Ok, Ok, I know. You’re getting really good at your favorite sport because you’ve been practicing every day and you’ve been taking care of yourself just like your coaches tell you to. But you still think that you could get a little bigger edge over your opponent or that guy who’s also fighting for your favorite position. How can you do it?
One tip that I take from the pros is cross-training. Cross-training is doing another sport that works different muscles while letting the ones you count on all the time have a much-needed rest. Those other muscles, that cross-training builds up, support the muscles you use in your favorite sport and can help you not only stay in shape but also prevent some injuries.
My favorite sport is running. For my cross-training, I bike a cool loop that I mapped out through the river trails in my town. When I bike instead of running it lets my quadriceps (front thigh muscles) rest, because they take most of the pain from my running. Instead, I build up my calves, which helps support those quadriceps on really long runs. I’ve read in some running magazines that every three miles of biking has the same effect on your body as running one mile.
Lots of summer sports make great cross-training sports. Swimming works great as a way to cool off and rest your muscles after baseball or football. Biking is a nice way to rest after any sport and even a hike through some soft wooded areas can help give your body a break. So if you’re looking for a way to keep building up your talent without getting injured, try some cross-training this summer and see how it works for you!
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