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Running Workout Plan

Running is a form of aerobic exercise that has great benefits on our health, whether it be burning calories or building strength, speed and endurance.

Even 30 minutes of running exercises and workouts will benefit you, so it’s something you can slip in in the morning, lunchtime or after work.

Running can sometimes become complicated with workouts that look frustrating but are actually quite simple and that are there to keep it fun and help you get stronger, faster and build endurance.

When running at the same pace continuously, we’re unable to build endurance or get stronger and may actually increase your chances of injury. Try to switch things up every so often.

Should I Start Running?

What are the benefits of running?

Did you know that studies have shown that there are some health benefits to running each day? Even just a 5 to 10 minute run at moderate pace may reduce your risk of dying from heart attacks and strokes, reduce the risk of developing cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease and cardiovascular disease. Research also shows that you don’t need to run hours a day as these benefits peak at about 2.5 hours a week.

Now, you don’t need to run each day, even on a strict training schedule for marathons, as your body needs strength training and rest days too.

How many days a week should you run for fitness?

It’s been suggested that running for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week can help you enjoy longevity benefits. It can also improve your sleep and mood!

How To Develop A Running Routine?

When building a running fitness routine for beginners, it’s important to remember to start where you are and build your way up gradually to allow your body to adapt, get into shape and prevent injury. Start with a plan to build a running routine that you can keep regular and be sure to reward yourself immediately after exercise when doing to.

Your goal at the start is to just get moving, so begin with getting into the habit of brisk walking. There are multi-week walking plans you can follow, such as this one by Runner’s World, to help you build that routine.

Once you’re used to briskly walking, it’s time to start running.

Types of Running

The Easy Run: Where your heartrate stays within zones 1 and 2 and where you could hold a conversation. Should make up most of your run and which builds endurance, promotes form and helps with recovery.

The Tempo Run: Short sentences are possible, but where it’s difficult enough to require pushing and comfortable enough to be sustained. Helps build strength, speed and endurance.

The Progression Workout: Starting slow and finishing fast, where you increase your pace over the workout.

The Hill Workout: Builds power and speed, and can strengthen joints.

The Interval Workout: Where you run a set distance a number of times at a set pace, usually with a short rest in between. These often are the most painful runs. Help build speed and strength.

The Ladder Run: Where you climb up, down or both in distance with a short rest in between each interval. It combines high-intensity running and different distances in one workout.

The Fartlek Workout: Meaning speed-play in Swedish, it combines fast running with slow running at various paces and distances in each interval.

The Long Run Workout: Builds endurance and helps your body and mild handle long distance running. These are integrated in your training once you’re comfortable with distance.

Running Fitness Routine Exercises

Here are some effective running exercises that can help split up your standard run, to keep yourself more motivated to maintain a running routine.

Hill workout: Running hills has been shown to help burn a lot of calories. It might be best to train on a treadmill slightly inclined so your knees can get used to hills beforehand.

• Warm-up: Begin with a 10-minute light jog.
• Intense Interval: Run vigorously for 1 minute at an incline of 3% to 4%.
• Rest Interval: Recover for 1 minute at an easy pace with a 1% incline.
• Repeat: Do the intense/rest interval cycle 6 more times.
• Cool down: Finish with a 6-minute gentle jog.

Ladder Workout: Each interval, you increase your pace, which can make the exercise fun!

• Warm-up: Start with 5 minutes of light jogging.
• Work Interval 1: Maintain a pace similar to a marathon for 5 minutes (or a perceived exertion of 5 out of 10).
• Recovery Interval 1: Slow down to an easy pace for 1 minute.
• Work Interval 2: Keep a pace akin to half marathon speed for 4 minutes (or a perceived exertion of 6 out of 10).
• Recovery Interval 2: Resume an easy pace for 1 minute.
• Work Interval 3: Sustain a pace resembling a 10K race for 3 minutes (or a perceived exertion of 7 out of 10).
• Recovery Interval 3: Go at an easy pace for 1 minute.
• Work Interval 4: Push to a pace similar to a 5K race for 2 minutes (or a perceived exertion of 8 out of 10).
• Recovery Interval 4: Return to an easy pace for 1 minute.
• Work Interval 5: Sprint at maximum effort for 1 minute (or a perceived exertion of 9 out of 10).
• Recovery Interval 5: Cool down with 1 minute of easy jogging.
• Cool down: Finish with 5 minutes of light jogging.

Running and Strength Workout: A combination of strength training and running for days you’re short on time.

• Warm-up: Begin with a 5-minute light jog.
• Running Interval 1: Maintain a 5K pace for 1 minute.
• Strength Interval 1: Perform squats for 1 minute.
• Running Interval 2: Continue at a 5K pace for 2 minutes.
• Strength Interval 2: Do walking lunges for 1 minute.
• Running Interval 3: Sustain a 5K pace for 3 minutes.
• Strength Interval 3: Complete donkey kicks for 1 minute.
• Running Interval 4: Keep a 5K pace for 4 minutes.
• Strength Interval 4: Do tricep dips for 1 minute.
• Running Interval 5: Stay at a 5K pace for 5 minutes.
• Strength Interval 5: Engage in push-ups for 1 minute.
• Cool down: Conclude with a 5-minute easy jog.

These are also great running workouts to lose weight, but make sure to integrate rest days into your weekly running routine and rotate different running types and workouts to train yourself with distance and pace. There are plenty of other running exercises, like the 30 30 method of running, where you jog for 30 seconds, walk until you’re breathing normally, then repeat.

When practicing for long runs and marathons, you should begin to use a racing fuel strategy, such as taking in calories every 45–60 minutes. Make sure to also drink plenty of fluids before, during and after running.

How to Improve your Running Performance?

Nutrients

Other than eating a well-balanced and nutrient-dense diet with a range of foods, the act of running and dietary restrictions when training, or even food preferences, can cause many runners to have various essential nutrient deficiencies. Make sure to speak with your doctor to learn of any specific deficiencies you have, but here are some great supplements for runners to take.

Vitamin D

Your body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium, and vitamin D deficiencies are linked to increased risk of stress factors in runners due to low bone density. Vitamin D also helps the function of our hormones, reduces inflammation and supports our immune system.

Iron

Iron is needed to form haemoglobin, which moves oxygen through the body. Distance running can cause something called foot-strike haemolysis, which is where red blood cells on our feet are damaged from landing on your feet with each step, and since these cells carry iron, this means runners are at a high risk of iron deficiency and anaemia.

Magnesium

Magnesium is an important element in bones and teeth, while also acting as an electrolyte. This electrolyte function is essential for the movement of calcium and potassium ions across cell membranes, a process vital for sustaining a regular heartbeat, transmitting nerve signals and enabling muscle contractions. Runner can lose magnesium when they sweat and magnesium is also great for dealing with muscle cramps. It may also reduce stress factors due to its role in bone formation and reducing inflammation.

Try out Xandro Lab’s highly absorbable Magnesium Glycinate supplement.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, help our gut bacteria, improve brain function and has anti-inflammatory properties. This means that they can help runner after hard workouts and races.

Vitamin B12

Can help reduce fatigue as its needed for energy production in cells, brain function and the production of DNA and proteins. Vegan runners are prone to deficiencies as it’s naturally found in animal products, although, there are foods fortified with vitamin B12.

Calcium

Incredibly important for runners due to it forming the structures of our bones and teeth, as well as due to its roles in muscle contraction, nerve function, heart health and hormones.

See how Xandro Lab’s Calcium-AKG supplement can benefit you and your running fitness routine.

Zinc

Zinc Is used to produce hundreds of enzymes in our bodies, so it’s needed to make sure everything is working properly inside us. They can also improve our sleep, which is needed to recover from workouts and running. Zinc also helps with recovery in that it increases our cell turnover and repair, as well as reducing oxidative damage as it’s an antioxidant.

Check out our list of vitamins and how much you need each day.

Supplements

As running is all about endurance, it’s essential to give your body what it needs to keep going. This is where supplements come in handy. As mentioned above, they can fill in the gaps of where you’re lacking in nutrition, but there are also various compounds that can do wonders for your body.

Some of these include:

• BCAAs: These branched chain amino acids help offset muscle loss while also helping with muscle growth.
• Whey Protein: Absorbed directly into strained muscles where it repairs and strengthens muscles.
• Multivitamins: Fill in the gaps where you’re missing key nutrients, such as Vitamins C and D.
• Glutamine: Acts as a fuel for immune cells, which can deplete when running.
• L-Carnitine: Burns fat, gives runners a boost of additional energy and prevents muscle breakdown.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Fights inflammation and reduces lactic acid build up in muscles.
• Caffeine: Boost endurance, speed, power and running performance.

There are also recovery supplements that runners can take to help make the most of their post-recovery, like protein powder and creatine.

If interested in learning more about supplements, check out our article on the Runner’s Guide to Supplements.

Things to Think About Before Running

If you’re over 40, have a BMI over 35, or have a family history of heart disease, make sure to talk with your doctor before exercising. Every hour or so, see if you can take a 5-minute walking break to get some exercise in throughout the working day. Map out some interesting scenic routes you can explore while running to keep you inspired and motivated during your workout.

Running each day may increase your risk of injuries from overuse, so make sure you take rest days, you gradually increase your distance, run with proper form and warm up before you run and stretch after. It’s also a good idea to invest in a proper pair of running shoes to help your endurance and prevent you from injuries.

About Xandro Lab

Xandro Lab was founded by fitness enthusiasts, so we have great passion and interest in helping our bodies achieve and feel the best they can.

That’s why we’re incredibly interested in learning about the science behind various nutrients and compounds, which we share on our website to help you learn and make informed decisions about what you’re putting into your body. You can read this on our research page or through our blog post.

We’re also excited to be featured in Run Singapore, showcasing our upcoming release: the Xandroo Performance Kit, designed to enhance fitness training and recovery for athletes and fitness enthusiasts. It includes three key supplements, Calcium AKG, Pure NMN Powder and Magneisum Glycinate, to give you the energy required to enhance various aspects of athletic performance when integrated into a training program.

Check out our store to see what other supplements we offer that may benefit you! 

If you think you want to experience the benefits yourself, why not try Xandro Lab’s Calcium AKG 500 mg via our 30-day refund guarantee?