Let me begin this post with admitting I am not fond of cardiovascular training. I am a weight lifter who utilizes my experience to get my cardiovascular training in the weight room by circuit training and minimizing breaks to increase my heart rate and get my body into calorie-burning mode. The thought of running just to run is enough to make me shudder.
Nonetheless, don't let my personal opinions on running sway you from enjoying a run to improve your health. However, I was asked the other day by a friend, "Is running okay? Is it good for you?", and the answer to that question is more complex than one may think.
Recent studies have shown excessive running (i.e - marathoners who don't allow their bodies to rest after running the 26+ mile race) can experience damage to their heart and other vital organs, but these people are rare in terms of the entire population who thinks of running as their primary exercise.
Running has it's place in your workout plan, but be sure to play it smart. Unless you are training for anything over a 5k race, you should be focused more on your heart rate than your distance. Forget about how far you ran, as well as how fast your ran that distance unless you are training for a race. Instead, take the focus on distance and time and put it towards effort and exertion.
Sprinting has been proven to be more effective in terms of burning calories and spiking heart rate than long distance running. Think back to primitive man (or woman) and what they had to accomplish on a daily basis. Walking to find food, and sprinting like hell to catch prey or also run away from predators.
The same can be true to your training today. If you don't have time to run for hours, sprint training is your ticket to spark your fat loss and increasing your metabolism. Here is a workout to try next time you hit the trail, and I guarantee you find it to be just as challenging as the classic distance run.
After an active warm up, jog for 5 minutes. At the 5 minute mark, sprint for 30 seconds. Trust me, those 30 seconds will be longer than you think. For those 30 seconds you sprint as fast as you can completely letting yourself loose. After the 30 seconds have expired, go back to a jog for 5 minutes. Repeat this process for 5 circuits. You will be jogging for 25 minutes, and sprinting for 2.5 minutes. A quality cardiovascular workout under 30 minutes.
If you feel the need to walk at any time, walk. Work yourself up to jogging and sprinting, but remember the sprinting is the most important part of the workout. So, as I told our friend, running is fine, but make sure it suits you and your fitness goals.
Happy Running!
