3 Effective Low Impact Cross Training Exercises For Marathon Training

With just a short 4 weeks to go for marathon training, I have been extra careful with my training by working hard to prevent injuries (read: laying on my couch when not training) and also by doing some of my favorite cross training activities. One of my biggest mistakes last year was my lack of strength training during marathon training.

This week’s theme as a TCS NYC Marathon Social Media Ambassador is Cross Training. This year I have made it a huge priority to cross train, even sacrificing a week day of running here and there. To see more themes from the past weeks, check out my Facebook page!

Here are my top three favorite ways to cross train:

Indoor Cycling: This is definitely one of my favorite ways to exercise. From the pumping music to the awesome people all pushing towards the same goal, indoor cycling is my preferred way to workout when I am not running. Plus you can get a pretty great cardio workout for your heart without pounding the pavement!

Yoga: I love a good yoga class! Whether I am practicing yoga right in the privacy of my own home or if I got to $5 bikram hot yoga class in Midtown, Yoga brings sweet relief to my body after running so many miles. It’s also a great way to stop and really pay attention to the tightness and less flexible parts of your body.

Strength Training: Resistance training is my all time favorite way to exercise. It is easy to get into and with hard work you can advance at it pretty quickly. It is a low impact way to strengthen all the muscles you use to run (which is pretty much ALL your muscles) and it will only help you get faster in the end. I’ve spent a lot of time strength training this marathon cycle and it’s made a really huge difference in my long runs and hopefully will on race day too! Runner’s World has a great section on Strength Training that details how to use weights in detail when it comes to running.

How do you cross train when marathon training? If you don’t train for marathons what is your second favorite form of exercise?

Nellie

Hi! I’m Nellie. I am a busy mama of three, wife to my high school sweetheart who loves to cook, workout and stay organized! I love to share helpful printables, the best recipes and fitness tips for the modern mom. I strongly believe that every mom can feed their family well, take proper care of themselves and have fun along the way! Read my story.

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