Hill running, stair climbing, endurance-running exercises…regular practice can help boost speed and stamina.
Running brings many health benefits. Even with just half an hour of running, ensuring proper technique, this sport can burn many calories, enhancing strength, speed, as well as endurance. The four running exercises include uphill running, stair climbing, endurance combined training, and interval training. Experts rate these exercises as effective in increasing speed and building long-term endurance.
Uphill Running (Hill Running)
Hill running is an exercise that helps burn many calories. Running on a treadmill with an incline can also be an effective training method since runners can control their speed. With an inclined treadmill, runners’ knees and feet won’t be under tension in the lower foot areas.
Before running uphill, runners should warm up their bodies for 10 minutes. Gradually increase the speed from a slow pace to a faster one. Speed up at intervals of 10-20 seconds to accustom the feet to the running rhythm.
Once the warm-up is complete, runners move on to the main part of the training process. If training on a treadmill, the runner should increase the incline to 3% or 4% and run for a minute. If running outdoors, find a moderate hill and spend about a minute running up. Run at a slightly fast pace, maintaining a consistent rhythm. Your breath will start to get quicker, and your legs will start to feel tired after a few repetitions.
After about 20 minutes of running, runners switch to a recovery period by reducing the treadmill’s incline to 1% and slowing down if running outdoors. Run slowly for about a minute and switch to walking lightly until your breathing returns to normal. Finally, end with 6 minutes of slow walking, which is a cool-down process allowing the body to gradually recover and return to a normal heart rate.
30-Minute Stair Climbing Exercise
Running at a repeated pace can sometimes bore runners. Therefore, training with stairs not only provides a new challenge but also helps runners increase endurance. Running with stairs causes the heart rate to increase and breathing to become heavier over time. Experts note that with a 30-minute stair climbing exercise, runners can gradually increase their speed in 4 stages.
Begin with a 5-minute warm-up of slow stair climbing. During the training period, spend 5 minutes running at a marathon pace, then slow down for about a minute for the body to recover. After a minute of walking, continue running at a faster pace for about 4 minutes and walk for a minute afterwards to recover. The stair climbing exercise continues with 3 minutes of fast running and a minute of walking, followed by 2 minutes of fast running, a minute of walking, a minute of fast running, and a minute of walking. The exercise ends with 5 minutes of slow stair climbing.
30-Minute Combination of Running and Endurance Exercise
Runners who want to add more strength to their training should try a 30-minute running exercise combined with endurance training, i.e., muscle-strengthening exercises for a full-body workout.
The exercise begins with 5 minutes of light walking for warm-up, then switches to running at 5 km/h for a minute combined with a minute of squats. Run for 2 minutes at a speed of 5 km/h and combine with a minute of walking lunges. Next is running for 3 minutes at 5 km/h and combine with a minute of donkey kicks.
Run for 4 minutes at 5 km/h and exercise with a minute of tricep dips. Next, runners run continuously for 5 minutes at a speed of 5 km/h, then do push-ups for a minute. The exercise ends with 5 minutes of slow running, gradually transitioning to walking.
30-Minute Interval Training Exercise
Interval speed stages help runners build strength, increase aerobic capacity, and accustom their legs to quicker pivoting. This is an exciting exercise to perform outdoors, either on the track or the field, but can also be performed on a treadmill.
Specifically, the exercise begins with a 5-minute warm-up of light walking. Runners gradually increase their speed and run very fast for about 30 seconds, then return to walking for 30 seconds and continue speeding up. The fast and slow running speeds alternate for 20 minutes and then sprint to the maximum in the remaining times. The exercise ends with 5 minutes of light walking for cool down.