Whether you’re nursing a serious injury, dealing with a nagging illness, or you’re too swamped with a busy schedule, every runner now and then comes up against a setback that keeps them from their regular pavement-pounding routine. A little time off won’t hurt you (in fact, some R&R might be just what the doctor ordered). But trade in your sneakers for the sofa too long and your fitness will quickly take a nosedive.
While a few factors play into exactly when your fitness declines, like your fitness level before you took time off and whether you stop exercising completely, metabolic changes can happen within just two weeks, Jeff Gaudette, owner and head coach at RunnersConnect tells Runner’s World.
In 21 days of no activity, older research has found a 7 percent reduction in VO2 max, a marker of your fitness. That might sound negligible, but it could add minutes to your race times, Gaudette says. Newer research published in 2022 backs this up, saying VO2 max can decline as much as 20 percent after 12 weeks.
But good news: Taking a total break from running doesn’t mean you have to wind up totally out of shape. Keep reading for expert tips about the best ways to cross-train, including the best non-weight-bearing exercises to do to keep up your aerobic fitness when you can’t handle impact. Plus, learn exactly what you should put on your calendar for the weeks you need to take off.
One important note: If you are injured and need to stay off your feet, make sure you get your doctor’s clearance before
Recognize When It’s Time to Take a Break from Running
A lot of times, you can run with various aches and pains as long as you’re giving yourself some TLC as you work through them—though it’s always good to check in with a doctor to be sure it’s safe to keep running. But there are, of course, injuries that require time off.
Stress fractures are the most common injuries that sideline runners for extended periods of time, says Anh Bui, D.P.T., C.S.C.S., a former collegiate runner, physical therapist, and biomechanics specialist in Oakland, California. “The other reason someone may need to take time off is tendon ruptures, usually partial, which can require immobilization or surgery,” she says.
How long you have to take off with any injury will vary. Times even vary with a stress fracture, though you can expect to hang up your running shoes for at least a month and a half. “Time off from running depends on the location of the stress fracture and the severity, which we usually determine with an MRI,” says Bui.
Fractures in the tibia (i.e., your shinbone) typically require six to eight weeks of rest, for example, while one in the femoral neck (at the top of your thighbone) takes 12 to 16 weeks of rest to heal. (A stress fracture in the latter is rare, accounting for only 3 percent of sport-related stress fractures, but is most common among long-distance runners, according to a 2017 review from the U.K.)
Whatever time off your doc recommends, you have to stick to it, says Bui: “Run on a stress fracture too soon and you’ll risk delaying and complicating the healing process.”
Figure Out the Type of Non-Weight-Bearing Exercise That Works for You
You might think there’s no cardio quite like running. But many other workouts can keep you in good aerobic shape while also going easy on your joints. “The best activities are going to be the ones that mimic running the most,” says Gaudette.
His number-one pick is aqua jogging if you have access to a pool: It gets your heart rate up, mimics the posture and movements of running on dry land, and is non-weight-bearing. “Your pool-running form is like your regular running form, except you have a little more upright posture and lift your knees a little higher with less back kick,” he notes. If a pool isn’t in the cards, time on the elliptical is a close second (in terms of form).
If your doc nixes all weight-bearing exercise, riding a bike or swimming are also good choices, says Gaudette. Cycling in particular helped improve 3,000-meter running performance and hip extensor strength among high-school runners in a 2018 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
And when deciding what activity to fill your schedule for your weeks without running, it’s also important keep in mind what you enjoy, Gaudette adds: “If getting in the pool is logistically difficult or you hate it, but you love biking, then getting on the bike consistently is the better option.” Just be careful to stay seated on the bike: “Cycling is considered to be non-weight-bearing unless you ride out of the saddle,” adds Bui.
Consider this more extension list of non-weight-bearing exercises to determine what’s right for you when you can’t run:
- Aqua jogging
- Cycling
- Swimming
- Rowing
- Seated exercises
How to Schedule Cross-Training to Maintain Your Fitness
Look at the calendar and pencil in the runs you’d normally be doing—noting mileage or time, intensity (whether it’s an easy run or sprint workout, for instance). Then go back over the days and mark in what activity you’ll do in place of the run, aiming to move for the same amount of time you would’ve spent on your feet and hitting the same effort level.
“So, if you run for an hour four days per week and one of those sessions is a harder workout/effort, I’d do the same with your cross training,” advises Gaudette. “Most people should be able to jump into this on week one.”
If you tend to gauge your effort by heart rate, it’s okay to keep that up—but it can be a little tricky because your heart rate can differ depending on the type of exercise you’re doing, says Gaudette. “In the pool, your heart rate is lower due to the water, and on the bike it can be harder to get your heart rate up because you’re not using your arms,” he explains. “RPE works just as well and is easier to adjust to different situations.”
Consider the Importance of Strength Building
You’ll want to add in a couple strength sessions per week, though you might need to take a couple weeks off before you do so; make sure to talk with your PT or doc about when you can start and what exercises to include, says Bui. A physical therapist should offer up moves to help you rehab that you can regularly include in your routine.
Keep in mind that if you need to do non-weight-bearing exercises that would include only moves you perform while sitting or lying down.
If you have an injury like a stress fracture, consulting with your medical team is important because “the type of strength exercise you should do depends on the location and severity of your fracture—for instance, squats are not advised for someone on crutches recovering from a femoral neck stress fracture but can be okay for someone with a stable tibial stress fracture,” says Bui. (In any case, it’s best to work with a PT for any type of fracture.)
Working in some plyometrics the last couple weeks before you plan to run again is also a good idea, Bui adds, because it preps your body for the impact of running. But don’t do plyometrics before getting clearance from your doctor.
Bui also recommends scheduling time for mobility work. “Maintaining range of motion is extremely important when you have to be non-weight-bearing,” she explains—especially if you’re using crutches or a boot, which can cause joints to stiffen and muscles to atrophy. Talk with your PT for mobility drills and schedule a little time to work on them daily.
Laurel Leicht
Laurel Leicht is a writer and editor in Brooklyn. She's covered health, fitness, and travel for outlets including Well+Good, Glamour, and O, The Oprah Magazine.
