Why everybody should train like a triathlete
| 2 min read
You don’t need to actually want to swim, bike and run your way through a race to benefit from training like a triathlete. It turns out their approach to exercise is packed with a lot of good lessons. Here are just a few things they do right:
- They cross-train. When you only do one activity over and over again, you increase your risk for injury because you keep relying on the same muscles and move them in the exact same way. Instead, switch your workouts between a few different activities you like and you’ll lower your risk of hurting yourself. It doesn’t have to be swimming, biking and running. Yoga, hiking, Pilates and rollerblading work too!
- They schedule out workouts in advance. You can’t just wake up and think: How much exercise should I do today? You’ll end up coming up with excuses or realizing you don’t have any time to make it to the gym. Instead, plan your workouts for the week on Sunday to take out the guesswork.
- They exercise with other people. Triathletes typically join training groups but you just need a friend or family member to lace up his or her sneakers with you. Exercising with someone else holds you more accountable, makes your sweat sessions more fun and pushes you to work out harder than if you were doing it solo.
- They sign up for races. This seems obvious—of course a triathlete has to do a triathlon—but there are lots of benefits from signing up for and completing races. You have a way to gauge your progress, push yourself harder than you would normally, and feel a huge boost of confidence with every finish line you cross.
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Photo credit: SH Photography .de
