Is it possible to increase your running speed

Of course, there is some gear you don't want to run without, especially on long runs. Items such as a cell phone to call for help if you need it and water to stay hydrated on a hot day are often non-negotiable.

Your health and safety are more important than improving your running time. Inflexible joints can hinder a faster running pace. You're not likely to move with efficiency when your body has a limited range of motion.

Tight muscles can also make you more susceptible to injury. If you're sidelined by an injury, your pace is probably going to pay the price until you recover. Try to stretch after every run. You don't have to spend a ton of time doing a wide variety of exercises, but spending 5—10 minutes after your runs doing simple calf, hip flexor , and quadriceps stretches will help to keep your body functioning optimally and your speed goals on track.

Believe it or not, the strength of your core muscles can affect your running pace. Stronger abdominals improve your running posture for more efficient breathing and also frees up your legs to work harder. Try adding a few core exercises to your daily routine. Practice doing planks, and work up to being able to hold them for one minute or more. Or add abdominal curls, bicycle crunches, or basic bridges to the end of your runs.

Fast runners are often well-rested runners. So, one of the smartest ways to improve your running performance is to get enough shuteye. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that most healthy adults get between 7—9 hours of sleep per night. Experiment with this range to determine the best amount of sleep for you. Also, practice smart sleep hygiene.

Try to go to bed at the same time each night. Make your bedroom a device-free zone by keeping electronics in another room and decrease the temperature slightly to get a better night's rest. Strength training builds stronger muscles to help improve your speed and overall performance. It can also help you to reduce your risk of injury. Try to schedule one or two short strength training workouts each week. If you don't have access to a gym or health club, simply do bodyweight exercises like pushups , lunges , or squats to build more muscle.

If you're able, it can be beneficial to do these workouts immediately after a hard run or later the same day.

This way you can fully recover on your easy days without overdoing it. Workout tools and gadgets such as an anti-gravity treadmill, a running parachute, or speed bands can be used for increased power and performance. Of course, these tools take some practice, and some require you to enlist a workout buddy to use them.

For example, running bands provide resistance to your stride. The bands can be attached to a stationary object or to another training partner so that you have to pull away as you run forward.

Some runners also attach bands to their legs and run in place against resistance to improve speed. If you decide to try one of these options, it's often a smart idea to work with a qualified trainer who can show you how to properly use them. While running exercises are designed specifically to improve your pace, sometimes the best way to learn how to run faster is to take a short break from the sport and cross-train with other activities. Cross-training can include spinning , CrossFit, swimming, and even soccer, all of which can help you to develop your cardiovascular endurance.

Additionally, cross-training can help to increase your flexibility and range of motion in your joints, build mental toughness, and increase your overall strength.

Cross-training also gives you a mental break from running. So once you're ready to lace up your shoes and hit the pavement again, you'll be able to give it your all. Running with a group will not only motivate you to keep training, but many people find that they push themselves harder when they train with others. There are different ways to find a running group , but more often than not, you can find one in your neighborhood for free.

Ask about running groups at your local running store , at work, or at your health club. Not only will you feel motivated by the challenge of running with others, but many running groups include coached interval training workouts and other targeted programs.

If you're interested in racing and want to learn how to improve your race time, you can occasionally train as though you were racing. That means including a fast sprint to the finish at the end of your runs. Picking up the pace for the last few miles of your long runs is good practice for race day conditions and it also improves your endurance. Try picking up your pace by about 20—30 seconds for the last mile.

If you're ready to build more endurance and train your body to run faster, try incorporating any number of these tips into your running routine.

Whether you're fairly new to running or an experienced racer, remember that it's important to listen to your body whenever you're training. If any of the suggested exercises cause you pain or intense discomfort, be sure to stop immediately. Additionally, some of the tips listed may not be advisable if you have certain health or medical conditions.

If this applies to you, always ask your doctor before beginning any new workout regimen. Whether you're looking to run faster, further, or just start to run in general, we have the best tips for you. Sign up and become a better runner today! McColl P. American Council on Exercise. The benefits of speed-training for non-athletes. September 11, Roche D. Chase performance gains safely by increasing your mileage.

Trail Runner. May 9, Running technique is an important component of running economy and performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. Beck K. Everything you need to know about the tempo run. Runner's World. January 7, Maximal sprint speed and the anaerobic speed reserve domain: The untapped tools that differentiate the world's best male m runners. Your quest to gain better speeds will place a huge amount of stress on your chassis: your musculoskeletal system.

Before you increase your physical workload, spend some time engaging in specific strength, conditioning and plyometric workouts. Chand says that doing so will improve your body composition and give you a leaner and more efficient system.

In turn will allow your body to generate greater force and withstand higher loading. Also read: Four great strength and mobility workouts. The key to staying injury-free while trying to gain speed is to improve your running biomechanics for efficient form. Since most running injuries are a result of either increasing speed or distance too soon, Chand suggests making running drills a part of your warmup.

Then, work on fixing them. Most importantly, listen to your body and manage your training load accordingly. Our bones, ligaments and tendons are much slower to adapt to training load as compared to the cardiovascular system. Therefore, neglecting strength training and increasing speed, warns Chand, is asking for trouble. Shrenik Avlani is a writer and editor and co-author of The Shivfit Way , a book on functional fitness.

Big Story Opinion Talking Point. Cook Drink Discover. Trends Shop Beauty. This means keeping your upper body tall yet relaxed, striking the ground with your mid-foot landing under your hip, and swinging your arms forward and back not side to side at low degree angles. Short on gym time? Try interval training. This means exercising with periods of high and low intensity to build speed and endurance — and burn major calories in less time too!

Strides are a series of comfortable sprints usually 8 to 12, between 50 and meters each to improve acceleration technique. Plus, you have the power to push the pace right at your fingertips. Just make sure you get on the machine before turning up the dial. The jury is still out on static stretches. Lewis, J. A systematic literature review of the relationship between stretching and athletic injury prevention. DOI: By alternating jogs and sprints, you can gradually build up speed and endurance.

Take a lesson from boxers and add jump rope workouts to your routine. Boxers know that fast feet means fast hands. But for runners, fast feet just equal fast feet.

Try a minimalist pair to see if less weight means more energy for faster feet. Stronger core muscles, especially lower abs, allow runners to tap into more force out on the road. The best part? Just 15 minutes of core work a few days per week is enough to help you speed up, according to a landmark study on the relationship between core strength training CST and athletic performance.

Sato K, et al. Does core strength training influence running kinetics, lower-extremity stability, and M performance in runners? A study on male college athletes found that an eight-week ab training program may improve core endurance, which safeguards the spine during exercise.

It may also enhance running economy — the energy required to maintain a consistent running speed. Kwong-Chung H, et al. Effects of 8-week core training on core endurance and running economy. It's common for tension to originate from these areas and spread down through the lower legs.

These 'smart' exercises can improve coordination and cue specific muscles to work in the right way with correct postural alignment. As noted above, exaggerated swinging is not the move for distance runners. That said, Dr. In other words, if your goal is to go far as fast as possible, focus primarily on your legs, not your upper body. Oh hi! Enter Email Address.