How often do you sprint? As in a running-full-pelt dash. If the last time was on your school sports day’s 100m final, you might be missing out on an important way to boost your overall fitness.
“Every park has a 5k and everyone’s talking about marathons and ultramarathons, but short, sharp, intense bursts of fast running are a vital element of any workout routine,” says Tana von Zitzewitz, a specialist running coach and master trainer at Barry’s UK. “Sprinting boosts your cardiovascular fitness and aerobic capacity, increases testosterone and strengthens your muscles, tendons and heart.” Plus, it burns lots of calories and “improves metabolic fitness, so you burn more calories when resting”.
Running at full speed can help to prevent muscle loss as we age because it engages so many muscles: studies have found sprinting is better than endurance running at building and maintaining bone density in older athletes. Regular sprints can also improve your performance in other sports such as cycling and swimming.
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To pick up the pace, don’t just start sprinting unless you want to pull a muscle.Do targeted warm-ups, says Jonas Dodoo, an elite sprint coach. “Start with some plyometric exercises — short, fast movements that allow muscles to reach maximum force quickly.” He suggests tuck jumps (jump up and pull your knees up to your chest before landing with knees bent), box jumps (jump up onto a raised platform) and squat jumps (squat down, then jump upwards in a single explosive movement).
Warm up your hip flexors too — with high knee raises, bum kicks and lunges. “A lot of people have lazy hip flexors,” Von Zitzewitz says. “This stops them driving the knee forward when they sprint, so you want to lengthen those out.”
Once your heart rate is up and your muscles are activated, it’s time for sprinting drills. “Try hopping on one leg, keeping your other knee high,” says Von Zitzewitz.
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Now to run fast. If you’re already a jogger, Dodoo says running uphill or with weight (try a lightly packed rucksack) are good ways to build up to a full sprint, as they simulate the forward lean you’ll need to run fast. Von Zitzewitz also suggests introducing rolling sprints to your jogging routine: “For 20 seconds, run at 90 per cent of your maximum effort,” she says. “Then walk for one minute and 40 seconds to recover. You can increase this over time but remember that the harder you run, the more recovery time you need. During recovery you should be walking to flush out lactic acid.”
When sprinting, keep the upper body relaxed, with shoulders down and your core engaged. “Ideally your head and neck are in line with your hips, you’re leaning slightly forward and your mid-foot is making contact with the floor,” Dodoo says. “Your arms are pumping up and down but not swinging out to the sides. You want a relaxed palm as if wiping your hands on your pockets. And don’t forget to breathe!”
Sprinting is high impact, so stick to doing it once a week. Dodoo suggests focusing on technique first at a slower pace in order to condition your hips, hamstrings and calves: “Sometimes you have to go slow to go fast.”
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Once you’re up to speed, you’ll see the benefits. Plus, mums and dads, think of how impressive you’ll be at the parents’ race next time it’s sports day.