Hill sprinting can seem a bit daunting at first, but it will help you build some serious stamina and strength, where most cardio programs fall short.
If you’re a runner, hill sprinting will also help to build stamina for longer runs as well as help strengthen the ankles. Give it a go and also see how much more stamina you have during your gym or bootcamp workouts.
One of the best things about hill sprinting is that it’s simple, find a great hill or two near your home and get to it. A friendly warning though, you may hate the hill at first and wonder how in the world you’re going to manage to sprint up it a second time, but don’t give up and you’ll conquer that hill!
Basic how to:
- Always begin by warming up, 8-10 min is ideal to avoid injury. I usually do a light jog to my destination, then follow it with some arm circles, hand to toe touches, deep side lunges and some breathing squats.
- No static stretching, that can lead to injury. You want to warm up the body for the task as hand.
- When you’re ready, push off explosively from the balls of the feet
- Pick your knees up high
- Don’t let your body slouch forward – keep shoulders back
- Try not to tense your arms and shoulders – I find that running with open hands helps
- Once you have sprinted up the hill allow your heart to return to a steady rate by lightly jogging around the area, before heading down the hill for your second go.
- If you are in an area with several hills, creating somewhat of a circular path is great. I have a great park by my house that allows me to run several hills, combined with some flatter terrain.
Some tips for success:
- Begin slowly by doing 4-5 hill sprints the first few times, till you feel comfortable adding more.
- Work on increasing your speed up the hill before increasing reps
- Listen to your body! Pain in our joints is not good. If you can’t keep good form you should work on your imbalances and weaknesses before attempting this.
- Find some good tunes to keep you focused – I’m a total house music junkie when it comes running of any kind.
- Invite a friend, you can push each other and keep each other focused.
Hill sprinting can be quite gruelling so stick to 2 times a week, and make sure that you do a good stretch afterwards.
Have a healthy and happy day!
Daniela
