According to Gary Brecka, 95% of people over the age of 30 will never sprint again. Here are a few reasons why you want to be part of the 5% of this statistic. 

Sprinting Interval Training (SIT) comes with tremendous benefits. First and most obviously, sprinting increases your cardiovascular fitness and power. Sit also increases mitochondrial number, decreases abdominal fat, and increases Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). BDNF helps to improve cognition and working memory and also alleviates anxiety and depression.

Sprint intervals can be done in a variety of ways. They can be done running, swimming, spin bike, assault bike, electrical, stair stepper, road bike, etc, or even with kettlebell ballistic exercises like swings, cleans, and snatches. Pick your favorite or your least favorite (to challenge your willpower) and get going. Add this training style to your routine 2-3x/week. You can even shorten these workouts and add them in after your lift if you don’t have room to add additional workouts into your week. 

Here are a few of our favorites:

• Tabata intervals work hard for 20 seconds, and rest for 10 seconds. Repeat 8 times. Then you can rest for 3-4 minutes. Perform a total of 3-4 sets
• 40/20 Intervals – Performed similar to the Tabata, but longer work, rest, and recovery. Repeat the 40/20 ten times and then rest 3-4 minutes before repeating another 1-2 rounds.
• Hill sprints. Find a hill. Sprint up the hill and walk down for recovery. Repeat 10 times (more if you find a short hill, less if you find a really long hill). 
• Download the PushPress Workout Timer for an easy way to time yourself for these workouts. 

As with all exercise, remember to take your time to properly prepare your body for sprint workouts. A proper warm-up is key. Also, if you haven’t sprinted in a while, be careful; make sure to move quickly, but don’t push yourself as hard as possible the first time around. Slowly ramp up your effort over time to safely avoid injury. Contact us with any questions.