You might be logging tons of miles a week during warmer weather, but when the temperature drops and the amount of daylight gets shorter, it’s not as feasible to keep that up.
That doesn’t mean you’re sentenced to a season of running on the treadmill in your basement. The off-season is a great time to build your foundation not just with conditioning exercises, but also with cross-training modalities that will keep you rolling strong right into your peak running season, says Zack Allison, a senior coach with Source Endurance and racer for and racer for.
[The best runners don’t just run, they hit the gym. The Beginner’s Guide to Strength Training in New York City.]
Ways to Keep Your Cardio Up During the Winter
Your main goal in the winter is to keep up your running efficiency, so you do need to keep running—even if that means bingeing the latest Netflix series while indoors. But if you find yourself starting to burn out or just not having as much fun inside, there are other cardio exercises you can do that are still extremely beneficial, according to Allison.
When the snow hits, take advantage of it. Try hiking or snowshoeing. “These are still very aerobic activities, but with even less impact. When you’re going downhill, you get a solid eccentric motion and overload on your legs, which builds strength and bone density,” says Allison. “You may not feel like you’re getting as many gains aerobically, but the added benefits of stronger muscles (including stabilizing musculature) and higher bone density can leave you with less injuries and more power.”
Looking for something that really feels a little different? Try skate skiing—according to Allison, it uses large muscle groups that you also need to run your best.
The 3x3 Circuit Every Runner Should Do After Cardio Workouts
Strength training improves your power and efficiency, so runners should hit the gym at a few times a week, at least. But performing the right heart rate-boosting conditioning exercises after a cardio workout can also help build strength, keep your body aligned, and prevent injury.
Health & Injuries: Start with a run, jog, skate ski, or hike to fire up your aerobic system. Then, follow your cardio workout with three sets of these three exercises with a two-minute rest in between each set.
1. Plank Row
The Beginners Guide to Strength Training: This is a two-in-one move. Performing rows in a plank requires you to stabilize your core throughout in a way you wouldn’t while standing. Core work helps maintain your posture. “Having a strong core stabilizes your body as you run, and adds power to your arms and legs to drive your body forward,” Lindsey Clayton, Best Running Shoes 2025 Barry’s Bootcamp in New York City, previously told Runner’s World.
How to do it: Begin in a high plank position with wrists under shoulders, hands holding the handles of two dumbbells. Keeping a straight back and tight core, draw right dumbbell up to right ribs. Return dumbbell to ground, and repeat on left side. Continue to alternate, performing 10 plank rows on each side.
2. Lateral Side Jump
The Beginners Guide to Strength Training: The muscles that move the body sideways can get neglected and cause problems down the line, like weak hip flexors that lead to your knees not tracking correctly, says Allison. These jumps engage those smaller muscles while also working big movers like your quads and glutes.
How to do it: Start in a standing position with feet close together, toes pointed forward. Squat slightly and push through heels to jump about two feet sideways. Land softly and sink back into a squat, then jump back to the opposite side. Continue alternating for 30 to 60 seconds.
3. Squat Thruster
The Beginners Guide to Strength Training: “Similar to a burpee, this exercise is an explosive movement that engages your whole core and lower body,” says Allison. Because it uses so many large muscles, doing fast reps demands a ton of oxygen and pushes your anaerobic ability—kind of like VO2 max intervals.
How to do it: Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Lower into a squat until thighs are parallel to floor, then place palms on floor and jump feet straight back. Jump feet back up to palms, then drive through heels to return to stand. Repeat for 30-60 seconds.
