Buzz
- This article will guide you through 3 simple and most common ways to improve running speed and strength training. Stay patient and diligent, you can run better and faster in just a few months!
Are you a novice runner, feeling breathless and exhausted after a short run?
Are you an experienced runner aiming to enhance endurance and running speed?
This article will guide you through the top 3 simple and most popular ways to improve running speed and strength training. Stay patient and diligent, you can run better and faster in just a few months!
I. Enhance through Interval Training (Speed Intervals)
1. Start with Warm-up
Warm up your body by walking or lightly jogging for about 5 minutes. Warm-up exercises will help wake up your muscles and stretch your legs to prepare for Interval training. Interval running training helps your body use oxygen more efficiently, improves your running speed and endurance, allowing you to run without fatigue.
Training with interval running helps enhance your endurance and build muscle. Sprint for about a minute at maximum speed, push yourself to raise your heart rate and engage your muscles to the fullest. Then walk for two minutes to allow your muscles to relax.
4. Repeat the process 4 times.
Repeating the exercise 4 times will take approximately 12 minutes. It may not seem like a long time, but by the last minute, you'll feel completely exhausted.
Repetition is crucial as it forces your system to absorb oxygen more efficiently. Over time, this increases the maximum oxygen levels in your blood. The more oxygen you have, the faster and further you can run, thus improving your running speed.
5. Cool Down
Walk an extra 5 minutes, maintaining a pace that's fast enough to work your muscles but slow enough to gradually lower your heart rate. By this point, you'll be surprised to find yourself exhausted from such a short workout, which is a good sign. But if you're not feeling tired, push yourself even harder to elevate your heart rate during this short training period.
6. Challenge Yourself
Strive to incorporate interval running at least once a week. However, don't overdo it; make sure not to perform this type of training more than twice within a ten-day period as you could risk injuring yourself. After a few weeks of cyclical training, increase the difficulty of the exercise by reducing rest time during interval running to about a minute instead of two.
If you're a regular runner, add an extra 5 minutes to your normal running time each week for interval training. This will gradually improve your running speed and endurance. But if your stamina is weak and 5 minutes is too much, start with one minute of training.
7. Measure Your Progress
When starting to incorporate interval running, keep track of your daily running time in a journal to have evidence of your success and to determine if you're training effectively. Another good way to measure improvement in your running speed is to run as fast as possible and record the distance and time. After a few weeks of interval running training, you'll definitely be able to run faster for longer distances than you could before.
II. Improving Running Speed through Stretching
1. Pre-Run Stretching
It's crucial to loosen your muscles before starting exercise. This can prevent injuries and reduce the risk of cramps while running.
Perform the walking lunge exercise: start with feet shoulder-width apart, hands at your sides. Then step forward, bending your knees to lower your hips down until the back knee is near touching the ground. Keep your torso upright, front knee over the front foot. Push off the front heel, straightening both legs to stand up. Repeat the forward lunge with the other leg and do 10 lunges per leg.
2. Leg Swings
Hold onto a sturdy object for stability, like a chair. Stand on one leg and swing the other leg forward and backward. Raise your leg high and then extend it back behind you, performing full range of motion. Repeat for both legs.
Avoid swinging your leg abruptly as you might injure yourself. Try to rotate your leg in a smooth, controlled motion.
3. Post-Run Stretching
Although you're often tired and exhausted after running, stretching after a run helps you relax, preventing muscle cramps.
Perform the thigh muscle stretch exercise: Stand straight, extend your right leg back, grasp your right ankle with your right hand, pull it up high, pressing your heel into your buttocks. Repeat the same on the other side.
4. Perform Muscle Stretching
Execution method: Stand straight, step one foot forward, bend the front knee down while simultaneously straightening the back leg so that the thigh to the heel is aligned, lift the heel off the floor. Repeat the same for the other leg.
III. Enhancing Running Speed and Endurance through Strength Training
1. Hit the Gym Three Times a Week
If you think just running without spending time building muscle at the gym, you might easily get injured. That means you won't see any improvements in a long time of hard and challenging training.
2. Squats with Weights
Choose relatively light weights. Stand up and lift the weights over your head, arms fully extended and slightly bent. Slowly lower the weights, returning to the starting position. Keep your back straight, push your hips back, and lower yourself as low as possible. Keep your eyes forward, engage your core, and keep your feet slightly wider than your shoulders. Repeat this exercise several times.
3. Perform Planks
Lie down on the floor or on a yoga mat. Place your hands directly under your shoulders, shoulder-width apart. Keep your back and neck straight, creating a straight line with your body. Hold this position for one minute before resting.
Make sure you keep your back straight - don't let your hips sag towards the mat or you could injure your lower back.
4. Do Push-ups
Lie on the floor or on a yoga mat. Place your hands on the floor next to your shoulders, palms down. Push yourself up from the floor using only your arms into a plank position. As your arms extend, lower yourself down until your chest is right above the mat. Return to plank position by extending your arms.
Make sure your back remains straight so you don't injure yourself.
If push-ups are too difficult, consider modifying your technique. Instead of resting on the ground, place your knees down and lift your feet behind you.
With 3 simple and highly practical methods, Thehinh.com hopes you will achieve your goals!
Posted by: Dat Tran Dinh
Keywords: 3 simple ways to improve running speed and endurance, running without fatigue.
