So. I think we all wish we could run a little further and feel a little less wiped afterwards, right? Well...here's a little trick to make this wish a reality! A new study discovered that by slightly shortening your stride, you can work harder while using less oxygen (which means you can handle longer runs!) This means that using shorter strides is actually a more efficient way to improve your running stamina! Try lifting your knees a little higher and taking more steps per minute (approx 180 RPMs) to get the MOST from your body during your runs!
-Peace. Health. RoxyB!!
2 comments:
Do you get leaner muscles if you take longer strides? Does your stride effect the way you build muscle? I feel like i have heard this somewhere in the past... or maybe i make it up! I def take shorter strides because its easier, but i feel like maybe it makes my legs bulkier.. what say you?
Ivy!
Okay...long answer. Ready?
So... your running form (including stride length, stride frequency, whether your forward momentum is initiated through bounding off your back foot OR lifting from your front hip flexor) DOES have a slight effect on how your leg muscles are building (# of short muscle fibers versus long muscle fibers that are being developed)... but unless you are running the same speed, same distance, same terrain every time you run, this shouldn't have a super significant effect on how your leg muscles appear. AND, your runs shouldn't be so repetitious anyway, as your muscles & joints need to be exposed to different movements/directions (to stay balanced) and your heart needs to be exposed to varying intensities/durations (to work most efficiently!)
If your legs have a little more mass than you'd like them to have there are 2 major things to address: 1)Your diet. Often times, there's fat built up on top of OR underneath the muscle which can mostly be attributed to what you're eating! 2)Resistance Training. By increasing the # of reps per set (approx 20) and decreasing your rest time between sets (approx 30 sec) you have a little bit of control over how your muscles will develop!
Okay. Long-winded :) I struggle to keep it super simple. Hope that helped!
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