Cross-training and injury risk reduction
If you are going to spend time outside your chosen sport, cross-training to reduce injury risk and improve performance should focus on strength and proprioception.
If you are going to spend time outside your chosen sport, cross-training to reduce injury risk and improve performance should focus on strength and proprioception. The results of a recent meta-analysis including 25 scientific studies, with 26,610 individual participants, suggest that proprioception training and strength training significantly reduced relative injury risk (with 45% and 69% decreases in relative injury risk respectively) while stretching did not (4% decrease in relative injury risk).1 These results are supported by Behm et al. who provided evidence that stretching has limited to no effect in the prevention of injury with endurance-based activities.
However, this does not mean that endurance athletes can neglect their mobility. Rather, athletes should focus their cross-training efforts on strengthening interventions that mimic the range of motion demands required by their sport. Simply put, the exercises you are performing with weights should mimic running in some way. Common exercises that are beneficial for endurance athletes include front and back squats, deadlifts, single leg Romanian dead lifts, lunges, split squats, farmer’s marches, and seated calf raises. Last but not least, since most skiers and runners lack strength and control in hip extension, working on hip thrusters and single knee to chest bridges are a necessary substitute for the classic “runner’s stretch.” If you are new to strength training, be sure to consult the supplemental resources on the Advanced Physical Therapy website for education or set up a consultation with one of our therapists.
1 Lauersen JB, Bertelsen DM, Anderesen LB. The Effectiveness Of Exercise Interventions To Prevent Sports Injuries: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Randomised Controlled Trials. Br J Sports Med. 2014 Jun; 48(11): 871-7
2) Behm DG, Blazevich AJ, Kay AD, McHugh M. Acute Effects Of Muscle Stretching On Physical Performance, Range Of Motion, And Injury Incidence In Healthy Active Individuals: A Systematic Review. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2016 Jan;41(1):1-11