Why Walking While Jogging Is More Than Normal
Anyone who claims that taking walk breaks doesn’t make you a “real” runner is not only a weird asshole, but just plain wrong. The walk/run combination is a legitimate strategy used by runners of all levels. Whether your goal is to gradually increase the distance, or conserve energy to finish the race strong, or convince yourself to get out the door in the first place: many runners allow themselves to walk. That’s why you should include walking breaks in your running routine and also choose the best time to do so.
Walking allows you to recover without wasting too much time
Walk breaks are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strategy . Including walking breaks has been a popular practice among track trainers and trailrunners for many years. Besides the mental relief that walking provides, it also gives your body a rest without drastically compromising your fitness or running time. In fact, a study in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sports found that a combined running and walking strategy allowed non-elite runners to achieve the same finish time with less discomfort compared to the strain of a full-distance run.
Even if you’re not sure whether to take walk breaks while running, at least consider shifting gears during everyone’s favorite challenge: uphill.
The hills are perfect for walking
Not only does walking uphill require less total aerobic effort , but in some cases it can even be faster than trying to run up them.
Plus, even if your goal is just to run as long as possible, hills are a great chance to blur the line between what counts as walking and running. Look at it this way: the true difference between walking and running is whether you always have one foot on the ground or in the air during each step; as the grade gets steeper and steeper, the difference between walking and running gets smaller and smaller. If you don’t buy one, check your heart rate and notice how you can still stay within your target range when walking fast uphill.
Whether it’s “better” to walk or run uphill depends on your goals, overall fitness level, and the incline of the hill. At least the hills are a lot less intimidating when you rethink them as walking breaks.
Some Considerations
The run/walk strategy is a legitimate tool for runners of all levels. Of course, the time and benefits of walking breaks are limited. You can’t walk more than you run and expect to finish faster than you run the whole distance. You also shouldn’t be taking walk breaks every few minutes. One study found that the more often you change pace, the more energy you expend on all transitions compared to if you were running continuously at the same pace.
If you want to constantly change the pace, you’re better off doing a good old fartlek. And if you find yourself needing a walk break every five minutes, you should probably run easier miles altogether.
Hill walking tips
Here are some reminders of proper form as you climb this hill.
- Shorten your stride. Even more so than running on flat ground, it’s more efficient to take small, quick steps than large, hopping steps.
- Lean forward slightly, but not too much. Leaning uphill is a natural instinct in your body, but if you’re hunched over with your hands on your knees, try to straighten your back closer to an upright position.
- Whatever effort you put in, make sure it’s steady for the entire hill so you don’t get burned on the way up.
There’s no doubt that incorporating uphill reps into your workout will benefit you, but that’s a workout for another day. Whether you’re building up energy to finish strong in a race or trying to improve your fitness as a casual runner, uphill walking may be the right strategy for you.