While we were camping recently, I rolled out of bed one morning several hours before the sun was scheduled to make an appearance. When I stood I thought, “My calves are killing me!”
The previous day we went for a short trail ride (thirty minutes), a decent walk (ninetyish minutes), and a short run (thirty or so minutes). I don’t usually go on long walks. Not in minimalist shoes. Certainly not on outdoor trails. While I can comfortably ride outdoors all day, walks are usually an afternoon or evening event around the neighborhood.
The last time I felt similar soreness was when I moved several railroad ties to make a raised garden bed.
Sticking to one type of exercise in training neglects certain muscles or their parts. These neglected muscles may play a key supporting role that prevents injury during your preferred exercise when they are used during cross training. Cross training is cited elsewhere as helping in recovery and reducing the monotony of training among other things.
Interestingly, cross training in the workplace has similar organizational benefits. Cross training in the workplace provides protections against injury when key players are out. It help employees stay motivated by breaking up the monotony of their job. It strengthens the entire organization by having more trained employees to apply to a problem when needed.
So why am I writing about calf pain and organizational health in the same post?
I’ve written in the past that underlying principles appeal to me more than specifics.
We just completed teaching a class at our church over generally becoming more healthy. It wasn’t anything we sought out but rather were asked. It certainly exercised some atrophied parts of my person. Those parts that involve speaking to a group of people. I have never cared for doing that. In the end, the class strengthened parts of me unrelated to speaking in front of people. It helped reduce a repetition in my walk with God. A repetition that could easily lead to monotony and eventual boredom if one were not careful.
- Sunday – go to church
- Monday – read Bible in the morning
- Tuesday – read Bible in the morning
- Wednesday – read Bible in the morning
- Thursday – read Bible in the morning
- Friday – read Bible in the morning
- Saturday – read Bible in the morning
repeat ad infinitium
So the principle here is that going outside of your normal routine will promote growth, increase strength, reduce the risk of injury, and help motivation through reduced monotony. If you are experiencing boredom, lack of growth, or want to prevent injury in your life, throw some cross training in. Mix it up a little bit and reduce the monotony. Feel the burn from using parts of yourself that have been abandoned. Even if, like my calves, there is some initial discomfort, going outside of your routine will do wonders.
This article was first published on February 23, 2015 and was recovered using AI and web.archive.org.
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