Originally published on HVMN by Nate Martins.

Dedicated training is something to be admired. Many athletes strive for the ability to get up and get out every single day whether it’s for a specific race or event or even, simply driven by a goal. Often that can mean adhering to a training plan based on both repetition and incrementally increased difficulty–monotony and overuse be damned.

But you may get hurt. Or plateau. Or experience a disruption in your training schedule. These can all be detrimental to accomplishing a goal. Then there’s also that inevitable boredom of doing the same training day in and day out. You swear that footprint on the trail was yours from yesterday.

Enter cross-training, an exercise program usually employed outside of these intense training blocks to add some variance (physically and mentally) to workouts. It keeps the body guessing, and has many athletes reap the benefits for their main sport: decreased injury potential, and added strength to the most-used muscles.

Here, we’ll detail the science behind cross-training, how to work it into your schedule, and some new exercises to try. Your main sport will thank us.

This is Your Body on Cross Training

Simply put, cross training is training in another discipline in improving your main sport. The options are almost limitless–runners can strength train, swimmers can paddle board, cyclists can do yoga. The goal is to supplement your main sport with training that’s beneficial for certain muscles, movements, or even, your brain and mood.

For most athletes, the inclusion of cross training into a workout plan is triggered by an injury sidelining them from regular training. I was no different–hours of basketball and running led to knee pain (from patellar tendonitis, known as “runner’s knee” or “jumper’s knee”). But I was stubborn. When I should have stopped the joint-pounding activities, I continued to beat them like a drum. It got to a point where the pain wasn’t worth the workout, but I couldn’t give up working out all together. So I started swimming and incorporating yoga into my routine, which delivered positive and painless results.

Turns out, I’m not alone. Up to 56% of recreational runners experience injuries, with most of those relating to the knee.1 Supplements can help (like glucosamine, which promotes the development of cartilage), but up to 75% of those are overuse injuries.1

Since a majority of injuries happen due to time dedicated to a single sport, cross training can help prevent injuries for the simple fact that it forces athletes to spend less time training singularly. Cross training doesn’t just maintain activity by reducing the risk for injury–it also can increase performance.

A study of 27 male runners were assigned one of three different resistance training regimens (in addition to their normal endurance training): heavy resistance, explosive resistance or muscle endurance training. In all three groups, running endurance performance increased.2 The heavy-lifting group, in particular, saw improvements to high-intensity running characteristics, like sprinting at the end of the race.2

The benefits of cross training aren’t just physical; there’s also a potential mental benefit of switching it up. Mental fatigue can impact physical workouts–you may be less likely to workout knowing that you’re facing the exact same exercise every day. Especially if an athlete is in-season or training for a specific event, cross-training can provide an exciting challenge. It’s easy to be training heads-down; cross-training can help you see the forest between the trees.

Implementing Cross Training

Divorce yourself from the idea that cross training takes away from your regular training schedule. While you’ll inevitably be spending time away from your sweetheart sport, absence makes the muscles grow stronger.

There are three main groups of cross training for endurance athletes: strength training, aerobic low-impact work, and aerobic impact work, and each can be part of a cross-training program.

Strength Training

Touching upon all major muscle groups is important for effective strength training.

Incorporating strength training into an endurance regimen can enhance physical fitness, as it did in this meta-analysis of distance runners.3 Even just 30 minutes per week, once or twice a week, can suffice. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be done in a gym; you can take the at-home approach to incorporate plyometrics or things like push-ups.

Regardless of where you strength train, a full body workout will maximize the time you spend training. Consider hitting all the major muscle groups such as arms, chest, shoulders, back, core and legs (more on this later).

Aerobic Low-Impact Work

Probably the reason many athletes experiment with cross-training: take stress off those weary joints and reduce injury risk.

Low-impact activities or no-impact workouts can be done two or three times a week. It’s easily implemented, as it can replace an active recovery day or even a harder workout day depending on the exercise; so for those who think they’re losing gains because of cross-training, you may actually find yourself enjoying the cross training more than your main exercise.

Cycling, swimming, and rowing are some of the most popular low-impact workouts. For flexibility and core exercises, yoga and pilates are go-tos. And you may even be able to work out longer and more frequently using these types of workouts due to the lack of stress they cause the body (swimmers can work out every day, and they’re hitting all the major muscle groups). For example, if you planned on running 45 minutes, you could easily spend 70 minutes cycling.

Aerobic Impact Work

Maybe the reason you’re reading this article is because of too much aerobic impact work.

If you’re training, the amount of aerobic impact work will likely be higher (and maybe your only focus during that training block). But in the off-season, or times when you’d like to give your body a break, aerobic impact work should be done once or twice a week. As a general rule, cross-training is meant to limit the impact on the body.

Typically, cross training is meant to offer your body a break from the impact it faces during regular training. You can play team games, train runs, circuit train or do CrossFit as a cross-training method, as the impact is likely different from your normal routine. But be mindful: any impact work still puts a strain on the body.

The Importance of Rest

Before getting into the specific exercises to try, remember the need for rest. Your muscles are asking for it.

The goal of every training session is to break down muscle and without recovery, a portion of that work might be wasted. During recovery, the body begins the process of rebuilding what has been broken down.

Muscle protein synthesis can increase by as much as 50% in the hours after a workout, helping encourage muscle growth.4 Concurrently, muscle fibers are rebuilt. These processes are a normal part of the exercise, and recovery allows the muscles to become stronger. Fluid restoration is also key, as it helps deliver nutrients to organs and muscles through the bloodstream. And acids (via that hydrogen proton associated with lactate) accumulate during workouts–so recovery provides time for the body to restore intramuscular pH and blood flow for oxygen delivery.

In-season, professional triathlete, Kelsey Withrow, is laser-focused on training. When she’s not training, it’s all about recovery.

“As a professional triathlete, I focus all my time on swimming, running and biking. The rest of the time is for recovery.”
-Kelsey Withrow, professional triathlete

Even though cross training is meant to give the body a break from regular training, it’s still is a source of stress and requires recovery time (or you might burnout). For most athletes, it’s difficult to slow down. Many of us are goal-oriented, hardworking and ultimately–a bit stubborn. Budgeting recovery time is essential, as is providing your body with the necessary fuel to recover properly.

Supplementing recovery may help expedite that process and get you back in the saddle faster. HVMN Ketone has been shown to improve recovery by decreasing the breakdown of intramuscular glycogen and protein during exercise (when compared to carbs alone).5 It also expedited the resynthesis of glycogen by 60% and protein by 2x when added to a normal post-workout carb or protein nutrition.6,5

Doing the same exercise can be mentally exhausting, leading to mental fatigue that wears down on your desire to even do the workout. Research has shown that the mind is usually a good gauge of the body,7 with a mental strain reported by a questionnaire being closely related to stress signals in the hormones of the body. By switching it up with cross-training, and also ensuring rest days, the mind will get a chance to recharge too.

Cross Training Exercises

Now is the time to incorporate cross-training workouts. The exercises below touch on several different areas of exercise, from strength training to both low-impact and impact aerobic activities.

You can begin by folding in some additional exercises to your existing workouts. Runners may try hills or cyclists may try 30-second sprints–this isn’t cross-training exactly, it’s just extra training. The benefits of cross training come with learning something new and focusing on different areas of the body that regular training can neglect.

Try working some of these exercises into your routine. It’s important to pick which is best for your personal needs.

Swimming

Benefits: Aerobic and cardio workout without the joint or muscle impact

Concerns: Technical ability can limit the quality of training

How to try it: Ensure you have the proper equipment (goggles, swim cap, fins, etc.), check lane times at your local pool, familiarize yourself with technique

A great whole body workout, swimming is one of the low-impact exercises most often used for recovery or cross training. Interestingly, reports show many people enjoy water-based exercise more than land-based exercise.8

Swimming works the whole body; it increases heart rate without the joint-pounding stress of running, it builds endurance and can also build and tone muscle. Because of these benefits, it’s a great option for recovery–a study showed that patients with osteoarthritis showed reduced stiffness, joint pain, and overall less physical limitation.9

It also torches calories. Swimming has shown improved body weight and body fat distribution when compared to walking.10 An average person can burn almost 450 calories when swimming at a low or moderate pace for one hour. At an increased pace, that could go north of 700 calories. For comparison, running for one hour at a leisurely pace burns about 400 calories.

Outside of the aerobic benefits, swimming (and water training, like deep-water running) has shown to improve cardiovascular health and lung capacity.11,12,13

To incorporate swimming into your cross-training routine, first find a place to swim. Then gather the necessary tools (like goggles, swim cap, fins, etc.), and brush up on the form before jumping in the pool. Try it one to three times a week for 30 minutes to start.

Cycling

Benefits: Low impact, aerobic, and strength building

Concerns: Risk of injury and cost of equipment

How to try it: For outdoor cycling, get a bike properly fitted and map your cycling route. Or find a bike / spin class at your local gym. For beginners, try cycling 45 minutes to an hour

Another low impact workout, cycling is a great way to reduce stress on those joint while still clocking in the aerobic hours.

Similar to swimming, cycling burns calories at an impressive clip, anywhere from 400 – 1,000 per hour depending on the intensity of the ride. And since cycling is also a resistance exercise, it’s not just burning fat–it also builds muscle.

A systematic review analyzed the benefits of cycling, showcasing a myriad of results. There was a positive relationship between cycling and cardiorespiratory fitness, cardiovascular fitness, and general fitness.14 Whether on the road, the track, or in the gym on a stationary bike, the benefits of cycling as a cross-training mechanism stem from the fact it’s a low impact, muscle building, aerobic workout. It can help athletes train if they have experienced an injury.

There are several ways to train on a bicycle. You can ride hills to build muscle and strength, or do shorter sprints to build speed. There’s also an option for endurance, with riders cycling hundreds or thousands of miles over the course of a long session. For beginners, get a feel for the workout on a stationary bike. As you advance, visit a local bike shop to get your bike properly fitted.

Strength Training

Benefits: Increased muscle strength, bone density, injury prevention, mental health

Concerns: Improper form and too much weight can lead to injury

How to try it: Find a gym with the proper equipment and build a training plan, picking exercises that target both the upper and lower body.

Many endurance athletes don’t consider strength training as part of their workout routine, but it can help prevent injury while improving strength for your main sport. For runners, maybe that’s improved core strength for economy. For cyclists, maybe the outcome is a higher power output. Regardless of your sport, strength training is imperative to improving endurance for runners15 and cyclists.

In a study of postmenopausal women, high-intensity strength training exercises showed preserved bone density while improving muscle mass, strength and balance.16 It can also help prevent injury. In a study of soccer players who strength trained in the offseason, hamstring strains were lower (and that group also saw increases in strength and speed).17

“You spend so much time beating your body down in-season, but I find that I’m healthier and stronger when I lift. With long distance, being strong helps. I try to put on a lot of muscle during a short period of time.”
Kelsey Withrow, professional triathlete

The mental benefits of resistance training have also been documented; studies have shown it improves anxiety and depression.18,19

A good strength training regimen will focus separately on different muscle groups. There are several options for lifters of all different levels, but starting with some simple bodyweight exercises (like push-ups or pull-ups) can allow you to build toward free weight training, weight machines, or rubber tubing. A meta-analysis of periodized training–varying your strength training workouts–has shown results for greater changes in strength, motor performance and lean body mass.20 So don’t get stuck doing the same routine over and over again. A good way to push yourself is to incorporate overload training into some of that strength work.

If you’re strapped for time, a full-body workout once or twice a week (with dedicated recovery time) should suffice. Make sure to also spend some time nailing down form in the weight room, as improper form and too much weight can lead to injury.

Yoga

Benefits: Increased strength, mobility, flexibility, and mood

Concerns: Improper form can lead to injury

How to try it: Find a studio and pick a class level that’s appropriate for your skill level.

An ancient practice designed to create a union between the body and mind, many athletes seek out yoga for its ability to increase strength and flexibility while also promoting mental health benefits.

Yoga can improve performance by targeting specific aspects of flexibility and balance–one study, which took place over the course of 10 weeks in male collegiate athletes, saw improvements in both balance and flexibility.21 In older adults, studies have shown improved balance and mobility.22 Strength is also a target of many yoga programs, especially in the core. Even a study in which a specific pose (sun salutation) was used six days per week for 24 weeks, participants saw increased upper body strength, weight loss and endurance.23

But with yoga, the body is only half the game. It has been shown to decrease cortisol levels (the stress hormone),24 along with the ability to lower levels of depression, stress, and anxiety.25 There have even been studies which showed overall quality of life improvements in seniors.26 Maybe part of these mental benefits are linked to better sleep quality. One study illustrated that a group participating in yoga fell asleep faster, slept longer and felt more well-rested in the morning.27

Yoga isn’t an aerobic workout, but it stretches muscles, builds strength and has been shown to improve mood. Because it’s low-impact, yoga can be done every day. Typically gyms or studios have beginner classes, and they will typically last between 60 and 90 minutes. Athletes can use yoga as recovery days, so between one and three sessions per week would be perfect.

Remember: listen to your body. Athletes always want to push the limit, and many may scoff that yoga is difficult (compared, say, to running). But extending a stretch too far, or practicing yoga without learning form, can lead to injury.

Other Exercises

There are different activities that may be considered cross training, outside of the usual suspects we detailed above.

Hiking, for example, is a great way to build strength and get outside during a recovery day. Same goes with exercises like kayaking or stand-up paddle boarding28–these can help build upper body strength while encouraging an athlete to get out of their comfort zone (literally, and figuratively).

“I spend a lot of time training indoors, so getting outside is a lot of fun. I’ll do one long run per week outside, and I’ll bring my dog. It’s a reset for me.”
Kelsey Withrow, professional triathlete

We wouldn’t recommend team sports because there’s a risk of injury. But tennis might be an exception. While there are of course injury concerns with every sport and exercise, tennis has shown to improve aerobic fitness, lower body fat percentage, reduce risk for developing cardiovascular disease and improve bone health.29

For more passive cross training, think about everyday things you can do to improve strength and balance. Even investing in a standing desk, or sitting on a medicine ball at work can encourage better posture and more movement overall.

Cross Training for Athletes

During peak training season, athletes feel the grind. You’re putting in the hours with a race or event or goal in mind, laboring over the same path, the same laps, the same routine, with little variance.

Cross training is meant to serve as a break, but one that’s productive. It can be a break from your normal routine, both physically and mentally. But it can also invigorate the mind, providing it with a new task to learn, a new challenge to face. And of course, the physical benefits of testing the body in new ways are evident.

To incorporate cross training, try one or more of these exercises a couple times a week. See how you feel. You’ll likely find one you enjoy more than others, one that maybe provides better results than the rest. It’ll take some time to find a balance.

What’s your cross training routine? Let us know in the comments and share your experience.

Scientific Citations

1. Van mechelen W. Running injuries. A review of the epidemiological literature. Sports Med. 1992;14(5):320-35.
2. Mikkola J, Vesterinen V, Taipale R, Capostagno B, Häkkinen K, Nummela A. Effect of resistance training regimens on treadmill running and neuromuscular performance in recreational endurance runners. J Sports Sci. 2011;29(13):1359-71.
3. Yamamoto, Linda M; Lopez, Rebecca M; Klau, Jennifer F; Casa, Douglas J; Kraemer, William J; Maresh, Carl M. The Effects of Resistance Training on Endurance Distance Running Performance Among Highly Trained Runners: A Systematic Review. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: November 2008 – Volume 22 – Issue 6 – p 2036-2044 doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e318185f2f0.
4. MacDougall JD, Gibala MJ, Tarnopolsky MA, MacDonald JR, Interisano SA, Yarasheski KE. The time course for elevated muscle protein synthesis following heavy resistance exercise. Can J Appl Physiol. 1995 Dec;20(4):480-6.
5. Holdsworth, D.A., Cox, P.J., Kirk, T., Stradling, H., Impey, S.G., and Clarke, K. (2017). A Ketone Ester Drink Increases Postexercise Muscle Glycogen Synthesis in Humans. Med Sci Sports Exerc.
6. Vandoorne, T., De Smet, S., Ramaekers, M., Van Thienen, R., De Bock, K., Clarke, K., and Hespel, P. (2017). Intake of a Ketone Ester Drink during Recovery from Exercise Promotes mTORC1 Signaling but Not Glycogen Resynthesis in Human Muscle. Front. Physiol. 8, 310.
7. Steinacker JM, Lormes W, Kellmann M, et al. Thaining of junior rowers before world championships. Effects on performance, mood state and selected hormonal and metabolic responses. J SPORTS MED PHYS FTTNESS 2000;40:327-35.
8. Lotshaw AM, Thompson M, Sadowsky HS, Hart MK, Millard MW. Quality of life and physical performance in land- and water-based pulmonary rehabilitation. J Cardiopulm Rehabil Prev. 2007;27(4):247-51.
9. Alkatan M, Baker JR, Machin DR, et al. Improved Function and Reduced Pain after Swimming and Cycling Training in Patients with Osteoarthritis. J Rheumatol. 2016;43(3):666-72.
10. Cox KL, Burke V, Beilin LJ, Puddey IB. A comparison of the effects of swimming and walking on body weight, fat distribution, lipids, glucose, and insulin in older women–the Sedentary Women Exercise Adherence Trial 2. Metab Clin Exp. 2010;59(11):1562-73.
11. Broman G, Quintana M, Engardt M, Gullstrand L, Jansson E, Kaijser L. Older women’s cardiovascular responses to deep-water running. J Aging Phys Act. 2006;14(1):29-40.
12. Cider A, Sveälv BG, Täng MS, Schaufelberger M, Andersson B. Immersion in warm water induces improvement in cardiac function in patients with chronic heart failure. Eur J Heart Fail. 2006;8(3):308-13.
13. Sable M, Vaidya SM, Sable SS. Comparative study of lung functions in swimmers and runners. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2012;56(1):100-4.
14. Oja P, Titze S, Bauman A, et al. Health benefits of cycling: a systematic review. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2011;21(4):496-509.
15. Hoff J. Maximal Strength Training Enhances Running Economy and Aerobic Endurance Performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: May 2001; Volume 33 ,Issue 5, p S270
16. Miriam E. Nelson, PhD; Maria A. Fiatarone, MD; Christina M. Morganti, MD; et al. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015;141(5):428.
17. Askling C, Karlsson J, Thorstensson A. Hamstring injury occurrence in elite soccer players after preseason strength training with eccentric overload. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. 2003; 13(4);244-250
18. Gordon BR, Mcdowell CP, Hallgren M, Meyer JD, Lyons M, Herring MP. Association of Efficacy of Resistance Exercise Training With Depressive Symptoms: Meta-analysis and Meta-regression Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. JAMA Psychiatry. 2018;75(6):566-576.
19. Gordon, B.R., McDowell, C.P., Lyons, M. et al. Sports Med (2017) 47: 2521. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-017-0769-0
20. Fleck SJ. Periodized Strength Training: A Critical Review. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 1999l;13(1).
21. M Jay Polsgrove, Brandon M Eggleston, and Roch J Lockyer. Impact of 10-weeks of yoga practice on flexibility and balance of college athletes. Int J Yoga. 2016 Jan-Jun; 9(1): 27–34. doi: 10.4103/0973-6131.171710
22. Tiedemann A, O’rourke S, Sesto R, Sherrington C. A 12-week Iyengar yoga program improved balance and mobility in older community-dwelling people: a pilot randomized controlled trial. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2013;68(9):1068-75.
23. Bhutkar MV, Bhutkar PM, Taware GB, Surdi AD. How effective is sun salutation in improving muscle strength, general body endurance and body composition?. Asian J Sports Med. 2011;2(4):259-66.
24. Katuri KK, Dasari AB, Kurapati S, Vinnakota NR, Bollepalli AC, Dhulipalla R. Association of yoga practice and serum cortisol levels in chronic periodontitis patients with stress-related anxiety and depression. J Int Soc Prev Community Dent. 2016;6(1):7-14.
25. Michalsen A, Grossman P, Acil A, et al. Rapid stress reduction and anxiolysis among distressed women as a consequence of a three-month intensive yoga program. Med Sci Monit. 2005;11(12):CR555-561.
26. Oken BS, Zajdel D, Kishiyama S, et al. Randomized, controlled, six-month trial of yoga in healthy seniors: effects on cognition and quality of life. Altern Ther Health Med. 2006;12(1):40-7.
27. Manjunath NK, Telles S. Influence of Yoga and Ayurveda on self-rated sleep in a geriatric population. Indian J Med Res. 2005;121(5):683-90.
28. Schram B, Hing W, Climstein M. The physiological, musculoskeletal and psychological effects of stand up paddle boarding. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2016;8:32.
29. Pluim BM, Staal JB, Marks BL, Miller S, Miley D. Health benefits of tennis. Br J Sports Med. 2007;41(11):760-8.

“Gotta get my steps in today.”

“I didn’t exercise, but at least I got my steps.”

“How many steps are you at today?”

Chances are that you or someone you know is seemingly obsessed with their step count.

To me, it’s as if they didn’t achieve 10,000 steps, they would be struck down by the god of walking.

In other cases, I’ve heard people use walking as an excuse. Maybe they didn’t get their planned workout in, but, by golly, they hit their steps, so that’s good enough.

I enjoy walking, and I know others do, too. For as long as I’ve been alive, my mom has made it a point to walk most days of the week. My former boss is a restless man who would seize any opportunity he had to take a walk for a meeting instead of sit in a stuffy conference room. And I’ve had a number of clients who swear by their walking.

The point of this post is not to argue the merits of walking. Those are well established, and, as we’ll see, beneficial in countless ways.

The point of this post is to help us understand whether walking counts as a workout. Do we just chase 10,000 steps a day? Do we need to be doing something else in addition?

Let’s take a look at what happens if we do nothing, and what happens when we get moving.

What Happens If We Just Sit On Our Butts?

Yeah, sometimes I think the people who freak out over steps are kinda nuts, but at least they’re making an effort.

Let’s talk about the people on the opposite end of the spectrum.

“The obesity epidemic is attributed in part to reduced physical activity,” say researchers published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. “Evidence supports that reducing time spent sitting, regardless of activity, may improve the metabolic consequences of obesity.”

They found that time spent sitting was associated with a higher risk of mortality in both men and women.

Another study published in the International Journal of Obesity found similar outcomes. Researchers in 2017 looked at the health effects of healthy, non-smoking Glasgow postal workers. The study found that workers who took fewer steps and spent a longer time sitting faced more cardiovascular risks than those who took more than 15,000 steps per day and spent more than seven hours upright. In brief, they found that “longer time spent in sedentary posture is significantly associated with higher [coronary heart disease] risk and larger waist circumference.”

However, even people who are active aren’t immune to the effects of sitting.

In 2012, researchers found that adults who reported more than seven hours of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week and who watched more than seven hours of TV a day still had a higher risk of mortality than those who reported less than an hour a day of watching TV. (I’ll have more about this later on.)

These studies shine a light on how sedentary behavior for anyone, regardless of their activity levels, can be harmful.

Why Is 10,000 The Magical Number Of Steps?

Now, we know sedentary behavior is linked to potentially dangerous effects.

But, how do we go from zero activity to having to walk 10,000 steps a day?

For the answer, we have to look at the 1964 Olympics.

Prior to the Tokyo Games, a company released a pedometer called the “man-po-kei,” which is said to translate into “gauge of 10,000 steps.”

“It was a business slogan,” Catrine Tudor-Locke (who will be more prominently featured later) told the BBC, “like ‘Just Do It’ for Nike, but it resonated with people.”

Since then, both Japan and the United Kingdom have recommended that people walk up to 10,000 steps a day.

“In the academic space, we’ve known for a long time that the response you have to exercise is very specific,” Dr. Ben Kelly says.

Kelly cites a study by his organization that says “5-10 percent of the population showed no measurable improvement after following” the guideline to walk 10,000 steps a day.

Dr. Greg Hager, also interviewed in the same Telegraph article, said “many of today’s fitness apps and devices had no basis in evidence and that a one-size-fits-all approach could be harmful. He singled out the way some devices encourage users to clock up 10,000 steps a day – calling it an arbitrary number made up in a 1960s Japanese study.”

Reading these articles formed the rationale behind writing this article.

Sure, 10,000 is an admirable number (I used to use a Fitbit, so I know how challenging it can be to walk 10,000 steps a day). But, is this number effective for people to lose weight? Or is it just a memorable marketing ploy by companies that sell wearable fitness trackers?

Pedometers Offer Some Benefits

How do we even track the amount of steps we take, anyway?

A pedometer is a wearable technology that helps people understand how many steps they’ve taken. They can be standalone devices or included in things like your smartphone or smart watch.

The use of a pedometer in addition to a “standard behavioral intervention” was linked in one study to weight loss in young adults with a BMI between 25 and 40, which are numbers that classify a person as obese or overweight.

However, the study also found that “devices that monitor and provide feedback on physical activity may not offer an advantage over standard behavioral weight loss approaches.”

In other words, they found no difference between whether to use a pedometer after having intervened with someone.

Other studies were more positive.

In 2012, researchers found the potential for pedometers to be effective in the short term.

And, in 2007, another group of researchers found that a “technology-based program needs to be used continuously throughout the intervention period to significantly impact weight loss.”

All of these studies suggested future research to study whether using wearable technologies is effective for long-term weight loss.

What Benefits Does Walking Have?

Regardless of whether you wear a pedometer, walking has countless benefits. From the U.S. Surgeon General:

• Walking requires no special skills, facilities, or expensive equipment.
• Walking is an easy physical activity to begin and maintain as part of a physically active lifestyle
• “Most people are able to walk, and many people with disabilities are able to walk or move with assistive devices, such as wheelchairs or walkers.”
• “Walking has a lower risk of injury than vigorous-intensity activities.”
• “Walking also may be a good way to help people who are inactive become physically active because walking can be easily adapted to fit one’s time, needs, and abilities.”
• “People walk for many purposes, such as for transportation to get to school, work, a store, or the library or for leisure to have fun, socialize with friends or family, walk their dog, or improve their health. Because walking is multipurpose, it provides many opportunities for people to incorporate physical activity into their busy lives.”

Physiologically, walking interrupts “sitting time with short bouts of light- or moderate-intensity walking lowers postprandial glucose and insulin levels in overweight/obese adults,” according to a 2012 study. “This may improve glucose metabolism and potentially be an important public health and clinical intervention strategy for reducing cardiovascular risk.”

Earlier, I questioned whether walking 10,000 steps a day was beneficial or whether it was just a marketing gimmick.

One study also spawned from my skepticism. Researchers developed a 15-week program in which people accumulated 10,000 steps per day to see whether it demonstrated any benefits. Results from the study suggested that doing so “improves cardiovascular performance and personal growth and also positively influences many variables that are indicators of health, fitness and psychological well-being.”

From that perspective, I’ll buy it. The program suggests that walking will indeed provide health benefits.

But, I still wasn’t sold on whether walking constituted its own workout, or whether just walking 10,000 steps a day was sufficient for most people.

That’s when I turned to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CDC guidelines state:

“The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or an equivalent combination each week.”

What Is Moderate To Vigorous Physical Activity?

As you’ll soon see, the term “moderate to vigorous physical activity” popped up over and over again. So much so that the term got its own acronym: MVPA.

To understand the concept of MVPA, we must first understand another acronym: the MET.

A metabolic equivalent (MET) is how exercise experts measure activity. When you sit quietly, that’s one MET.

Harvard says that average adults burn one calorie per hour for every 2.2 pounds of body weight—”someone who weighs 160 pounds would burn approximately 70 calories an hour while sitting or sleeping.”

Moderate activities are those gauged between 3-6 METs.

The CDC provides some examples of activities in this range, such as walking 3-4.5 miles per hour, using crutches, hiking, or roller skating. People exercising at this pace, according to the American Heart Association, can generally hold a conversation.

Activities more than 6 METs are considered vigorous, and those would be activities such as mountain climbing, water jogging, martial arts, boxing, and even clogging. People exercising at this intensity probably find it difficult to carry on a conversation or even saying more than a few words.

The problem with METs is that they can be hard to measure. That’s why personal trainers use a more useful intensity gauge, the Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE).

“Perceived exertion is how hard you feel like your body is working,” says the CDC. “It is based on the physical sensations a person experiences during physical activity, including increased heart rate, increased respiration or breathing rate, increased sweating, and muscle fatigue. Although this is a subjective measure, a person’s exertion rating may provide a fairly good estimate of the actual heart rate during physical activity.”

What’s nice about the RPE rating, says the CDC, is that a “high correlation exists between a person’s exertion rating” multiplied by 10 and the person’s actual heart rate, “so a person’s exertion rating may provide a fairly good estimate of the actual heart rate during activity.”

The RPE scale is based on a 6-20 rating. Moderate activities would probably measure in the 11-14 range, while vigorous activities would probably lean more toward the 17-20 range.

Does Walking Count Toward Moderate To Vigorous Physical Activity?

Part of my skepticism about walking 10,000 steps every day was whether it achieved the threshold for moderate to vigorous activity.

As a weightlifter, CrossFitter, and yoga instructor, my bias going into this article was that I would find that walking 10,000 steps a day wasn’t enough to yield benefits similar to attending a group fitness class or lifting on your own, for example.

One of the core researchers I found was Dr. Catrine Tudor-Locke, the literal walking authority who I quoted earlier regarding the origins of the number 10,000 for step recommendations.

Dr. Locke (who I really hope actually goes by the name Doc Locke) specializes in, among other things, walking, personal monitoring, and step counting.

What I found most interesting from Dr. Locke is that walking 10,000 steps a day is apparently a valid exercise strategy, but it has some qualifications.

First, she brings up the previously mentioned public health guidelines, which, in different terms, recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity five days a week. Dr. Locke equates this amount to 3,000-4,000 steps, but they only classify as moderate activity if the steps are:

1. Taken at a pace of at least 100 steps/minute,
2. Accumulated in at least 10-minute bouts
3. “Taken over and above some minimum level of physical activity below which individuals might be classified as sedentary.”

She mentions in later research that “brisk walking should be emphasized with the promotion of any step-based recommendation, in line with public health guidelines’ focus on time in MVPA. The additional benefits of engaging in even more vigorous intensity activities, and activities that do not necessarily focus exclusively on bipedal locomotion, should also be acknowledged.”

Dr. Locke’s key line, I think, comes in this report: “steps should be taken over and above those taken in the course of habitual and incidental daily activities, and also should be taken in bouts of at least 10-minutes in duration.” [emphasis mine]

In other words, it seems as though these bouts of walking should be accumulated through a focused effort and not just because you had lots of errands to run that day.

Who Shouldn’t Be Walking 10,000 Steps A Day?

As we’ve seen, it is valuable to accrue 10,000 steps in a day.

But that’s just not feasible for everyone.

Walking 10,000 daily steps for older adults and those with chronic diseases may not be sustainable, Dr. Locke concludes. Additionally, she says the number is “problem too low for children” in fighting off obesity.

Childhood obesity, in particular, is more prevalent than ever.

“Despite previous reports that obesity in children and adolescents has remained stable or decreased in recent years, we found no evidence of a decline in obesity prevalence at any age,” wrote researchers in a journal published in the American Academy of Pediatrics. “In contrast, we report a significant increase in severe obesity among children aged 2 to 5 years since the 2013–2014 cycle, a trend that continued upward for many subgroups.”

Can You Lose Weight Just By Walking?

Yes.

Theoretically, you can lose weight and still be inactive. That’s because you could drop the amount of calories you’re taking in.

One pound of bodyweight is approximately 3,500 calories. By cutting 500 calories per day from your diet, you could drop 1 pound a week (7 days x 500 calories = 3,500).

InBody has called out Fitbit for claiming that people who walk 10,000 steps a day can burn 3,500 calories from walking. The body composition analysis firm argues that how many calories you burn from walking depends on three things:

1. how much you weigh,
2. how fast you walk, and
3. how far you walk.

They provide an example:

“For a 160-pound person, a leisurely 30-minute walk at 2 mph yields a burn of 102 calories, but walk at a more upbeat pace (3.5 mph) and the calorie burn increases by 54 percent to 157 calories.”

Even if weight loss isn’t your goal, low-intensity movement has a variety of benefits to combatting sedentary behavior.

“If a person is capable and willing to get up and move once per hour, five minutes of 2-MET movements is sufficient to drive pretty dramatic swings in HDL, triglycerides and blood glucose,” write researchers for the American Council on Exercise. “If getting up every two hours is more manageable, then the duration of the movement bout extends to 10 minutes, though the MET level stays the same.”

2-MET movements include standing, folding laundry, talking on the phone, washing dishes, and eating.

One note that the researchers and I found striking is that they found a “sustained exercise program may not be enough to improve cardiometabolic health if the individual is otherwise sedentary.”

In other words, if you sit at a desk all day and work out for an hour afterwards, you may need to do more to improve your health. This echoes the findings I cited earlier in this post—even if you exercise for an hour a day but are otherwise sedentary, you still could face health risks.

What’s The Bottom Line?

My goal was to find out whether walking 10,000 steps a day was indeed valid exercise.

After looking at all of this information, that seems to be the case. However, keep in mind that, as mentioned, your steps need to be focused over a certain duration and intensity to lose weight, and they should probably be a supplement to whatever workout routine you’re doing. 

Many people—and, in my experience, most people—like to walk.

But, it may not be for you. Nerd Fitness perfectly sums up advice on exercise: “Do what you love. And don’t do what you don’t like.”

Every successful product starts with a plan.

The plan – the blueprint, if you will – for DDP Yoga is the Diamond Dozen.

The DDP Yoga Diamond Dozen is made up of 13 movements. In other words, it’s a baker’s dozen.

The series will teach you how to create dynamic resistance, which, combined with your breathing, will give you an amazing workout that:

1. Helps increase your heart rate to help you burn calories
2. Increase your potential to burn fat and build strength
3. Features no running, no jumping, and no lifting

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The DDP Yoga Diamond Dozen

Take a look at these 13 movements to get a great start with your DDP Yoga program.

1. Ignition Into Touchdown

2. Diamond Cutter

3. Bar Back (Bent Leg and Straight Leg)

4. Catcher Into Thunderbolt

5. Cobra Into Down Dog

6. Slow-Burn Push-Ups

7. Table Into Cat Stretch Into Broken Table

8. Supported Lunge Into Space Shuttle

9. Road Warriors 1 and 2

10. Dynamic Resistance Cables Into Dynamic Resistance Curls

11. Dynamic Resistance Rows

12. Dynamic Resistance Punches

13. Safety Zone

Find A Certified DDP Yoga Instructor

Learn how to put all of these moves together into an easy or challenging workout with a certified DDP Yoga instructor. You can find a list here.

Of course, I teach DDP Yoga with the Metamora Park District. I also offer 1:1 personal training, small group training, and the 60-Day Challenge at Titan Fitness.

The final posture in the DDP Yoga Diamond Dozen is actually the 13th movement (Dallas was never very good at math).

It’s called Safety Zone.

Safety Zone is more traditionally known as Child’s Pose.

Unlike the other movements in the DDP Yoga Diamond Dozen, Safety Zone is meant to slow down your heart rate. It’s where you go when you need a rest because your heart rate is too high or you just need a break.

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Safety Zone is a resting position.

How To Do Safety Zone

From Table, flatten your feet so that your insteps are touching the ground. Lower your hips and butt back so that you’re sitting on your heels. Meanwhile, your hands haven’t moved, so when you rock back, your arms and shoulders get a chance to stretch out. Tuck your chin and relax.

Your spine should be long, and you shouldn’t feel any pressure in your spine or your neck.

To come out of Safety Zone, lift your hips back up off your feet so that you’re back in Table.

Benefits of Safety Zone

In addition to the fact that it can slow your heart rate down from a hard workout, Safety Zone is also a great stretch of muscles in the front of and behind your body.

I use Safety Zone to help mobilize my shoulders before and after weightlifting sessions.

Now that you know how to do Safety Zone, why don’t you give it a shot with me? You have opportunities every Thursday night at the Metamora Park District office, and as your schedule allows during my 60-Day Challenge at Titan Fitness in Peoria and Washington.

There’s very few ways I can think of to relieve stress than to punch something.

Or, at least, envision punching something.

That’s why I love the DDP Yoga Dynamic Resistance Punches so much. I feel like I’m obliterating anything in front of me while I do it.

Invariably, I’m asked the question about how to form a punch. My review of the DDP Yoga materials leads me to the conclusion that how to form the punch isn’t that big of a deal. That makes sense. DDP Yoga isn’t punching quite the same as punching to knock someone out. 

via GIPHY

It’s a workout. There’s a bit of a difference.

However, I make an attempt to form a structurally sound punch every time, and that’s how I like to teach it.

How To Form A Punch

There are a few ways to shape your hand into a fist.

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Hold your fingers out straight like you’re going to high-five someone. Keeping your thumb out, curl your four fingers down so that they’re clenched into your hand. Then, take your thumb and wrap it on top of your index and middle fingers. It may touch your ring finger. Basically, that’s how you form a punch.

For the purposes of DDP Yoga, here are a few pointers:

• Don’t fully straighten your elbow. Always keep a bend in it. This will help keep your elbow safe, and won’t subject you to ailments like “tennis elbow.”
• The point of your elbow should face down and not off to the side.
• Extend your punch so that your index and middle fingers are the furthest knuckles out. This keeps your wrist in alignment, forming a stronger punch. If you ever needed to use a real punch, this is a good way to practice it so don’t hurt yourself.
• Always draw your opposite punch back to your waist.

If you want bonus points:

• You typically see a punch “corkscrew” out. What I mean by that is your punch starts on your waist facing palm-up, and it ends facing palm-down (more or less). Keep your wrist facing palm-up until right when you get to full extension, and then quickly rotate it down. In practical self-defense, that will provide you with a bit more power for your technique.
• If you’ve practiced martial arts, your style and school may prefer a particular hand technique. Careful observers may notice that my fists always take the form of the Okinawan fist, since I studied Okinawan martial arts for 12 years and hold a second-degree black belt in Okinawan karate.

And that’s how you form the punch.

How To Do DDP Yoga Dynamic Resistance Punches

Of course, by now, you’ve already learned how to create your own dynamic resistance. You’ll apply the DR concept to the punches, as well.

From a Supported Lunge stance (or Road Warrior stance, if you’re feeling frisky), reach out and grab an imaginary ball in front of you. Let’s assume your left leg is forward.

Pull your left fist back so that your right fist is out. In other words, you’re doing a reverse punch.

Now, using a typical count of 3, 2, 1, pull your right fist back as your left fist comes out. Then, punch your right fist out as your left fist comes back for 3, 2, 1. That is one rep. You will usually do three, but you also may do five.

How To Do DDP Yoga Fast-Twitch Punches

DDP Yoga offers another way to do punches. This time, you’re punching out quickly.

Assume your same position from the previous example – your left leg is forward and your right foot is back in Supported Lunge. Grab the ball, and pull your left fist back. You will do two punches rapid fire – left and then right – for a count of 1-1. Each count gets a punch. Count up for 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, etc., until you reach five or 10.

via GIPHY

You might want to control your punches a little better than this guy.

What DDP Yoga Punches Work And Their Benefits

DDP Yoga punches work your shoulders, lats, arms, and chest. To create the dynamic resistance, these areas should be engaged at all times in the punching section of the workout. Your chest drives a lot of the power of the punch while your lat helps to stabilize your shoulder so you don’t injure it.

What’s not so obvious about these punches are that they are a deceptive assault on your balance. To stay in Supported Lunge, your core and your legs are working overtime, especially for the fast-twitch punches.

For these reasons, the DDP Yoga DR Punches are a great addition to your DDP Yoga plan.

If you’d like to try them out, please contact me to learn more about my 60-Day Challenge at Titan Fitness or my group fitness class at Metamora Parks & Recreation.