Downhill skiing and snowboarding

Skiing and snowboarding are both great for working leg muscles that don’t usually get much attention when you run. You may not feel particularly winded after a run down the slopes, but you are definitely working those leg muscles — especially your thighs! Make sure you take your family along with you and enjoy the slopes together. Just because you’re a better skier than your kids doesn’t mean you can’t ski with them. Unlike running, which is constant forward motion, downhill skiing tends to be bursts of activity with rests in-between. So if you make it down a part of the slope before your kids, take a break. Watch them come down after you, or enjoy the scenery. Family days out on the slopes are guaranteed to be fun, and you’re building memories for your kids that they will always treasure.

Cross-country skiing

Cross country, or Nordic, skiing is a favorite among distance runners. You’ll definitely get your heart rate up and will enjoy a very vigorous workout, especially if you’ve got a few uphill slopes to battle through. If you’re new to cross-country skiing, make sure that you don’t dress as warmly as you would for downhill skiing. You won’t be sitting still on a lift freezing, so you can wear much lighter layers. In fact, I would recommend dressing like you would for a run — just make sure you have waterproof pants or leggings. Beginners should start out on a flat course. The downhills take some getting used to, so you’ll want to get comfortable on your skis before attempting them. You can also bring your family for an outing together! Just make sure to take rest stops to let the slower family members catch up. Remember, when you’re trying to have fun as a family while doing something healthy — you don’t want to leave your kids or your spouse behind! Save the Olympic effort for when you’re out solo.

Snowshoeing

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Snowshoeing is a fabulous way to keep running no matter how deep the snow gets! And, no, I don’t mean on those wooden and string things that you see in the movies. Running snowshoes are lightweight, streamlined, and built for speed. (OK, maybe not for speed…)

You’ll find that you will need to modify your gait a little so you don’t stumble over your snowshoes. It may feel clumsy at first, but you’ll get the hang of it quickly. You’ll also want to make sure you have the right gear — heavy or clunky snowshoes can be very frustrating.

This snowshoeing article from active.com has some great information to get you started.

Sledding

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Of course the most family-friendly way to cross train is sledding! You’ve probably never viewed sledding as cross-training (and may not have even tried it since you were a kid), but if you get out there with your kids and spend a few hours trudging uphill after each thrilling ride down, then you’ll really be feeling it the next day. Besides, your kids will get a kick out of seeing Dad or Mom try to fit on one of those little plastic discs, slide down the hill, and wipe out in a cloud of white powder. If you’re at a loss for nearby sledding, look for a golf course. They usually have lots of hills and rolling terrain, even in areas that are largely flat.

By including your family in these fun winter activities, not only will you get a good cross-training workout but you will also help your family stay fit while all having fun together. And when you’re done, you can all share some hot chocolate while laughing about Dad’s huge wipe-out!

Although running can be a life-long and year-round activity, those of us who live in the snow belt know that some winter days can test the mettle of even the most brazen and diehard runners. Shorter days mean more time spent running in the dark, colder days mean more time spent gearing up for your run with multiple layers, and snowfalls can mean changes to your standard routes or having to deal with the hazards of slush and ice and blizzards. Yes, winter running can be extremely enjoyable (topic of a future post), but it can also be very challenging. Of course, there is no better time for cross-training than when winter is at its worst — so when you find yourself stuck indoors, here are some tips to help you get the most out of your indoor winter cross-training.

Push yourself on a treadmill

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Runners have a love/hate relationship with the treadmill — some runners view it as an abomination to running that should be avoided at all costs, other runners think it’s a necessary evil that gets the job done, and still others swear by it as an ideal climate controlled running platform. Regardless of your position, the fact remains that when you’re indoors without a track, the treadmill is closest thing there is to outdoor running.

• Do interval workouts — most treadmills have a variety of available programs that you can use for interval training. One of the great benefits of doing intervals on a treadmill vs. on a track is that it’s harder to cheat on your pace. This can be a great way to get out of a performance plateau and really push yourself to move your pace to the next level.
• Randomize it — if treadmills seem boring to you, then select a random program and challenge yourself to handle whatever the machine throws at you!
• Focus on pace — again, because treadmills run at a fixed pace, you can pre-determine what pace you want to target for the distance you are running and use the treadmill to focus on your pace. You can do a tempo workout with a fixed pace for your entire run, or you can do tempo intervals, increasing the pace for 5 minute blocks during your run.
• Run with family! — most families don’t run together very often because different family members run at different paces. Treadmills afford you the opportunity to each run at your own pace while still running side by side! So schedule a treadmill lunch date with your spouse, or meet your kids at the gym after school, and go for a run together!

Explore new horizons

While treadmills mainly work the same muscles as running, exploring other equipment will work muscles you forgot you had – and just like on treadmills, you can work out side-by-side with your family!

• Stationary bike — like treadmills, stationary bikes are great for interval workouts. For extra motivation, sign up for a spinning class. Bikes are also great for recovery workouts, because unlike running on a treadmill, you can read a book while riding a bike.
• Ellipse — ellipses are wonderful for developing your hamstrings, calves, and thighs – and while you’re at it they’ll improve your balance too. And because of the lack of impact, the ellipse is the perfect machine for runners recovering from knee or ankle injuries.
• Stair climber — the stair climber has been along for so long that it tends to be overlooked in favor of the ellipse and newer machines, but that just means it’s easier to find one available when you’re at the gym! Stair climbers are perhaps the best piece of indoor equipment (other than weights) for developing leg strength and are a good substitute for hill workouts.

Go for a swim

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If you’re not a triathlete, it has probably been a while since you’ve gone for a good long swim. If that’s the case, you’ll be surprised at how out-of-shape swimming makes you feel. Despite just having run a marathon a few months earlier, when I gave swimming a try I could barely make it the length of the pool before I ran out of breath and had to stop. But it didn’t take too long before I found my form, and found that swimming is a great way to really immerse yourself (pun intended) in your workout. In addition to being a great no-impact endurance workout, swimming is also a fabulous way to develop your upper body – something neglected by far too many runners.

Pump iron

Speaking of upper body, I had a First Sergeant in the 82nd Airborne Division who before each weekend would remind us to keep doing PT (physical training), exhorting us to “…do some pushups and develop your bony little chests!” Unfortunately, “bony little chest” syndrome is a common affliction among distance runners. When the weather is nice, we like to log lots of miles — and our upper body pays the price. But there’s no better time than the middle of winter to undertake a three-month weight training program. Having a stronger and fitter upper body will actually improve your running! You might find yourself surprised at the improvement in your running form and performance when you try your first race in the spring.

Mix it up!

There’s no rule that says your workout needs to be homogeneous. If you find indoor workouts to be boring and mundane, then mix it up! Integrate all of the above into your routine for a whole-body workout.

• Speed and strength — Run and lift weights in the same workout. Drop your running distance and increase your pace so you get your run done faster (useful for those who don’t like the treadmill so much anyway). This will help you work on speed, and will still leave enough time after your run to do an upper body weight workout.
• Duathlon — Do half of your workout on the treadmill, and the other half on a bike, ellipse, or stair climber. This will break up the monotony of running on a treadmill and will help you to work out more muscle groups. Or try a land/sea combo by doing the first half of your workout on a treadmill, bike, ellipse, or stair climber and the second half in the pool!
• Triathlon — Just like the real thing, split your indoor workout into three parts – run, bike, and swim. Unlike the real thing, you can control the order in which you tackle them, and the amount of time you spend on each.

So whether you live in the snowbelt or not, winter can be a great opportunity to improve your fitness and your running performance with cross-training when you’re working out indoors.