How to Do an Effective Sprint Workout

Running is a great exercise for weight loss since it burns so many calories. You don't have to run long distances to benefit from running though; sprints are an effective workout that take less time and benefit your body in many ways.

A sprint is an all out effort that you can sustain for only a short period of time. You can't sprint for minutes at a time. If you think you are sprinting and you are able to keep a consistent pace for more than 30 seconds at a maximum then you aren't truly sprinting.

Between sprints you will need a recovery time of at least the same amount of time that you sprinted. So if you sprinted for 30 seconds you need to recover for at least 30 seconds.

Sprint workouts don't have to be long. In fact, you shouldn't be capable of doing a long sprint workout.

To start, warm up for three to five minutes at a moderate walking pace. Then do your first sprint, which will last only as long as you can go. You should be running all out, as fast as you can possibly go. Then switch back to your warm up pace for at least as long as you sprinted, but no more than three times the amount you sprinted. (ex. if you sprinted for 20 seconds you could recover for anywhere from 20 to sixty seconds). Repeat the sprint and recovery cycles six to eight times, then cool down for five minutes at your warm up pace.

Make sure when you are sprinting that you don't lose good running form. Your stride length shouldn't get too long; if you find that you are taking really long strides to get up to the speed you select you should probably pick a slower pace. Overextending your stride can cause injury. If the day after you do your sprint workout you experience pain in your upper inner thigh or hip flexor area, you probably ran with a stride length that was too long.

Sprint workouts are a form of High Intensity Interval Training (also known as HIIT or HIT). HIIT workouts have been proven to increase resting metabolic rates for up to 24 hours after the workout. This creates a caloric deficit equal to or greater than a longer, less intense workout.

Consult your doctor before beginning sprints if you have any type of long term illness, such as a heart condition or asthma.

To sprint safely, you should have good quality running shoes to protect both your feet and your joints from excess stress.