Sprinting for Anti-Aging

Introduction

As we age, we slow down. What if there is research out there that proves certain types of exercise can slow down the process of aging and make you look and feel younger? That exercise? Sprinting. People often think of sprinting and assume it's just for athletes. I'm here to tell you that it is for everyone interested in their personal fitness and performance. I would consider adding it to their exercise plan.

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  Max Effort Sprinting around a track

  
  

The Science Behind Aging

Aging is a natural part of life. As we get older, we naturally slow down, and the cells of our body don't work as efficiently. Just because it is natural doesn't mean we can't try to slow down this process. Modern research is pretty clear that any type of exercise already does this, but there is one form that naturally gets forgotten just because it is associated with sports and performance and not just life and longevity. This exercise is sprinting.

Benefits of Sprinting for Anti-Aging

Sprinting, like most forms of exercise, has a plethora of health benefits like improved cardiovascular health, increased lean muscle mass (have you seen sprinters? shredded), and an elevated metabolic rate which burns more calories per day. A quality that is sometimes overlooked or forgotten is that sprinting increases the production of Human Growth Hormones (HGH) and testosterone. Any females reading, don't panic; you have testosterone too, and it is incredibly important in keeping you looking and feeling young. With sprinting, these two hormones increase production and can be a huge factor in supporting a youthful physique.

Incorporating Sprinting into Your Routine

Before you start fitness, you need to have a basic level of fitness to make sure you can handle the high intensity of this exercise. Once you have been regularly active for a few months, introducing sprinting into your workouts is a real possibility. A couple of things to remember are to properly warm up and increase your core body temperature before attempting. Following a sprint progression is also critical; start with short distances with full recovery and then gradually increase the distance over time. Below is a very basic example of where to start:

Dynamic Warm-up: Increase Body Temperature, Stretch, Light Jog/ Jump Rope

Once your feel your core body temperature rise you can begin:

Week 1:

3 reps of 10 yards max sprint

1:00 rest after each rep

Week 2:

4 reps of 10 yards max sprint

1:30 rest after each rep

Week 3:

3 reps of 15 yard max sprint

2:00 rest after each rep

Week 4:

2 reps of 20 yard max sprint

2:00 rest after each rep

A key factor in sprinting is recovery. A good rule of thumb is for every 10 yards of sprinting you need to have at least 60 seconds of recovery. Starting with just 1 day per week in your workouts can yield great benefits. I always recommend sprinting right after your warm-up in the beginning of your workouts while you are still fresh and can get the most benefit out of it.

Sprinting Myths and Misconceptions

-Myth: Sprinting is only for young athletes.

-Reality: Sprinting can benefit individuals of all ages.

-Myth: Sprinting leads to injury.

-Reality: Injury can be prevented with proper techniques and gradual progression.

-Myth: Cardio should always be slow and steady.

-Reality: High-intensity sprinting offers unique benefits not found in moderate cardio.

Conclusion

Sprinting can have massive benefits on your health as well as reduce the rate at which you age. You don't have to become a track runner, but building in time throughout your week to do some max effort sprinting can have monumental benefits to all aspects of your performance life. So if you're active and looking to improve your workouts, get out there and start to sprint again just like when you were a kid playing tag, hide and go seek, or any other fun recess game.