The Benefits of Cycling for Runners

Last week I talked about the importance of the right running shoe to keep your legs and back healthy at high intervals of running. This week I thought that I would talk about the several benefits that come from cross-training with cycling. Before I begin I would like to state that I am not a professional cycler or runner and am basing this off of personal experiences with cross-training.

The Benefits of Cross-Training with Cycling

I really do believe in the power of cycling and how it is important for runners to cross-train with something that is low-impact on their legs. For me, cycling has changed the way that I train and it is for the better.

• Low-Impact
  • Cycling is low-impact which takes a lot of pressure off of your bones, tendons, and ligaments giving them the ability to recover from a hard season or race. Cycling still strengthens your muscles and works important muscles like your core and lower back that might get neglected in running workouts.
• Works all Leg muscles
  • Like I said above cycling works every single one of your upper and lower leg. Calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quads all get worked building strength and power. For sprinters, short but faster distances on a bike can provide key pushing power for faster starts out of blocks.
• Improves Leg Turnover
  • Leg turnover for runners is how fast they can go. Increasing your cadence on a bike will translate really well to normal running.
• Cycling offers many workouts
  • With cycling there a load of workouts that you can do to target specific things that you want to work on with running. I am a sprinter so I tend to do a lot of high intensity and power workouts rather than longer rides on the bike.
• Great For Active Recovery
  • According to the current theory, active recovery is great for reducing muscle soreness, reducing joint stiffness, and flushing out toxins. I can personally say that cycling is great for all three of these. Personally, I love to hit the bike trails after a hard practice the day before and after I get off the bike I am already feeling better.

Overall, cycling is a great way for runners to improve their abilities and a great way for them to take some stress off their legs. If you have ever been interested in cross-training with cycling I would recommend that you try it out.  Also, if you don’t want to buy an expensive bike to just try something out most bike shops have some type of rental program for road bikes.