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SCross-Training Makes
Exercise Fun Again
By Wayne L. Westcott |
 Quincy
- Even with the recent emphasis on exercise, the United
States Public Health Service informs us that approximately
90 percent of Americans are essentially sedentary. In fact,
most do so little physical activity they could almost be
reclassified as statues. Although one of every two adults is
presently following a low-calorie diet plan, only one of
every 10 adults (and only one in 40 older adults) is
performing regular exercise. While dieting is effective for
reducing bodyweight, low-calorie eating plans result in
muscle loss and metabolic slow-down which are undesirable
consequences, especially for older adults.
To maintain muscle tissue and metabolic function, diet
programs should be accompanied by exercise programs.
Strength training is of primary importance because it
actually increases muscle tissue and resting metabolic rate,
which improves physical fitness and enhances fat loss.
The other type of exercise that should be performed for
weight loss and health benefits is aerobic training.
Endurance activities such as walking, jogging, cycling,
stepping and rowing burn lots of calories and provide
cardiovascular conditioning in the process. Regular aerobic
exercise strengthens your heart muscle, expands your
capillary beds, and makes your blood a better oxygen
transportation system, all of which are highly desirable for
older adults.
Most people approach endurance exercise in the traditional
manner, beginning with about five minutes of low-effort
warmup, followed by 20 to 30 minutes of moderate-effort
continuous movement, and concluded with about five minutes
of low-effort cool-down. This is an excellent training model
with one exception. Performing the same type of exercise
movements for relatively long training durations can lead to
physiological problems, such as overuse injuries, and
psychological concerns, such as boredom and burnout.
Older adults, in particular, should consider a
cross-training program for increasing the benefits and
reducing the risks associated with endurance exercise.
Cross-training is easily accommodated at most fitness
facilities due to the wide variety of aerobic equipment
readily available (e.g. upright cycles, recumbent cycles,
treadmills, stepping machines, stair climbing machines,
elliptical trainers, rowing machines, walking tracks and
swimming pools). Even home gyms can be outfitted at a
reasonable cost to enable more varied aerobic activity (e.g.
cycle, stepper, rower, etc.).
The two equally important objectives of a cross-training
workout are: (1) to provide 20 to 30 minutes of more or less
continuous endurance training for effective cardiovascular
conditioning and (2) to use two or more modes of aerobic
exercise to emphasis different muscle groups for reduced
risk of overuse injuries. For example, instead of 30 minutes
walking on the treadmill you may substitute 10 minutes of
treadmill walking plus 10 minutes of upright cycling, plus
10 minutes of rowing. This cross-training workout provides
30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise but emphasizes a
variety of major muscle groups. Physiologically it enables
you to train harder due to less muscle fatigue, with less
potential for overuse injuries. Psychologically, it offers a
more interesting workout with periodic changes in movement
patterns and motor skills.
Consider the following aerobic activities that may be
interchanged during your endurance training sessions, noting
the major muscular emphasis of each exercise.
Upright cycling supports your bodyweight and puts more
stress on your front thigh (quadriceps) muscles.
Recumbent cycling also supports your bodyweight, but places
more emphasis on your rear thigh (hamstrings) and hip (gluteal)
muscles.
Treadmill walking/running, which uses your bodyweight
resistance, places more emphasis on your rear thigh
(hamstrings) muscles at slower speeds and more emphasis on
your front thigh (quadriceps) muscles at faster speeds.
Stepping and stair climbing both use your bodyweight
resistance and put more stress on your front thigh
(quadriceps) and lower leg (calf) muscles.
Elliptical training machines use your bodyweight resistance
and produce a movement pattern that resembles a combination
of running, cycling and stepping, which places more equal
emphasis on all of the lower body muscles.
Rowing machines involve both external resistance and body
movement. Unlike the other endurance exercises, rowing
involves both your upper body and lower body muscles, with
greatest stress on the pushing muscles of the legs (front
thighs, rear thighs and buttocks) and the pulling muscles of
the torso/arms (upper back, lower back, biceps).
Swimming is similar to rowing in that you use both your
upper body and lower body muscles, with emphasis on those
that pull your body through the water (chest, upper back and
arms). Of course rowing and swimming are excellent
crosstraining activities when integrated with leg emphasis
exercises.
There is no specific pattern of cross-training combinations
and no particular time limit for each exercise segment.
Choose the activities that you like best and try a variety
of match-ups. For example, you could do two different
activities for 12 minutes each or four different exercises
at six minutes each. After a few experimental sessions you
should develop a personalized cross-training program that is
perfect for you.
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About The Author
Wayne L.
Westcott, Ph.D., teaches exercise science at Quincy College
and consults for the South Shore YMCA.
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