How To Improve Running

By: Janet Brent

Break Studios Contributing Writer

When it comes to being athletic, knowing how to improve running means your speed and endurance is all about cross training and logging in the miles. You won't improve as a runner if you don't put in the work! So what should you be doing to improve your running? That question depends on the level you're starting out at. Are you a beginner, intermediate, or advanced runner? For beginners, just running can help improve your endurance ability but for intermediate and advanced runners, a little bit more work needs to be put in.

  1. Strength Training - Strength training helps improve running performance by building up your muscle strength which in turn can help speed and endurance. When your muscles are developed and strong, you can expend less energy for the work that it takes to run, doing more work with less amount of energy or effort. Start using dumb bells, doing push-ups, and crunches or explosive plyometric exercises.
  2. Hill Workouts - Running on an incline, while difficult, can help improve your running performance. This workout helps exercise and develop different muscles, particularly your quads, compared to exercising on a flat surface. Building quad strength through hill workouts is like strength training while running. Try jogging for a warm-up before starting your hill workout and then cool down back to a flat surface.
  3. Add More Mileage - Whether you are a beginner or advanced runner, adding more mileage helps running performance. Gradually increasing your weekly mileage helps improve running efficiency and the energy that you expend. Gradually, it will seem easier to run longer distances when you increase your mileage. An increase of less than five miles a week should be sufficient. Overtraining can also lead to injury so try not to increase too much.

 

Reference:

http://www.the-fitness-motivator.com/improve-running-performance.html

Posted on: May. 08, 2010