The Runner’s World Guide to Cross-Training

Winston ZhouIn a perfect world, my weekly schedule holds these activities: three run/walks, two jump training sessions, three weight-lifting workouts, two barre classes, two Pilates classes, and daily yoga—along with dog walks (three of them!).That’s a lot of exercise, but it is beneficial for my running, and, according to the 2026 Running USA Global Runner Survey, you probably identify with this grind. About 63 percent of runners strength train, while almost 40 percent like to hike. Just over 30 percent ride bikes regularly, and more than 26 percent take other classes such as Spin, water aerobics, yoga, and Pilates.In other words, you’re trying to fit a lot of workouts into your schedule, too. That’s a good thing for all of us because research shows that a wide mixture of activities is better for health and longevity than dedication to only one sport. Certainly being active is better than being non-active, but getting a variety of movement into your schedule is better than endless repetition.So, ready to get out your planner? Here are some guidelines on how to balance your cross-training schedule to reach health, fitness, and even running goals.How to Organize Your Cross-Training Strength training is non-negotiable. To help prevent injuries and to make you a stronger, fitter, more durable runner, strive to strength train a minimum of twice a week. We have two great programs to choose from, depending on your lifting experience: The Runner’s World Guide to Strength Training and The Runner’s World Guide to Race-Ready Strength. Try to balance all aspects of fitness. There are five aspects of fitness: muscular strength, cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. While running certainly improves each of those in some ways, you might want to make sure you have flexibility movements in your weekly schedule along with the strength and muscular endurance mentioned above. That will improve your overall fitness when added to running, especially if you are over 50.Focus on variety. Some activities, like cycling, have the cardio of running without the impact. Walking is more low-impact but is missing some of the cardio benefits. Similarly, Hyrox and OrangeTheory Fitness classes include running in their workouts but balance other movement styles within their programs. Yoga and Pilates deliver on your flexibility needs, but won’t improve your cardio endurance (or bone health) quite like running. If scheduling all of these workouts seems like a daunting task when just finding time to run can feel difficult, rest assured that not every activity has to be the equivalent of a long run. Read more about how often you need to cross-train and, remember, some of these activities are meant to support your running, not become a competitive sport in and of itself.Download Our 30-Day Cross-Training PlanTo best support your running, as well as your health, your cross-training needs to balance cardio, strength, mobility, and flexibility while not leaning too far in the direction of one type of fitness.Learn how to balance your schedule with our 30-Day Cross-Training Challenge. You’ll get a month of workouts that combine running with follow-along mobility, plyometric, and strength workouts.Cardio Activities for When You’re Not RunningIf you want to really experiment, we have a list of the ways 14 different activities can help—and balance—your running. If you want to compare a few cardio workouts, you can learn more about that here, too.Make the Most of the Non-Running DaysInside Parker Valby’s Intense Cross-Training RoutineHow to Use a Rowing Machine to Cross TrainElliptical vs. Rower for RunnersThe Benefits of Aqua JoggingHow to Use Cycling to Run BetterThe Benefits of KettlebellsElliptical vs. Running: Is This Machine Good for Cross Training?Group Classes With ExtrasAccording to the 2026 Running USA Global Runner Survey, runners love a workout class. About 11 percent of them take group classes, including CrossFit, Hyrox, Orangetheory, Barry’s Bootcamp, and SoulCycle. Some include running while others, such as SoulCycle, are more complementary in terms of being low-impact, but still intense for cardio exercise.If you enjoy these classes, consider which ones keep you on your feet and which ones give your feet a break.How Hyrox Training Helps MarathonersCan My Treadmill HIIT Class Get Me Faster?5 Treadmill Classes You Need to Check OutUse Cross-Training for Active Recovery The rest and recovery message is sometimes confusing because while sleep is vital to performance as a recovery tool, and time off your feet can help your legs and lower body repair, it is also important not to be a “couch potato who runs.” In fact, aside from sleep and rest, prioritize “active recovery.” Active recovery is less intense—both cardiovascularly and muscularly—exercise compared to running. This is why strength training is not technically cross-training—because you should push yourself enough to need a recovery from those workouts, too.Recovery workouts should improve your flexibility and mobility, but also help you feel ready for your next run. It’s a delicate balance, to be sure.Yoga vs. Pilates: How to ChooseWhy You Should Try Restorative YogaBallet Barre Workouts for RunnersThe Benefits of Pilates for RunnersA Targeted Mobility Flow for RunnersMobility Exercises for Runners to Prevent InjuriesWalking: Time on Feet and Cross TrainingWhen you run, there is a moment when both feet are off the ground, but during a walk, one foot is always in contact with the ground. This is a small difference with big implications in that walk is both a complement to—and a recovery from—running. Because of this, many runners regularly walking or run/walk, and all runners should practice walking fast because if they are ever in a race and hit the wall, being prepared to walk with purpose is a good way to regain your focus without losing too much progress.8 Science-Backed Benefits of Walking DailyAll About the Run/Walk MethodHow to Pick Between Long, Slow or Fast, Short WalkThe Many Benefits of Rucking for RunnersDonna Raskin has had a long career as a health and fitness writer and editor of books and magazine articles. A certified run coach who has practiced yoga for many years, she also loves to lift weights, dance, and go for long walks with her hound dog, Dolly.