Sprinting is a fantastic way to burn calories and fat while toning your leg muscles and working the whole body. Since sprinting is such an intensive exercise, itâ??s safest for beginning runners to work up to it gradually. Starting with a program of brisk walking and then progressing to jogging, running and sprinting prepares the body for the increased amount of stress and helps make sprints as effective as possible.
Program
The Mayo Clinic recommends that prospective sprinters begin with a progressive walking/jogging program to ease their bodies into the activity. The seven-week program begins with 30-minute periods of full walking and ends with a 5k jog. As the program progresses, participants are encouraged to alternate walking intervals with running intervals. For example, at the halfway point, they should be able to walk for 30 seconds and then run for 30 seconds for the entire 30-minute workout duration. After completing the program, beginners can repeat it by replacing running intervals with sprinting and walking intervals with jogging.
Safety
Sprinting puts more stress on your knees and carries a higher risk of injuries than many cardio activities that are more moderate. Consequently, itâ??s important to pay attention to safety issues during sprint workouts. Always stop if you feel a jolt of pain, and reduce the intensity if the sprint becomes uncomfortable. Moving at a pace thatâ??s comfortable, stretching often, warming up, cooling down and always staying hydrated are all good ways to prevent injury.
Pacing
The fitness resource Cool Running stresses the importance of going slowly in a program, especially for beginners. Though it can be tempting to skip ahead or push the body to work out vigorously, itâ??s almost always safest to progress according to plan and save any extra bursts of energy for further workouts. The idea with sprinting programs is to gradually increase your fitness level over time. Interval training, or alternating bursts of sprinting with jogs or walks, can help with that. Plus, the Mayo Clinic notes that interval training improves aerobic capacity and burns more calories than a traditional workout.
Supplementing
The Cleveland Clinic recommends a complete exercise program that includes elements of strength training, stretching and aerobics. Strength and resistance exercises may not seem important for sprinters, but they are effective at toning the body and building up muscle mass, which can make sprinting periods more successful. Try to do at least two strength workouts per week and 150 minutes of moderate cardio combined with sprinting or 60 minutes total of sprinting per week, as the American College of Sports Medicine suggests.
Tips
Beginners can benefit from working out with more experienced sprinters and runners, who will likely have good advice on pacing and progression. Experienced sprinters can also share tips on how to get rid of muscle cramps and how to make judgments on when to pursue a workout and when to end it. Otherwise, sprinters should make sure to hydrate thoroughly before exercising, take water along on workouts, stretch often and let their bodies guide workout speeds and times.
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