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Many athletes’ secret to success is that, alongside training for their main discipline, they also regularly do alternative forms of training. The results speak for themselves – and should motivate you to take a more rounded approach too.

Of course, if you want to run fast, the most important thing is to do lots of running. If you want to cycle fast, you’ll need to do several rides per week. And if you want to ski fast, you’ll need to regularly get out on the snow. If you only do alternative training, you’ll struggle to improve your best times in your specialist discipline. But at the same time:  if you focus solely on your main sport, you’re limiting yourself unnecessarily.

Ten reasons to do alternative training

1. Prevent injury: alternative training reduces the risk of injury by working different muscle groups and taking the strain off your joints and tendons.
2. All-round fitness: it also improves your general fitness with a diverse mix of endurance, strength, flexibility and coordination exercises.
3. Avoid plateaus: more varied training reduces the risk of performance plateaus, as your body is constantly being stimulated in new ways.
4. Increase motivation: regularly changing up your training plan adds variety, which keeps your motivation high and stops you getting bored.
5. More efficient recovery: alternative training like swimming or inline skating promotes active recovery, allowing your muscles to recover without overstraining them.
6. Correct muscle imbalances: it also helps to remedy muscle imbalances that can result from focusing solely on a single sport.
7. Mental balance: alternative training provides mental diversion that can reduce stress and prevent burnout.
8. Boost performance: developing new skills and strengthening neglected muscle groups can improve your performance in your main discipline.
9. Improved body awareness: exercises like yoga and Pilates increase your awareness of your body and help you improve your posture, strength and balance.
10. Extend your sporting career: combining different forms of training makes your body more durable, so you can keep doing sport for longer.