Running is one the best ways to stay active and improve our health. Cardio has shown to improve cholesterol, mood, and decrease risk of some diseases.
To stay motivated, it helps to set yourself a goal. One way people do this is by setting a mile time goal. That goal may be an exact milestone you’d like to reach or simply trimming your time each week.
Whether you’re just starting out or a frequent runner, setting your running pace is an important part of improving your mile time.
A good running pace will prevent you from maxing out. If you exert all your energy in the beginning of your run, you won’t make it to the end. Instead, set yourself a realistic pace that you can maintain throughout your run. From there, test out your pace and increase or decrease speed depending on your results.
If you’re running more than just a mile, there are calculators online that can help you set your mile pace for events like 5ks and marathons.
The shoes you wear impacts the wear and tear that running causes your back, feet, and joints. Choose a well-cushioned pair of shoes with plenty of support to decrease wear and tear.
Avoid placing too much stress on your body by overdoing your run. If you’re in pain – stop. You’ll only set yourself back with an injury.
While anti-gravity treadmills are a great way to rehab an injury, they’re also useful for improving your mile time. Anti-gravity treadmills, like the AlterG, simulate running in zero gravity. This allows you to run at as little as 20% of your body weight, thus reducing stress on your back and joints and making your recovery time faster.
Interval training involves alternating between high and low effort intervals. In running, this means rotating bursts of pace with a light jog. Try switching between high intensity and low intensity interval for 30-60 seconds. Soon, you’ll be building up your endurance for longer and faster runs.
You can nail down steps one through five, but your mile time won’t dwindle unless you keep running. Setting mile markers is one way to stay motivated. Try not to be discouraged if your mile time isn’t as low as you hoped after a particular run. Progress is not always linear, and it’s important to bound back with your next run. Run a few times each week and eventually you’ll reach your goal!
By following these six steps, you’ll position yourself to trim that mile time. For more information about reaching your cardio goals at MPOWER Performance Institute, click here.