Should You Mix Walking Into Your Runs?

Do you know how to run-walk? You see, there's more to a run-walk training plan than just running until you have to walk: It's actually a technique that uses a mix of running and walking intervals to reduce impact on your body, build up your base level of fitness, boost speed, and help you recover more efficiently.

Sounds like magic, right? It's pretty simple: By walking every few minutes, you're adding valuable recovery time to your run. That means that instead of exhausting your body with long runs, you have time to slow down, catch your breath—and approach the next interval with more speed and energy.

Run-walk is an awesome strategy for beginner runners: Not only do you get to physically slow down and regroup during the walking intervals, but by breaking the run down into small increments, longer runs can seem more manageable, says Jenny Hadfield, running coach and author of Running for Mortals.


The run-walk isn't just for newbies, though. In fact, even professional runners and marathoners do it, says Hadfield. If you're training for a race this summer (like our Run 10 Feed 10 10-K), walking intervals help regulate your body temperature and preserve energy, she says. They also protect your body over time—think of the walks as mini-recovery periods, says Hadfield. "When you finish the whole run, the accumulated stress on your body is going to be much less because you've added in some walk recovery into that."

And the coolest part? You can create and modify any training program to include run-walk, says Hadfield. That's why she calls it the "little black dress" of running (that, and because it never goes out of style!). Ready to get going then? Here's how to implement a run-walk program into your exercise regime:

Use the Right Ratio
If you're just learning to run, figuring out what ratio to use is simple: Start with a walking warm-up, then run until you can hear your breath, and take note of the time, says Hadfield. That's your run interval. Now double that number to get your walk time. Example: You run for two minutes and start to hear your breath? You should run for two minutes and walk for four minutes. For people who can run continuous miles but want to build endurance, 4-to-1 (four minutes running, one minute walking) and 5-to-1 are good ratios to start with. "You're running continuously for quite some time, but not so long so your form runs out," says Hadfield. "See how your body handles that load, and if it doesn't do well, go down to a 2-1 or a 3-1."

Be Sure You Walk With Purpose
During your walking intervals, you should stay in an aerobic zone in which you can talk in sentences and breathe easily, says Hadfield, but your pace should also be brisk enough to keep your heart rate up. A quick test: If you could window-shop or read a text on your phone, you're walking too slowly. Basically, you don't want your running and walking to feel like super high peaks and super low valleys, says Hadfield, but rather, for your walks to feel like "rolling hills between the effort."

Make a Plan and Stick to It
Running until you hit a wall is not the same as run-walk, says Hadfield. You have to commit to run-walk by the first interval, or it's just an excuse to walk, not a training plan. Hadfield suggests getting a watch with a built-in interval timer (such as the Timex Ironman 50-Lap, $60, timex.com) that beeps or vibrates when it's time to switch from running to walking. Even if you don't feel like you need to walk when your timer tells you to, do it, says Hadfield, because if you don't switch from running to walking at the set times, you won't gain any of the benefits of run-walk. Of course, run-walk doesn't have to become part of your everyday routine, says Hadfield. If you usually race at a continuous pace, you can save run-walk for your longer mid-week runs.
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Article Source: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/walk-run-method?cm_sp=Hotlist-_-Fitness-_-ShouldYouMixWalkingIntoYourRuns