This post is for the die-hard fitness lovers that classify themselves as one specific type of health-nut. We’re talking about the runners, the lifters, the yogis—the people who know what type of fitness they love, have concrete goals within these fitness types, and never care if they try another form of exercise.
At MyStrongCircle, we respect that. Heck, we even admire it, but we’re also here to drop a little knowledge on you—your current fitness goals could be met even faster if you switch up your exercise routine.
Don’t panic—we’re not telling you to drop your membership at the beloved yoga studio and give up on headstands. We’re just saying that if you begin to implement different types of exercise into your routine, you’re likely to improve within the area you care most about.
Runners, This One’s For You
Did you know that in order to meet your running goals, you have to do more than just, well….run? Studies show that runners who cross-train are more likely to hit their PRs, meet their goals, and prevent injuries than those who do not.
Running-specific cross-training isn’t a new idea, and there are plenty of ways to do it – For example:
- Swimming is a great cardiovascular additive that gives your joints and bones a rest! This way, you can increase your cardiovascular and endurance training without impacting your joints.
- Strength training increases the strength in your muscles and joints, which can prevent injury as well as improve your race times!
- Pilates not only helps you with your endurance and flexibility, it also helps you to identify weaknesses in your gait, which helps improve your running posture.
Hey Lifters, Look Here
If you’re trying to hit that heavy weight PR you’ve been chasing for years, we’ve got some radical advice for you—put the weights down. Not permanently, of course, but maybe once or twice a week so you have time for a different type of exercise.
Weightlifters and people who strength train often avoid working on other aspects of their overall health that could dramatically improve their lifts, like flexibility, endurance, cardio, and more. If you’re looking to improve your weightlifting abilities, we suggest complementary exercises like:
- Yoga helps with strengthening your muscles, your flexibility, and increasing the mind-body connection that’s useful for your strength training.
- Pilates can help you to strengthen the smaller muscles that are vital for your lifting posture as well as increase your cardiovascular health.
- Zumba (or other dance classes) are cardio-centric classes and great for your endurance!
Yogis, Pay Attention
You can get all downward dog in a second, but for the moment, look up and pay attention, even if you’re using yoga as a way to reduce your stress (not necessarily to get stronger or build up muscle tone).
Adding on a few complementary exercises can do wonders for your flexibility, peace of mind, and overall health! Some exercises that are proven to be complementary to yoga are things like:
- Zumba (or other dance classes) help with that endurance, endurance, endurance!
- Strength training helps you build a solid foundation of muscles for those harder poses.
- Running (indoor and outdoor) helps with endurance, cardiovascular health, and mindset!
See what we mean? Switching up your workout and implementing different types of exercise can do wonders for your primary goals! The best part? With MyStrongCircle, you don’t have to pay for multiple memberships or buy individual classes to all kinds of studios and gyms to do it.
Keep up with us on Instagram @MyStrongCircle to stay in-the-know about how you can create your optimal fitness regimen.