How much running should be maintained per week to stay healthy?

If you take a week as a unit, how can you set the running volume that suits you best so that you can ensure your health and improve your performance in training?

Rich Velazquez, a veteran running coach and chief operating officer of the New York Run Club, teamed up with several trainers and rehabilitation experts to share with Runner's World the six principles they have learned from years of training to help runners of different levels find the running volume that suits them best.

Principle 1: The longer the race, the more running you should do

Regardless of the distance of the race, pre-race preparation should consist of three parts: long run, speed run and recovery run.

The theory summarized by Velasquez is: when running long distances, you should slow down and complete the race according to the expected finishing time (note that it is time, not distance); the time for speed running can be shorter, but the running speed should be faster than during the competition; when doing recovery runs, both the speed and time requirements can be reduced.

Principle 2: You get what you pay for

Based on each person's different physical functions, if you want to get good results in the competition, you can only increase the amount of running. There is no shortcut.

"If your goal in running is to improve your performance in a race, then improving your aerobic capacity, stability and running efficiency will become important factors in setting your running volume."

It’s no secret that if you run enough, your musculoskeletal system will be strengthened, but running actually pumps oxygen into your blood, which fuels your muscles.

Therefore, runners must remember that the purpose of increasing running volume is to enhance the aerobic energy system and increase maximum oxygen uptake. Otherwise, the increased running volume is "junk running volume."

Principle 3: Every kilometer has different training value

Speed ​​training is designed to improve running economy (steady-state oxygen consumption rate or energy metabolism rate at a predetermined exercise intensity or pace). It is also a means of stimulating neuromuscular function, which can improve the neuromuscular ability to control speed.

Interval training requires speed and a strictly controlled rest period between two exercises. When doing tempo running, you need to maintain a constant speed for a long time. Long-distance training is to allow the body to adapt to stress and improve physical fitness.

Such complex training can help improve the runner's all-round ability. By making various attempts in training, you can better adapt to different speeds in the competition.

This is why we need to add short-term high-intensity training on the basis of setting the running volume. Because when the body's ability adapts to the fixed training volume, the ability to utilize oxygen will reach a balance point. Short-term high-intensity training can increase oxygen absorption and improve aerobic metabolic capacity.

Principle 4: Increasing running volume requires a buffer

To prevent injury, you can gradually increase your running volume so that your body can adapt more easily. Many runners follow the "10 percent rule," which is to increase your running volume by no more than 10 percent each week from the previous week.

"In most cases, runners will gradually increase their running volume on a weekly basis for three weeks before starting a week of recovery," Velasquez stressed. "The premise of increasing the volume is that the body has gradually adapted to the current intensity and has rested enough to prepare for a stronger challenge."

When measured in weeks, runners can better observe and set their running volume. Running will damage muscles to a certain extent, and the damaged parts need time to grow again, which is actually the reason for becoming stronger. Therefore, do not overtrain, give muscles time to buffer, and distribute running volume reasonably.

One thing to remember – quality is more important than quantity.

Principle 5: Listen to your body

Whether you are a top runner or a novice, almost no one can achieve perfect results in every training. If you keep training just to achieve a certain amount of running, it may be counterproductive.

How to judge whether the current running volume has any "side effects"? The best way is to listen to the voice of your body.

Lack of sleep, increased heart rate, lack of motivation, restlessness…these are actually signals from the body telling the runner that it can no longer handle the current amount of training.

Running requires "persistence". It is impossible to make progress easily. However, if the body sends out a distress signal, such as discomfort on one side of the body, or persistent pain in certain parts of the body, then you should be cautious.

Reducing the amount of training, reducing the intensity of training, or resting for a period of time can actually help runners run more healthily.

Principle 6: When you return from injury, learn to reduce your dosage

If you really stop because of an injury, then the amount of running you do should also change after you return from injury.

"If you've been out of training for a while due to an injury, make sure you can walk at a normal, steady pace for at least 45 minutes without any pain before you start running again."

This is the advice that veteran physical therapist Susan Paul once gave to all professional runners returning from injury, because brisk walking can help "warm up" the muscles, Achilles tendons and ligaments and prepare them for subsequent running.

There are also corresponding guidelines for how much running volume you should maintain after returning from injury - if you stop running for less than a week due to injury, the running volume after recovery can remain the same; if you stop running for about 10 days, the running volume after recovery will be reduced to 70%; if you stop running for 15 to 30 days, the running volume after recovery will be reduced to 60%; if you stop running for 30 days to 3 months, the running volume will be halved; if you stop running for more than 3 months, please re-plan your running training menu.

Based on the above six principles, the table in the article is a reference for the weekly running volume of runners of different levels. Everyone can increase or decrease the amount according to their abilities.