How Trail Running Benefits Different Athletes

Trail running has multiple benefits–improving balance, bone density, and strengthening core muscles–but it can also benefit different types of athletes in specific ways. With any training program, easing into things is important. With trail running, gradually building up to more technical terrain will give your muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons time to adjust and prepare them to become stronger than ever. Learn how trail running can benefit your body if you’re a road runner, a hiker, a yogi, cyclist, a CrossFitter, or simple need some motivation to start exercising!

(Republished with permission of VeloPress from Trailhead: The Dirt on All Things Trail Running by Lisa Jhung with illustrations by Charlie Layton. For more, visit VeloPress.)

You have: Cardiovascular stamina, leg strength, good bone density.

You’ll gain: Core strength, intrinsic muscle strength, balance, agility.

You have: Some cardiovascular stamina, some core strength, leg strength.

You’ll gain: Increased cardiovascular stamina, increased core strength, increased leg strength, increased bone density from the impact of running, balance, agility.

You have: Core strength, some cardiovascular stamina, leg strength, upper body strength

You’ll gain: Increased cardiovascular stamina, increased leg strength, increased bone density from the impact of running, balance, agility, faster access to climb sites

You have: Isometric leg strength (from holding poses), balance, flexibility

You’ll gain: Cardiovascular stamina, dynamic leg strength, improved bone density from the impact of running, counterstrengthening to your flexibility (shortening of muscles for power), agility, enjoyment of being outdoors

You have: Core strength, muscular strength

You’ll gain: Cardiovascular stamina, increased muscular strength, increased bone density from the impact of running, a great way to apply your core strength, balance, agility, enjoyment of being outdoors

You have: Cardiovascular stamina, leg strength (singular plane/circular)

You’ll gain: Core strength, dynamic leg strength, increased cardiovascular strength (your legs keep moving downhill), increased bone density from the impact of running, increased balance, increased agility

You have: Cardiovascular stamina, leg strength (singular plane/circular), some core strength

You’ll gain: Increased core strength, dynamic leg strength, increased cardiovascular strength (your legs keep moving downhill), increased bone density from the impact of running, increased balance, increased agility, another perspective of the trails you love (and access to some you can’t ride)

You have: Some cardiovascular stamina, leg strength—mostly isometric from holding one position for long periods of time, balance, core strength, hand-eye-foot coordination

You’ll gain: Increased cardiovascular stamina, dynamic leg strength, increased bone density from the impact of running, increased core strength, improved balance and agility, faster access to waves and pow

You have: Cardiovascular stamina, core strength, leg strength, upper-body strength

You’ll gain: A way to train everything when the snow melts, increased bone density from the impact of running

You have: Muscular strength (mostly on two legs, not one at a time), core strength, short-intensity cardiovascular strength, agility

You’ll gain: Cardiovascular stamina, increased muscular strength (on one leg at a time), increased bone density from the impact of running, enjoyment of being outdoors

You have: Some cardiovascular strength, muscular strength, core strength

You’ll gain: Increased and sustained cardiovascular stamina, increased muscular strength, mental break from team competition

You have: Cardiovascular stamina, core strength, upperbody strength

You’ll gain: Improved cardiovascular stamina, leg strength, increased core strength, increased bone density from the impact of running, balance, agility, a change of scenery from the bottom of the pool

You have: A need to get off the couch

You’ll gain: Everything except weight