Injuries, bad weather, lack of time and simply the desire to take a break from running - all this poses the question: “What can we replace running with so as not to quickly lose shape?” Luckily, there are so many cross-training options that we couldn’t even fit them all into our material. Let's look at the most affordable alternatives to running.
You don't have to wait until you're injured to incorporate cross-training into your daily routine. Changing activities is an excellent way of general physical development, preventing injuries and maintaining the novelty of activities.
The great news is that the cardiovascular system doesn't know the difference between running and other forms of aerobic activity. If on the day of an easy run you replace it with cycling or swimming, your heart will work in the same way, but the muscles involved in running will have time to recover.
What works well as a substitute for running or goes well with it?
Jump rope
Jumping rope trains three qualities necessary for a runner at once: endurance, coordination and strength, but at the same time does not put stress on the joints. What's more, if you have cadence issues, jumping rope can help increase your cadence and reduce foot contact time, which is key to speed.
Jumping can be combined with other muscle strengthening exercises: lunges, air squats, planks and SBUs. This kind of training will make you a well-rounded runner because it will strengthen you in ways that running alone can't improve.
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Read on topic: Jump rope workouts for runners
Jump rope training
Everyone, especially girls, needs to remember that jumping rope increases the calf muscles. In order for the development of the body to be harmonious, you need to add strength exercises for the thigh muscles to the program. Your calves will become sore, and after each workout you will need a massage or other relaxation techniques.
Jumping rope is better than running according to several criteria:
- you don’t need to go to the gym or look for a suitable route on the street, you can jump anywhere, it’s convenient to take the jump rope with you on trips;
- there are no such high requirements for equipment and shoes;
- there is no pain in the knees or other joints, as happens after running on a hard surface, for example, on asphalt;
- when training indoors, you do not breathe dust, exhaust fumes and other urban pollution;
- the muscles surrounding the internal organs are trained;
- the abdominal organs receive a light massage and begin to work better;
- improves dexterity and coordination of movements;
- shoulders and hands are involved.
Jumping rope replaces running in unscheduled workouts when you have a little free time, but it’s not enough for a run. Neither the weather nor the lack of special clothing will discourage the desire to exercise.
Girls love to use a jump rope to lose weight and get rid of cellulite, and they are right. After jumping, there is no such strong appetite as after running; the vibrations created by them have a positive effect on the condition of the skin. As a rule, girls master jumping rope faster, and they naturally have a better developed sense of balance.
But there are guys who jump better than any girl, these are boxers, fighters and bodybuilders.
If you want to burn more calories, you need to exercise at an accelerated pace; speed increases with experience. You can also purchase a weighted projectile, the handles of which have built-in metal elements weighing up to 200 grams. Such work will provide a higher load, which is more effective for losing weight, and will also strengthen your arms. You can increase the intensity of the impact through exercise.
Ellipse
The elliptical machine raises your heart rate in the same way that running does, without giving you the high-impact impact that should be avoided for injuries such as jaundice or a stress fracture. And even if you are completely healthy, you can include the ellipse in your workouts, since the movements on it are similar to running ones, and the aerobic system is trained with the same effect.
However, be sure to set the resistance on the machine to make these sessions effective. In addition, on an ellipse it is not necessary to always go forward. You can change direction! This not only relieves boredom, but also changes working muscles. While the forward movement engages the quadriceps, the reverse movement emphasizes the glutes and hamstrings.
How to properly perform jumping rope
There are many conflicting reviews on the Internet on the topic of whether it is possible to lose weight with a jump rope, studying which it becomes clear that failures are associated with incorrect or irregular performance of the exercise. The secret to success is the correct technique for performing jumps:
- Stand straight, jump up, as if trying to reach the ceiling with the top of your head.
- Perform springy movements as you lift off the floor and land.
- Press your elbows tightly to your body, and rotate the rope exclusively with your hands.
- Land gradually and lightly, first on your toes, smoothly lowering your entire foot, while keeping your legs bent. Another landing technique (on your heels with your lower limbs level) can damage your kneecaps and cause the spine to sag.
Having mastered the principles of proper safe jumping, you can begin to perform a set of exercises to bring your weight and figure into shape.
Treadmill
A mandatory attribute of any fitness room is a treadmill. Unfortunately, the treadmill is not about psychological relief and not about cross-training to strengthen weak areas. It’s more likely about bad weather and being very busy (unless this simulator is at your home).
On a treadmill you can successfully carry out interval training, tempo running, and running at a constant positive incline. What’s remarkable is the ruthlessness of the track: you set a certain pace for the interval, and whether you like it or not, you have to stick to it. Even if you don't want a positive driveway slope, still set it to 1-2% to simulate variable street terrain and air resistance.
Read on topic: Treadmill training: exercises, advantages and disadvantages
Yoga
Today, there are a great many resources from which you can get information about yoga. Yoga may not be as great at giving you a cardiovascular workout, but it is undeniably the best way to rejuvenate your body. The only catch is that beginners need to approach their first classes carefully so as not to get overstretched muscles and other injuries.
What yoga will give:
- stretching;
- relaxation;
- flexibility;
- tone.
Read on topic: Yoga and running: 5 asanas for runners
Contraindications and disadvantages of the method
Now you know everything about how to quickly lose weight using a jump rope. All that remains to be done is to evaluate the capabilities of your body and decide whether this method of losing weight is right for you. It is strictly forbidden to engage in skipping for people who have:
- problems with joints, especially knees, including arthritis and arthrosis;
- lesions of the spine and other parts of the skeleton;
- frequent migraine attacks;
- hypertension;
- severe diseases of the cardiovascular system.
Important! You cannot jump rope for an hour, or better yet two, after eating.
Aerobics
Aerobics, unlike yoga, will significantly increase your heart rate. Aerobics combines exercises borrowed from general physical training with dance movements. This mixture makes rhythmic exercise another option for cardio training. By doing aerobics, you simultaneously pump both your heart and the muscles involved in the exercises. What is not a substitute for running?
Aerobics offers a lot of options for classes: you can do dance or fitness aerobics in the gym, water aerobics in the pool, and if you need to focus on strength, then there is an option here too - strength aerobics with weights.
Bike
Cycling provides the same cardiovascular training benefits as running, but protects your muscles, bones and joints from repeated impact. Cycling, especially hill training, strengthens your thighs, glutes, calves, and more to help prevent imbalances.
It's also a great calorie burner. In a one-hour easy ride, you'll burn the same amount of calories as running, but without the impact on your body: the super-light spin doesn't have any impact, but you're pumping blood through your body, speeding up recovery.
Experts also say that cycling can increase the length and speed of your stride, but in this case it is important to maintain a cadence of 90-100 rpm.
The best cycling workouts for runners are those that mimic standard and classic running workouts. Active recovery, tempo training, short explosive intervals - all this is found in cycling.
The only downside to cycling is that it is much more expensive than running. Here you have the bike itself, suitable clothing, a helmet, and expenses for tubes, chains, repairs, etc.
Exercises with a skipping rope. The benefits of activity
Of course, such short-term exercises over a long distance are beneficial in the long term. The best thing about this is that such activity develops a habit in the novice athlete.
For a beginner, it is harmful to start serious exercises right away; it would be much more correct to start short, high-intensity workouts that will prepare the muscles for more serious loads. It makes no sense to exercise once a week for a long time - it is more useful to exercise less, but more often. Yes, these 10 minutes a day will not change your body much, but such training with a skipping rope will help you fall in love with physical exercise.
It often happens that people who have just started playing sports are overly motivated. They don’t want to gradually increase the load, but immediately begin to give their best, working in the gym to the limits of endurance every day. With this approach, the body wears out very quickly, and motivation disappears somewhere.
A person begins to feel a reluctance to exercise, feels depressed and lacks strength.
Ten-minute exercises, especially in the fresh air, will prevent your workouts from turning into a hated routine. Such an approach to training will give the most necessary thing for a beginning athlete - the habit of training. We must also not forget about a five-minute warm-up before starting a workout; it should include squats, bends and rotations of the torso. Basic training should include alternating single and double jumps, this will help work different muscle groups.
An athlete in the gym warms up with a jump rope
Bicycle rack
While cycling is good exercise, cycling is better for cross-training a runner. Especially if he excluded this very run from the schedule due to weather or busyness. On a bike station, simulate your running workout by focusing on your heart rate. If you are planning a heavy workout, increase the resistance of the barre and rotate the working interval at the desired level of perceived tension.
What types of bike stations there are, what their advantages are and what applications there are for home training, we discussed in this material: How to choose a bike station for training.
Temporary contraindications
There are restrictions that are temporary. This is, first of all, any form of malaise. If you also give cardio in this state, you can provoke fainting or even cardiac arrest.
Other temporary contraindications include:
- period of pregnancy and lactation;
- migraine attacks;
- joint sprains;
- pain syndrome;
- obesity (2nd and 3rd degree).
It is worth paying special attention to the fact of fighting extra pounds. On the one hand, jumping rope helps to lose weight, on the other hand, too much excess weight does not allow the body to normally bear the load. Jumping rope negatively affects primarily the cardiovascular system, and this creates a greater risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Cycling
It would seem that cycling should not be placed in a separate area, since this is the same pedaling as on a bicycle station and a bicycle. However, cycling is a separate direction in fitness, providing high-intensity group classes and combining an exercise bike and dancing. You won't be able to spin relaxedly here.
In cycling, both “cycling” and “running” muscles are involved, but trainers also actively involve the arms, abs, and shoulders. During cycling, riders do push-ups, do crunches, in a word, pump up their whole body. So, if you don't want to separate strength training and cardio, sign up for a cycling studio.
What is cycling and can it replace cycling?
Walking
This is perhaps the most affordable way to give yourself at least some exercise. Leave the car and walk to work, run errands, take a longer walk with the dog - there are a lot of options on how to harmoniously include walking in your regular schedule.
What are the other benefits of regular walking? It can never be wrong: you don’t need to look for a trainer to set up the technique, you don’t need special equipment and shoes, although, of course, under no circumstances go for a walk in stiletto heels or other uncomfortable shoes.
Walking allows your body to expend extra energy, but the problem is that this exercise stimulates your appetite, so you also need to continue to watch your diet. Walking does not burn calories, and people overeat much more often after walking than after jogging. We wrote about this in the article Walking: types, benefits, calorie consumption.
Nordic walking
Today, Nordic walking has gained love all over the planet. And for good reason. Walking with specially designed poles burns the same amount of calories as running, working not only the leg muscles, but also the upper body. This type of activity is not high-intensity; rather, it is aimed at developing general endurance, so it will be a good alternative to light cross-country.
Nordic walking is often prescribed by doctors for the rehabilitation of patients after operations on the musculoskeletal system, so there is no doubt about its gentle effect on the body. However, if you decide now to buy poles and go for a walk, first familiarize yourself with the Nordic walking technique. Following the correct technique will prevent you from getting injured from such a harmless sport.
It is also important to note that Nordic poles cannot be replaced with ski poles. Approach the selection of this equipment consciously. How to choose - read in a separate material: Nordic walking with poles: benefits, technique, beginner mistakes.
Strict contraindications
The shock load on a sick body with a weak immune system has a destructive effect on the spine, joints, heart, cartilage, and blood vessels. Working with a skipping rope or regular jumping without a skipping rope should also be excluded from the exercise program if you have the following health problems:
- phlebeurysm;
- problems with the heart and blood vessels, high pulse;
- sudden changes in blood pressure;
- diseases of the joints and spine;
- diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
- glaucoma and other vision problems.
Performing a set of exercises should be stopped if you feel dizziness, nausea or any other ailment. You should not rely on chance in matters of health. If you have difficulty independently determining contraindications to jumping rope, you should consult a doctor for advice.
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general physical training
There are a great many options for training in the gym or at home to strengthen your back, abs, arms, legs, which allows you to make each activity different from the other.
Check out the program here: 50 Developmental Exercises for Runners
At home, you can practice running in place, running with high hips (also in place), jumping from a half-squat, swinging from a lunge, and many different planks.
Exercises with your own weight do not require equipment or going to the gym; you can do them at home or on the street. Detailed instructions with videos of exercises can be found in this material.
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Speaking about different types of training, fitness instructors constantly recall exercises with a jump rope for weight loss, calling them quite effective and simple.
How do jump rope exercises affect the body?
According to experts, correctly performed jumping rope at a fairly intense pace can replace exercise on cardio equipment (exercise bikes), because they also have a good effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
In addition, such exercises lead to strengthening muscle tone (especially in the calves and thighs), develop flexibility and improve coordination of movements.
As for the question that interests us, exercises with a skipping rope are no less effective in burning calories.
So, according to scientists, during one 15-minute session you can get rid of about 200 kilocalories (based on the fact that about 100 jumps will be performed per minute).
Therefore, within two weeks from the start of such exercises, you will be able to observe pleasant changes in the waist, hips and other problem areas.
How to jump rope?
Jumping rope is one of the simplest activities that almost any of us can do. However, the most correct option is when during such exercises the body is kept as straight as possible, the arms are pressed to the waist with the elbows (or at least as close to it as possible), and the jump itself is performed through the work of the legs, wrists and forearms. It may be difficult at first to do all this at the same time, but over time it will definitely begin to work out.
Jump rope training
Considering that practicing with such a basic object as a jump rope is quite simple, many people prefer not to go to the gym for this, but to practice on their own, at home. Such a decision is quite reasonable if the training is carried out regularly and has a well-thought-out scheme.
If you don’t have any time for physical exercise (or don’t have it yet), then you can start with 10-15 minutes of jumping on a daily basis. Even such a small warm-up will have its results. However, to achieve more significant results, it is better to take sports activities more seriously and include a warm-up in your training program (this includes: head turns, arm swings, squats, etc.), stretching exercises, strengthening the abs or any other problem area .
But don’t think that jumping rope can only be of one type. In fact, they are also quite diverse. For example, you can twist the rope forward or backward, jump on two legs or on one, perform jumps with alternating legs or simulating running in place.
In addition, you can remember your favorite childhood game and, folding the rolling pin in half, bend down, lower it to the floor and start turning it clockwise, try to jump over it. By the way, this is a useful exercise, especially for those who lead a sedentary lifestyle.
Regular training using a jump rope will be an excellent replacement for a morning jog and, on top of that, will help you lift your mood and gain good spirits. In order for them not to lose their effectiveness, they must be constantly complicated (for example, buy a weighted jump rope) and slightly increased over time. So, for noticeable weight loss, it is advisable to exercise with a jump rope for one hour a day.
Therefore, answering the above question about whether it is really useful to exercise with a skipping rope, we can confidently answer yes. If for some reason you don’t have time to do something more complex or just don’t want to visit the fitness center, buy yourself a jump rope, and it will simultaneously provide you with active fat burning and fun.
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Swimming and running in water
If you suffer from joint pain or injuries, swimming may be just what the doctor ordered. Without affecting the joints, this load makes maximum use of your entire body and cardiovascular system. In addition, if you are not a fan of strength training, swimming is a good substitute for strengthening your upper body.
Research suggests that swimming in a pool for an hour three times a week for ten weeks can increase your VO2 max by 10%.
If you don’t know how to swim, there is an option to do aquajogging (running in water) in the pool. This is the same running, but without the impact load, which, as you can see, is the basis of all running injuries. For underwater running, get an aqua fitness belt that will keep you afloat. Running in water, due to the resistance of the water, is harder than regular running on land, and this is an advantage for your muscles, because they are used in much the same way as if you were running with a tire behind you or with other weights.
The benefits of swimming: 20 reasons to go to the pool
Running or jumping rope, which is better for losing weight?
You can often hear debates about which is better, jumping rope or running. This is a completely reasonable opposition, since both options are considered almost ideal types of cardio training. However, these types of sports activities are radically different and are aimed at developing completely different skills, so you need to consider them without any comparisons, highlighting the pros and cons of each.
Running or jumping rope: which is better?
It is a mistake to believe that running can be replaced by skipping rope or vice versa. If your goal is solely to lose weight, then running will still be more effective. Research shows that on average, the body burns 10 calories while jumping rope, and 13 while jogging. On the other hand, developing the skill of jumping can burn up to 18 calories, which is significantly higher than running. Based on this, we can draw a simple conclusion that running is more versatile, but jumping rope can only be better in cases where a person can jump at a high pace.
The other side of the coin is that it is best to combine jumping rope with running. Replacement is possible, but it will not be justified from the point of view of achieving maximum efficiency. That is why in boxing and other sports both running and jumping rope are still used equally. Both types of training are equally useful and deliberately choosing one of them is completely pointless.
Pros and cons of running
Although running has always been the best type of cardio workout and over hundreds of thousands of years people have adapted to the mechanics of movements, it still has a number of undeniable advantages and some disadvantages.
It is important to understand that running is not just a way to burn calories to lose weight, it is a multifunctional movement that puts serious pressure on the joints and spine. That is why, if you run incorrectly, you can “earn” problems with your knees and spine. It is also worth approaching running with great care for those who weigh over 80 kg. Another important requirement is running shoes. You shouldn’t follow advertising and buy shoes with maximum cushioning. It prevents the nerve endings from sensing the degree of stress on the joints during running, which can lead to negative consequences. Many treatises have been written about the benefits of running, but we can highlight the main ones, thanks to which this type of physical activity is still considered the best:
- One of the best types of cardio for weight loss
- Develops almost all muscles of the body
- Ideal for core training
- Improves cardiovascular system
- There are no financial investments or restrictions
Pros and cons of jumping rope
If running has always dominated against the background of other types of cardio exercise, then jumping rope acts as a gray eminence; it is even a favorite exercise of boxers.
They can be either more or less effective, because everything depends only on the skill of a particular person. Initially, if jumping is not easy for you and you cannot maintain a fast pace even for 2-3 minutes, then running will be more preferable. However, as you develop skills, jumping rope for at least 5-10 minutes and alternating the pace, switching from fast to moderate, such a load will be superior to running. It can be compared to sprints, but has a more even distribution of effort. Among the obvious advantages of a jump rope are:
- Development of coordination
- Improving Explosive Strength
- Significant development of the cardiovascular system (especially when training for more than 10 minutes)
- More muscles are involved, especially the upper body
- Improved Agility
Here are details about jump rope training!
Skis
In summer - a runner, in winter - a skier. You probably also have friends who hide their sneakers and take out their skis during the snowy season. And this has enough advantages if you are not faced with the task of winning the Russian championship.
The obvious advantage of skiing over running is the low impact factor on tendons, ligaments and muscles. During running, the average impact force is approximately two to three times your body weight, but in skiing practice this is not the case. Above, we have already considered quite a few types with a low impact factor, but only cross-country skiing (classic skiing) uses the same muscles that work in running. The obvious advantage is that this also adds work to the upper body, which is little involved in running.
For those who don't like long runs, the good news is that an hour of skiing equals 75-80 minutes of running. This means you get the same physical benefits as running, but in less time.
The benefits of jumping rope
Most likely, you have heard more than once that jumping rope is great for helping you lose weight and burning calories. If you devote only 10-15 minutes a day to small workouts, very soon you will notice the first results, because the excess weight will begin to disappear. Jumping rope is incredibly effective for losing weight, just try it!
Exercises with a jump rope strengthen the cardiovascular system - just 15 minutes of exercise is equal to 40 minutes of running for our heart. Moreover, jumping improves coordination and endurance, and you begin to feel your body much better. Such high-intensity exercises speed up your metabolism, and even after the end of the workout, calories continue to be burned, which has a great effect on your figure.
The benefit of jumping rope is also that during its execution almost all muscle groups are worked out. During the exercise, the muscles of the abdomen, legs and arms are tense, so jumping can be a quick workout for the whole body if you are very short on time.
