{"id":180457,"date":"2025-10-05T15:47:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-05T15:47:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/180457\/"},"modified":"2025-10-05T15:47:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-05T15:47:08","slug":"jeffing-the-run-walk-trick-that-makes-running-easier-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/180457\/","title":{"rendered":"Jeffing: The Run-Walk Trick That Makes Running Easier"},"content":{"rendered":"

Want to add some extra challenge to your walk<\/a>? Or want to tone down your too-tough run? \u201cJeffing\u201d may be your answer. <\/p>\n

Jeffing is a training method that comprises both running and walking intervals during a workout. It was founded by Jeff Galloway, an Olympic runner, who came up with the run-walk concept to help folks of all levels run further, protect themselves from injuries and enjoy running more, according to Galloway\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The method is known by a few different names, such as the Galloway run-walk program and the run-walk method, but they all have the same goal: to help people build endurance, run faster and move more by employing both running and walking intervals during a workout. <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what jeffing might look like: Going for a two-minute run followed by a three-minute walk and repeating that a few times for a full workout.<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re a runner or not, jeffing is a way to make running more accessible and for your step count to skyrocket in the process. Here\u2019s what to know:<\/p>\n

\u2018Jeffing\u2019 is useful for runners of all levels, but is especially valuable for beginners.<\/p>\n

Jeffing is good for anyone to try, whether you\u2019re running a marathon or lacing up your shoes for the first time ever. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always thought of Galloway\u2019s run-walk as taking what he did when he was an Olympic runner … and … [bringing it] to people like my mom who never thought that they could be a runner,\u201d said Randy Accetta, the director of coaching education at the Road Runners Club of America<\/a> and founder of Run Tucson<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Runners training for races are known to employ this run-walk (or run-jog) method in their training, Accetta added.<\/p>\n

While jeffing can help someone running a high-stakes race cross the finish line, it can also be a particularly good strategy for new runners, said Jeff Dengate<\/a>, the runner-in-chief for Runner\u2019s World magazine.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve seen this time and time again where somebody [takes] up running, they head out their driveway, and they think, \u2018I have to be a runner. I have to be fast,\u2019 so they get down the road and they\u2019re just cooked, they\u2019re just exhausted,\u201d Dengate said.<\/p>\n

For new runners, having a run-walk strategy can keep that exhaustion from happening. \u201cIt\u2019s a really good introduction to running,\u201d said Riley Buchholz<\/a>, the men\u2019s and women\u2019s cross country coach at Temple University in Philadelphia. And it can be protective. <\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people don\u2019t realize that whenever you\u2019re running, you\u2019re applying three to four times your body weight [on your joints] \u2014 so, it\u2019s a lot on the body to handle, especially if you just start pumping out miles at a harder effort that you aren\u2019t used to. It takes time to adapt to that,\u201d Buchholz explained. <\/p>\n

A mix of running and walking when you head out to the trail or track can help protect your body from that impact.<\/p>\n

\"Jeffing<\/p>\n

FG Trade Latin via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Jeffing is a run-walk method that can help build up endurance and muscle strength. <\/p>\n

It can help build up strength and endurance.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t let the walking fool you. If your goal is to build up your running capability, this jeffing still has a place in your training. <\/p>\n

Alternating between running and walking can help you build up your lung capacity, endurance, and muscles, noted Buchholz before adding, \u201cAnytime you\u2019re exercising, you\u2019re getting better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt helps a lot of people build, not only the stamina, the endurance, but also speed,\u201d Dengate said. \u201cRunners can get faster by using those little walk breaks as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jeffing is also a good way to learn your preferred pace and effort, Buchholz said.<\/p>\n

It takes some of the pressure off running, too.<\/p>\n

Anyone who has gone for a run knows the feeling of wanting to stop for a break but feeling guilty about the pause. While there is never a reason to feel guilty (movement is movement), jeffing helps take away those bad feelings during exercise.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives us all the opportunity to exercise without having to feel bad about wanting to stop,\u201d Accetta said. \u201cIn the Galloway run-walk, you [intentionally take] the walk breaks. So you know going in that you\u2019re going to run for five minutes and walk for a minute.\u201d<\/p>\n

That way, when you\u2019re done with your workout, you can proudly check it off your to-do list because you set out to run and walk from the beginning, Accetta added. \u201cAnd that\u2019s different than, \u2018oh my god, I\u2019m so tired, I need to take a nap. I need to stop walking\u2019 and then stressing whether … you\u2019re \u2018quitting\u2019 or not.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how to try it:<\/p>\n

While some people choose to follow a formula such as one-to-one efforts (meaning, for example, five minutes of running followed by five minutes of walking), there really isn\u2019t a hard-and-fast rule, according to Accetta.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the beauty of … jeffing, or run-walk, is that you can manipulate the effort and rest intervals to fit the physical and emotional needs of the athlete as well as the terrain,\u201d Accetta explained. \u201cFor me, there is no perfect ratio.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all up to you how you start. New runners could try running for 30 seconds, followed by a three-minute walk, or even 15 seconds of running, followed by a three-minute walk. Experienced runners could run for 10 minutes and follow it up with a 30-second walk. There is no wrong formula. <\/p>\n

Buchholz said he generally recommends a one-to-four ratio for beginner runners. \u201cNormally, the running is the one and the four is your walking,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

This means if you\u2019re moving for 20 minutes, five minutes can be spent running and 15 can be spent walking, Buchholz said.<\/p>\n

If you do want a specific formula, Dengate said there are run-walk calculators<\/a> online that can help you determine<\/a> your pace and timing based on your mile time.<\/p>\n

When it comes to pace, there are a few things to keep in mind. An everyday jog pace shouldn\u2019t totally deplete you, according to Dengate. \u201cWe usually say to use the talk test. If you can\u2019t carry a conversation with the person next to you, you\u2019re probably running too fast on most days.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut then, how fast do we do those walk intervals? It\u2019s not a full recovery \u2014 you want to walk with purpose … I like to tell people, move like you\u2019re a New Yorker going down the sidewalk. You\u2019re getting somewhere,\u201d Dengate explained.<\/p>\n

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If you slow down too much during your walk interval, it\u2019s hard to start running again, Dengate added.<\/p>\n

Movement should feel good and rewarding, so take the pressure away and keep that in mind when you head outside for your weekly jeffing.<\/p>\n

\u201cFar too often we thought of running as punishment for other sports, or it\u2019s something I have to do,\u201d Dengate said. \u201cI like to remind people, running is something we get to do. We\u2019re fortunate enough to be able to have that opportunity to go out and spend that time doing it, so go have fun with it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Want to add some extra challenge to your walk? Or want to tone down your too-tough run? \u201cJeffing\u201d…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":168260,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[6647,102,10695,56,54,55,6899],"class_list":{"0":"post-180457","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-fitness","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-running","11":"tag-uk","12":"tag-united-kingdom","13":"tag-unitedkingdom","14":"tag-walking"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180457","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=180457"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180457\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/168260"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=180457"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=180457"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=180457"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}