Why You Should Add Some Sprints Into Your Workout
One reason many adults avoid sprinting is that the thought of past injuries (or possible future ones) can be frightening. Another, of course, is that sprinting is hard, often leaving us doubled over gasping for air.
But hard is the idea. Sprinting puts an enormous amount of stress on our physical systems, which — when done safely — makes us stronger, more resilient and more fit.
“It is one of the movements that gives the biggest bang for buck,” said Matt Sanderson, a director at the fitness brand SOFLETE. Sprinting helps build and maintain fast-twitch muscle fibers. Maintaining these fibers can help prevent slips and falls, which are the leading cause of injury among older people.
Because sprinting engages so many muscles, “it’s going to do a better job of helping maintain your muscle mass and avoid muscle loss as you age,” said Christopher Lundstrom, a lecturer in kinesiology at the University of Minnesota who studies sports and exercise science.
Several small studies also suggest that sprinting is even better at maintaining and building bone density than endurance running.
However, running flat out should be undertaken only after a thorough warm-up, regardless of your fitness level, as it can cause muscle pulls and strains as well as major injuries, like Achilles’ tears. If you have any concerns about injuries or health issues, talk with your doctor first.
Running a 100-meter dash right away is probably a bad idea. “If you haven’t sprinted recently, maybe go and run slightly faster than you’re used to,” Dr. Lundstrom said. Then “a little bit harder, and gradually getting up to a full sprint.”
Experts also suggested “rolling sprints” during a standard jog to work into running at top speed. As you jog, pick a point to begin increasing the intensity of your running every 10 meters or so until you reach an effort where speaking would be hard. From there, decrease every 10 meters until you’re back to your regular jogging pace. If you are not a jogger, you can do rolling sprints as a stand-alone workout, repeating each sprint a handful of times.
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