• Health & Wellness -> Physical Exercise and Sports

• 0 Comment

What are the benefits of incorporating interval training into your running routine?

Lesli Lent

Interval training is a fantastic way to incorporate variety and intensity into your running routine. Not only does it provide a change of pace, but it also offers several physiological benefits that can significantly improve your fitness and performance.

One of the key benefits of interval training is that it improves your cardiovascular capacity. By pushing yourself to perform at high intensities during bouts of exercise, your heart rate will increase, forcing your body to adapt by increasing its endurance and oxygen-carrying capacity. Over time, this will boost your endurance, making it easier to run for longer periods without feeling fatigued or out of breath.

In addition to building endurance, interval training can also increase your speed and power. Regular intervals at high intensity helps to improve your speed by developing your anaerobic threshold. This is the point at which your body switches from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism. Essentially, this means that you'll be able to run faster before reaching a point of exhaustion. Moreover, interval training can increase your muscular power by activating fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are responsible for producing force and power.

One of my favorite things about interval training is that it burns more calories than traditional steady-state cardio. By combining short periods of high-intensity exercise with brief periods of rest, you create an oxygen shortage which leads to increased EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption). This means that your body will continue to burn calories for hours after your workout is finished. So, not only will you improve your fitness and endurance, but you'll also burn more calories than if you were to run for the same amount of time at a steady-state cardio routine.

Perhaps most importantly, interval training is a fun and challenging way to break up the monotony of your running routine. Whether you're running for leisure or competing at a high level, intervals can bring variety and excitement to your workouts. They can help push you past your perceived limits and create a sense of accomplishment that can be incredibly motivating.

In conclusion, incorporating interval training into your running routine can offer numerous benefits for your physical and mental health. By improving your cardiovascular capacity, increasing your speed and power, burning calories, and adding variety to your workouts, interval training can be an excellent tool for achieving your fitness and performance goals. Whether you're a seasoned runner or just starting out, interval training is certainly worth considering as part of your overall training strategy.