and Basketball

Soccer and basketball require sustained aerobic fitness and naturally incorporate an interval-type approach with uncoordinated bouts of sprinting, jogging, squatting, and jumping.

In a way, soccer and basketball are speed-training in disguise.

There are a lot of directional shifts in these sports. Changes in direction mean you will find yourself running in ways you never would on the trail. This will help to balance out your muscle development and also exercise your mind to adjust to a variety of movements.

You won’t even realize how well these sports will work out your body because you’ll just be enjoying yourself. It is important to note that these activities are not low impact. They will be hard on your joints and you can run the risk of injury in ways that are different than what you’ll find on the trail.

So, if you are training for a serious running competition, you may want to give playing contact team sports a second thought.

10. Walking (One of the classics)

Yes, walking can count.

You can do this with almost anyone too. Remember, if you are just beat and need time to recover, walking can be your answer.

Maybe you have a nagging injury or are recovering from a slight cold. Or perhaps you are just stressed out from the grind of everyday life. Maybe you are a little sick of running and need a break. Walking can be the alternative to not doing anything. Unless you are injured or desperately need to rest, any activity is better than no activity.

Sure, you are using way less energy walking than running, but you are using some energy. You may also be clearing your mind and flushing your legs by getting the blood flowing.

Walking also gives you the opportunity to move with someone that may otherwise not be able to keep up on a trail run. This would give you the opportunity to have an “active hangout”. Having the opportunity to talk with someone as you move is true therapy in its most basic form. Don’t underestimate the benefits of going on a nice long walk!

FAQs of Cross-Training for Trail Runners

Below we go over some of the most frequently asked questions about cross-training for trail runners. Hopefully, these can give more context as to WHY cross-training is so important both physically and mentally.

What is The Goal of Cross-Training Activities?

Low-impact, high-cardio, alternating leg and arm movements are typically effective in enhancing fitness and performance for trail runners. If it feels like running in some way, shape, or form and also gives you a good workout, then you should consider doing the activity. All of our suggested activities hit on these points in some way.

Below we go into more detail as to why each of the above activities could be perfect for your trail running cross-training.

Why do Trail Runners Need Cross-Training?

Overuse injuries are very common with road and trail runners alike. Tendinitis is a common example, as it can result from constantly stressing the same body tissues, particularly in the leg. Soft tissues like the Achilles tendon need rest every so often, and your body will tell you when. If you start to feel pain in your heel up through your lower calf, that’s your Achilles telling you to chill out for a bit.

Adding diversity to your workout can address overuse issues, and provide fitness benefits. Cross-training helps to break up the mundane of doing the same run all the time, it can balance out your muscles leading to better stamina., and it can help to relieve you of nagging injuries by giving certain body parts a break while you work out others. Becoming a better runner is the ultimate goal of cross-training. You’ll be more agile, adjust better to changing trail conditions, have better core strength, and will be able to enjoy running even more.

How Can I Work Cross-Training Into My Regimen?

Interweaving cross-training exercises into your trail running exercises can make you a more dynamic athlete.

Yes, to become a better runner, you must run. A lot. But there are legitimate circumstances in which adding or substituting cross-training exercises can improve your running times.

How and why you may want to do some cross-training may vary, but generally, there are two approaches to weaving it into your running routine:

1. Replace running days with cross-training days.

This approach does not add workouts to your routine but rather takes the place of your run so that you are running fewer miles overall. Such a strategy can be beneficial for a runner who feels they are running too much in general. Replacing runs is also great when coming back from an injury; cross-training allows you to ease back into running

Another scenario where a cross-training workout makes sense is when a hard run has just been completed, and you’re having trouble recovering. Adding one of the ten cross-training activities we suggest for trail runners will help make for a more streamlined (but still productive) recovery day.

Additionally, replacing run days with cross-training days will be helpful for someone who is a little out of shape. Building general fitness will be a helpful way to advance running performance to the next level.

Don’t think replacing two of your five runs per week with cross-training will benefit your times? Quickly scan the related post below where we specifically reflect on the FIRST Marathon Plan, which suggests just that.

2. Add cross-training to your overall workout schedule

This approach can help build upon current weekly workout regimens without the risk of overuse injury. Adding some cool activities will also go a long way in limiting boredom and monotony from too much running. Adding cross-training workouts instead of substituting can be effective if it works for you. In other words, if you know that you can’t or shouldn’t be running any more miles during the week, but would still like to refine your fitness, this is a good strategy.

Furthermore, if you have maximized your fitness and are looking to refine it further to amplify training for a particular event, adding cross-training workouts can help.

This approach is not necessarily meant to add full-day workouts to your schedule. Rather, you can strategically incorporate additional exercises into your daily running workout. You can structure “two-a-days” in which you run in the morning and do a cross-training exercise in the evening, or vice versa.

What Cross-Training Should I Avoid?

Exercises should be avoided if they create excessive strain on body parts regularly used for running, or if they will transform your body into one that is not conducive to trail running (think super heavy weight lifting).

If you are training for a competitive running event, you must also consider avoiding activities that can lead to unexpected injuries, like football or other contact workouts.

Can Cross-Training Impact Mental Health?

Another very important factor to consider when selecting your cross-training exercises is your mental health. It’s very possible that you are looking into this because you are bored with running, and need a reprieve from it every once in a while.

If you are choosing to do a workout that you do not enjoy as an alternative to an activity that you are bored with, you are not going to have successful outcomes. Therefore, choose cross-training activities that nourish your mental needs in addition to your physical needs.

Quite simply, do something enjoyable. Even if it doesn’t perfectly fit the mold of an ideal trail runner’s cross-training exercise.

All The Reasons We Need Cross-Training

While we may love the repetitive routine of trail running, there is such thing as “too much of a good thing.”

Overall fitness. Injury prevention and recovery. A healthy variety of stimuli and challenges. Stress relief. Boredom relief. Improved results. Better preparation for unexpected outcomes. Fun.

Cross-training can be the difference between getting to the next level or losing interest because you’re stuck in the same routine.

Remember: a good runner doesn’t just run.

RELATED POSTS:

Photo credit: Robbie Shade (source) | Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)