If you don’t live near a school, gym, or other place with a track, you can still run sprints on any number of flat areas. Consider running on soccer field, football field, or another long stretch of grass or turf that is relatively flat. Depending on length and patterns of usage, you might also be able to find a parking lot or other paved area nearby that is relatively flat and would work well for sprinting. Look for an area at least 40 meters long. While pavement is not ideal for running, lots of people run marathons on the road, so a handful of sprints is surely a better option!
If you’re working out somewhere other than a track, try jogging for 2–4 minutes as a warm-up.
Too much of this type of intense stretching will cause fatigue and decrease your sprinting performance, so aim to spend about 10 minutes if you’re in average shape, and up to 20 minutes if you’re super fit. Dynamic stretching requires more effort and is therefore more tiresome than the gentle stretches most people are familiar with. You don’t want to put in twenty minutes and expend all your energy—then you won’t have any left for sprinting![3] X Expert Source Kai NgCertified Running Coach Expert Interview. 12 February 2021. Try these different stretches: Gluteals – Walking High Knees; Hamstrings – “Toy Soldiers” or “Frankensteins”; Adductors – Hurdler’s Walk; Quadriceps – “Butt-Kickers”; and Gastrocnemius – Tip-Toe Walking.
If you don’t have an appropriate timing device, try sprinting for about 200m. If you’re not sprinting on a track and have no way of measuring the distance exactly, try counting your steps, aiming for between 120 and 130. This won’t give you exactly 200m/30 seconds, but it will put you reasonably close. [5] X Research source
For your second sprint, increase to 80% intensity; after this, if you’re not experiencing joint or muscle pain (which are signs that you need to back off), you can increase to total or near-total intensity for the remainder for the session. Pain while sprinting could signal that you need more warm-up time or that you’re not using proper form.
Walking should be your form of “rest,” not sitting or standing. This will keep your muscles from cramping. Walk back to the place where you began your sprint, and you’ll be ready to start again. [9] X Research source Sprinting is an intense exercise that will use up all of the oxygen in your muscles. You need adequate rest time between each sprint to maximize your speed and allow the oxygen to get back to your muscles. Otherwise you may feel nauseous and/or lightheaded.
After a few sessions you can gradually increase the number of sprints, eventually moving up to 8 or 9, depending on your individual fitness level and goals.
While this might not seem like a lot, soon you will begin to see improvements in your running times as well as your breathing rates. [13] X Research source Beyond that, the shape and tone of your body will quickly begin to improve as well!
If you don’t have a car, then take a walk around the area or ride the bus if one is available. Depending on the hill you choose, you may need to consider traffic flow, availability of sidewalks or berms (if running on the road), lighting, foliage, and the general safety of the area that you will be running in. As with any athletic activity, it’s important to be aware of the conditions and plan your attire appropriately, including whether to running shoes or cross-trainers.
Aim to spend about 5–10 minutes stretching before doing hill sprints. Some particularly good stretches for this type of workout are high knees, butt kicks, and toy soldiers. Stretch until you feel energized—not fatigued. [14] X Research source
If you still feel too fatigued after getting to the bottom of the hill, walk on flat ground for another 15–30 seconds before beginning the next sprint.
Don’t stare at the ground! Hold your chin at the normal level and keep your eyes looking forward. You should keep your torso upright and the balls of your feet should land directly under your chest. Do not lean forward when running. [17] X Research source Hills sprints have a great fitness pay-off but are very challenging—if you’re unable to maintain proper form, then you should stop to avoid injury and over-work. [18] X Expert Source Kai NgCertified Running Coach Expert Interview. 12 February 2021.
