Sunday newsletters are typically for paid subscribers (this is a reader supported newsletter and I very much appreciate that!), but sharing this one with all in case it can be helpful. I know it would have been for me a few years ago.
This topic is fresh on my mind after having some conversations with injured clients about their relationship with exercise, food and running. I think it’s a common belief among runners that if you’re injured, there has to be something you can do to maintain fitness (or, let’s be honest give you an inkling of that “runner’s high”). It’s also my opinion that because we can now follow pro runners on social media and see that many of them cross train for hours a day when injured, or even when they’re not injured, perpetuates this belief that total rest is a waste of time. Add in an unhealthy relationship with running, and of course cross training is an easy way to feed that relationship if you’re injured.
My question here is: how much does that cross training negatively impact injury recovery versus maintain fitness? How many of us are doing it because we feel like we have to, not because we want to? What about just freaking resting?
I asked PubMed this question and haven’t found anything useful as of yet (if you know of or have read some studies, please send them my way!), So instead, I’m going to share a personal anecdote.
Story time
As with many runners, and many dietitians, there was a time when my relationship with food and movement wasn’t the healthiest. Several years ago, I experienced terrible plantar fasciitis for a handful of months, immediately followed by a stress fracture in my foot (I don’t even remember which foot, shrug emoji). This was a lot of time off running, and I was determined to cross train the shit out of the injury until it healed. To, you know, “maintain fitness.” So, I hobbled in my boot to and from the pool at the 92nd street Y in the predawn hours every morning. I did this until I was cleared to put some weight on the foot, in which I also added in the eliptical and the bike. I did not once ask myself whether I actually wanted to be doing all of this cross training, or heck, if I even liked it. It filled the void that running left, and again, helped “maintain that fitness.”
Once I was cleared to run again, I started out slowly with 30 seconds or so of running mixed in with walk breaks. Lo and behold, running felt hard. All of the “fitness” I was trying to maintain with the cross training made nary a difference during the comeback to running. And once I could get outside again? There was no interest whatsoever in going to the gym. I realized a few important things:
I like swimming recreationally, but freaking hated lap swimming. I hated the cap, the leaky goggles, ear plugs, disgusting pool (sorry, 92nd street Y) and the horrible chlorine smell that lingered all day. Hated all of it.
Also, I can’t stand the eliptical. It’s not fun, you’re going nowhere and it’s so stuffy in the gym. Hard pass.
What I love about running, aside from how free I feel doing it, is that it’s outside! There is nature, other runners, new destinations, dogs, etc. I missed getting outside in Central Park a lot, and that’s not something a stuffy gym or gross pool can mimic.
I was definitely cross training for the wrong reasons - I had to get my exercise “fix” but wasn’t thinking about what types of movement was enjoyable (or not)
And! All of that cross training, again, didn’t help much in my return to running. That’s because it’s not running! Returning to running after an injury is always going to be hard, regardless of the level of cross training
A chance to change things up
Fast forward to March 2020, when I fell on the bridle path in Central Park and fractured my foot. This was the week the pandemic started getting bad in NYC, and there was no way in hell I was setting foot in a gym or fitness studio of any kind (and they all closed soon after anyways). I also knew at that point I didn’t want to cross train, as evidenced by my prior experience and realizations. Instead, I rested for 6-8 weeks. I would go for walks once there was no pain, and did some at-home strength training and yoga here and there (which I love), but that’s it. Once I was cleared to run again, it was of course hard. But not any harder than the crazy cross training experience above.
Let’s also talk nutrition
Of course, nutrition is key during injury - our needs for various nutrients (like protein) increase and it’s important to get enough for healing. When you’re cross training like no tomorrow your body also needs a lot of nutrition to support that, and if it’s not getting or barely getting enough, guess what processes will be impacted? Injury healing. This is how many repeat injuries or slowed healing occurs.
I once heard a quote that said something along the lines of, “it’s important to be comfortable getting a little soft during injury to ensure you’re healing properly,” and it really stuck with me. Yes, bodies can change when injured and activity level has drastically changed, but this essentially means you’re getting adequate nutrition to fully support the healing process (and these changes are temporary!). That was my situation during my 2020 injury, and I healed quite well (and knock on wood, haven’t had an issue since).
As a science person, I do wish there was more research on this topic to reference. However, it’s never a bad idea to take a step back and ask yourself if you’re actually enjoying the exercise or training you’re taking part in, and if you’re relationship with it is a healthy one. My unscientific yet realistic N of one has determined that if it ain’t fun, I ain’t doing it, and so far it’s working out pretty well.
I would love to hear your experiences in the comments!
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