Huh? What in the world is slow walking and slow running? Don’t you want to exercise at a fast pace? Doesn’t slowing down seem counterintuitive? It did to me when I first heard about it, but after watching a video on it, I’ve starting using slow walking as a part of my exercising. I’ll give you the link to that video at the end of this Blurb.
When it comes to walking or running, there’s often a misconception that you either have to push yourself to the limit with high-intensity effort. However, an approach that combines both slow and fast intervals can offer a unique set of benefits. With this approach you’ll alternate between periods of slow and fast movement. You’ll do 3 minutes of slow walking or running followed by 3 minutes of faster walking or running. You’ll do a number of repetitions.
This simple method allows you to challenge your cardiovascular system, build endurance, and incorporate both recovery and exertion periods into your routine.
With slow running you’ll want to run at a “conversational pace” - meaning you can still talk without gasping for breath, and you’re engaging your muscles in a way that’s sustainable over a longer period. You’ll be jogging at a slower pace than what you’d typically run. It’s not about racing or pushing for speed; it’s about focusing on a relaxed, controlled effort.
Benefits of Alternating Slow and Fast Intervals
There are an amazing number of benefits from doing Slow Walking and Running. Let’s take a look at what they are:
1. Improved Cardiovascular Fitness
By alternating between slow and fast paces, you give your heart and lungs a workout that challenges their efficiency. During the fast intervals, your heart rate increases, improving cardiovascular health, while the slow intervals allow your heart rate to come down slightly, giving your body the chance to recover and prepare for the next push. Over time, this will increase your overall endurance and aerobic capacity.
2. Enhanced Fat Burning
One of the key benefits of interval training—whether it’s through walking or running—is its ability to promote fat burning. During the fast intervals, you push your body into a higher intensity, where you burn more calories in a shorter period of time. The slower intervals, on the other hand, allow you to continue burning fat at a lower intensity. This combination creates an efficient fat-burning workout that can be sustained for longer periods than just going all-out.
3. Muscle Endurance and Strength
Switching between slow and fast paces helps activate different muscle fibers. During the slow intervals, your body focuses on endurance, while the fast intervals engage more fast-twitch muscle fibers, improving your strength and power. This balance between endurance and strength helps build a more well-rounded fitness foundation.
4. Reduced Risk of Injury
One of the most common concerns with running or walking at a fast pace is the potential for injury, particularly when pushing your body too hard without proper recovery. Alternating slow and fast intervals reduces the strain on your body by incorporating active recovery periods. The slow intervals give your muscles a chance to relax, recover, and reset, which helps prevent overuse injuries often associated with constant high-intensity exercise.
5. Mental Focus and Motivation
Alternating between slow and fast paces can make your workout feel more manageable. The knowledge that you only need to push yourself for a short amount of time during each fast interval can help maintain motivation. The slow intervals offer a mental break, allowing you to refocus and prepare for the next burst of speed. This approach helps combat mental fatigue and makes the workout feel more varied and enjoyable.
6. Improved Running or Walking Form
The combination of slow and fast intervals can also help improve your overall walking or running technique. During the slower intervals, you can focus on refining your posture, stride length, and breathing technique. The faster intervals, meanwhile, challenge you to maintain good form while increasing speed. Over time, alternating between these paces helps you develop a more efficient and fluid movement pattern.
So…I’d say this is quite a list of benefits from just slowing down.
Here’s How You Can Implement Slow-Fast Intervals
• Start Slow: If you’re new to interval training, begin with a comfortable pace for your slow intervals. This is a time for your body to relax and recover. For walking, aim for a pace that allows you to breathe easily and feel at ease. For running, go at a pace where you’re able to have a conversation without struggling to catch your breath.
• Push During Fast Intervals: When it’s time to speed up, increase your pace to something challenging but sustainable. For walking, aim for a brisk pace that elevates your heart rate. For running, push yourself to a pace that makes it difficult to carry on a conversation, but you should still be able to maintain form.
• Consistency is Key: The beauty of this approach is that it can be adapted to your fitness level. If 3 minutes of fast intervals feel too much at first, start with 1 or 2 minutes and gradually build up to longer fast intervals. As you become more accustomed to this type of training, you can increase the duration of your fast intervals or the overall length of your workout.
• Cool Down: After your intervals, it’s important to cool down by walking slowly for a few minutes to bring your heart rate back to normal. This helps in preventing injury and allows your muscles to recover.
Let me share my wife Elizabeth’s experience with doing Slow Walking. First of all, Elizabeth is not a big fan of exercising by walking. Since she’s started doing Slow Walking her whole attitude towards exercising this way has totally changed.
She now goes out twice a day to do her Slow Walking. She says she feels great doing it.
I’ve also added Slow Walking to my exercising (I haven’t attempted slow running at this point).
Here’s the link to the video that you can watch about this approach which was discovered in Japan - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z71aHZ4scMs.
Sooooo…I urge you do start to do slow walking and see how it feels to you!
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