Slowing down your step will allow you to run more miles and prepare your body to handle the stress of slow running.
A man runs in a foggy park between large green trees.
If you’re a runner, chances are you’re training for an upcoming race or increasing your speed around the neighborhood while running.
Your need for speed includes tracking your stats (what’s your RPE? What should your weekly mileage be?) and thinking about all the different ways to get faster (are your shoes lighter? Should you add sprints to your daily routine?).
And while there are many running methods and strategies, do you want to run slowly?
Like jogging, the idea behind “slow running” (also known as low-intensity running) is that you can run more miles and challenge your body in different ways by slowing down. Slowing down strengthens your stamina, muscles, heart, and lungs.
By allowing your body to adapt to the stress of running and avoiding injury, you’re setting the stage for achieving your goal of running faster. This sense of accomplishment will keep you motivated and proud of your progress.
“There’s a lot of evidence about the amazing aerobic changes we can get from slow running,” says cardiologist Tamanna Singh, MD.
Dr. Singh, a runner himself, shares the benefits of running slowly and gives us some tips on how to run slowly.
What’s slow?
“The best way to recognize slow running is to equate the subjective feeling of running. If you want to sing along to a song you listen to while running, you can, says Dr. Singh. “This is an endeavor that you must continue forever.”
What running slow means in speed and tempo varies from person to person.
“For example, a person who typically runs a 5K at an 18-20 minute pace will be slightly faster than someone who runs a 5K at a 25-30 minute pace,” she adds.
When you finish a slow run, you can keep going rather than feel tired and out of breath like during a regular run. Your slow run should be comfortable and easy enough.
The idea is to continue training. It’s more about taking a strategic approach to training. You want good intensity—most runs should be slow, but others should push you to run faster.
Is there a good rule? It would help if you aimed for 80% slow runs and 20% fast runs.
“It depends on what you’re training for, your running experience, and your injuries,” explains Dr. Singh.
And if you’re tracking heart rate zones, Dr. Singh says you want to stay in zone two for most of your runs.
“Running in zone two is typically between 55% and 65% of your maximum predicted heart rate.”
Benefits of Slow Running
Do you need clarification? Do you need help with how slow running can help you prepare for an upcoming race or how fast you can run?
Benefits of slow running:
Increases your stamina.
Joints, tendons, ligaments, and bones adapt to the stress of running.
Perfect your appearance.
Strengthens your muscles.
Strengthens the heart and lungs.
You can run a nine-minute mile right now, but can you maintain that pace for five or 10 miles?
By incorporating slow running into your daily routine, you can improve your endurance and resistance to fatigue.
And thank you for improving your mitochondrial function. Mitochondria are found in almost every cell and produce 90% of your body’s energy. Mitochondria process oxygen and convert food into energy.
“By running slowly and aerobically, we can increase mitochondrial density,” Dr. Singh explained. “We can also create capillaries, or small blood vessels, which will help us increase the amount of oxygen delivered to your muscles. By improving oxygen delivery or significantly increasing the energy you can provide, you can increase the time between the start of your run and the time you fatigue.
Slow running helps improve endurance because it retrains muscle fibers. If you run long distances, your body needs to handle the stress. Strengthening your muscles by running slower will allow you to maintain a faster pace for longer.
For example, let’s say your slowest runs are a 10-minute mile. You can easily sing your favorite song during these runs.
“Improving your endurance and heart efficiency can help you gradually move faster on slow runs,” says Dr. Singh. “What you’ll notice over time—and this isn’t over two days or two weeks, but up to two months or a year—is that you’ll notice that your pace is faster than your slowest pace 10 minutes before the mile.”
The idea is that incorporating slow running into your training will reduce the likelihood of injury.
“If you look at how people run fast compared to people who jog, you can see the changes and differences in the impact of the foot on the ground,” she continues. “The power and impact you need in your legs is much greater if you jog or jog faster than if you stroll.”
Over time, this wear and tear takes its toll on your body.
“The demands on the body are very high, and the risk of injury is very high if you move too quickly,” says Dr. Singh. “Running slowly helps you stay healthy longer. There is a place for faster efforts, learning to run faster, and training your muscles to run faster. But there is a place where you can keep your miles handy to protect yourself from injury.”
Tips for running slowly (slow running)
“The first thing you must do is throw your ego out the window. This is the hardest part,” says Dr. Singh. “It seems strange to you how slowly you are moving. One way to think about it is to not even think about it happening slowly. The goal of this run is to increase mitochondrial density. The purpose of this run is to improve your performance. ”
Here are some more tips for running slowly: (slow running)
Ignore the clock. Use your smartwatch to track all kinds of data related to your health. “Remember that your body gives feedback to your clock, not vice versa,” Dr. Singh emphasizes. “So, if your watch makes you anxious if looking down at your pace gives you weird moments, leave your watch at home.”
I am running, buddy. “This can be very helpful, especially if you and your buddy are running at the same pace,” says Dr. Singh. “Set your intentions: We will find out what happens this week. I think this is a great way to learn and understand what slow running is. And time flies when you talk well.”
Set your intentions. Start each run thinking about what you want to achieve. “Sometimes I focus on running a certain time rather than a certain number of miles,” says Dr. Singh. “It takes the stress out of completing a certain number of miles, which means I’m not trying to run faster to complete the run.”
Bottom line?
Are you seeking personal testimony on how slow running can change your game? Doctor, Don’t look at Singh.
“Once, I added slow running to the point where one of my friends who didn’t subscribe to the idea of slow running said he couldn’t believe how much I improved; I became so fast. Lead time,” she shares.
So, consider slow running and how it affects your running program and strategy.
“If you want to become a fast runner, remember that Rome was not built in a day, and your goal was not built in a day,” says Dr. Singh. “But the time you spend optimizing your body and your body’s biomechanics will help you in the long run.”