Combining regular jogging with short distance running can boost your health

Running has numerous benefits, including preventing disease, improving mental health, and even slowing biological aging. However, according to a paper published in 2024, approximately 31% of us do not get enough regular physical activity, including running. The reason often cited is that ' we don't have time to exercise ,' but Christopher Gaffney, senior lecturer in integrative physiology at Lancaster University, suggests 'interval running' as a solution.

How adding sprints to your usual jogs can boost the health benefits of running
https://theconversation.com/how-adding-sprints-to-your-usual-jogs-can-boost-the-health-benefits-of-running-263745

Interval running, which alternates between fast sprints and slower jogging, is part of high-intensity interval training (HIIT). HIIT has been around for over 100 years, but gained popularity in the 1990s and 2000s thanks to exercises like Tabata, which alternates between 20 seconds of intense exercise and 10 seconds of rest, and CrossFit, a high-intensity workout that combines weightlifting, gymnastics, and aerobic exercise. Gaffney notes that a key aspect of HIIT is alternating periods of high-intensity exercise with periods of rest or lower-intensity exercise.

For example, the '10-20-30 method' has runners start with a 30-second jog or walk, then 20 seconds of moderate running, and finish with a 10-second sprint. Alternatively, the 'fartlek' method (Swedish for 'speed play') is another easy way to get started with interval running, which not only maintains a steady pace but also intersperses sprints with jogging.

HIIT workouts like interval running offer numerous cardiovascular, metabolic, and body composition benefits. For example, a 2024 study showed that in overweight and obese people, sprinting led to greater improvements in certain aspects of cardiovascular fitness compared to regular steady-pace running.

In this study, participants who performed short-distance runs experienced greater improvements in the maximum oxygen uptake their body can use to sustain intense exercise. Additionally, in people who already ran regularly, adding a HIIT workout to one endurance run per week over a 12-week trial resulted in greater improvements in maximum oxygen uptake than those who performed continuous long runs. Peak oxygen uptake is an indicator of cardiovascular fitness and indicates cardiovascular capacity. Higher peak oxygen uptake not only improves performance but also reduces the risk of death from all causes.

According to Gaffney, interval walking and running have been shown to have a more powerful effect on metabolism, particularly blood sugar regulation, than continuous walking, and may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Training such as the 10-20-30 method has a greater impact on energy production in our cells than continuous exercise. Gaffney argued that this leads to improved stamina and a reduced risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The 10-20-30 method also has the added benefit of lowering 'bad cholesterol' and blood pressure more than continuous running, potentially reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Gaffney suggests that even just 18 minutes of sprint interval running three times a week can lead to health benefits.

An example of interval running is sprinting from one utility pole to the next, walking or jogging to recover, and then sprinting again from one utility pole to the next. During the high-intensity sprints, one guideline is to raise your heart rate to nearly 90% of your maximum heart rate. It's also important to allow sufficient recovery between sprints. However, Gaffney said it's important to gradually increase your activity level over time, rather than suddenly engaging in high-intensity exercise.