Form Fixers

A "perfect" running style doesn't exist, but there *are* expert-approved ways to tweak your stride at any speed so each step is efficient, powerful and injury-free. Time to lace up....

- CAITLIN CARLSON

Summer, is that you? There’s no happier feeling than hitting the pavement or trail once again sans earmuffs and wool socks. And when you take off into the new, hopeful season, consider this training shakeup: Even the average runner should be working both sprints and endurance runs into their routine for maximum benefits.

If you’re a marathoner trying to get your PB, speed work will make you faster. (Plus, studies show that sprints can reduce body fat, if that is a focus for you.) Prefer fast and furious? Know that longer-distance cardio is powerful for overall wellness too. Furthermore, one study found that training for a marathon, even at low intensity, reduced vascular age (essentially, the health of your arteries – key for heart health) by four years.

We know – shaking up your run routine can be uncomfortable. In fact, genetics partially dictates why you may favour one training style over another, given that you’re born with a particular muscle fibre composition that predisposes you to be better at, say, distance versus short bursts of speed. Long-distance runners rely on thin, small slow-twitch muscle fibres that are more resistant to fatigue, says sports physiotherapist Yukiko Matsuzaki. This allows endurance athletes to perform for longer. Sprinters have more of a fast-twitch type, which helps them do high-intensity exercise for short periods.

While you can’t grow more of the fibre types you lack, you can strengthen and develop both kinds, says running coach Annick Lamar. “I recommend two days a week of endurance running to optimise the aerobic benefit that slower kilometres give you, and one day a week of sprinting to build muscle and power,” she says.