Introduction 

Running may seem like a simple and accessible form of exercise, but that doesn't mean it isn't highly beneficial to your health, and there are more ways to approach running than you may expect. Whether you are new to running or more experienced, whether your goals are to improve your health, runtime, or both, the benefits of slow running are worth looking into. 

Slow running is aerobic and in contrast to anaerobic exercise techniques such as high-intensity interval training, which emphasises intense physical effort in a short period of time. Instead, slow running focuses on maintaining a steady, relatively comfortable speed for an extended period of time. 

Aerobic exercises use oxygen to combust carbohydrates and fats to generate the energy needed to maintain your physical effort, while anaerobic exercises push your body to generate energy without oxygen. A primary benefit of slow running is that it enhances the efficiency of your aerobic system, increasing your endurance among other health benefits.

The exact pace that characterises slow running can be defined in a few different ways. A useful way to measure whether your pace is appropriate for slow running is whether you can maintain a conversation without too much exertion. More specifically, this pace is usually achieved when an individual's working heart rate is around 60-70% of their maximum heart rate. Another way is to rate your exertion on a scale of 1-10. For most people, the pace of slow running would be rated in the 4-6 range.

Benefits of slow-running

Aerobic development 

If you wish to improve your runtime over a given distance, incorporating running at a lower intensity for longer periods of time into your training can enhance your aerobic capacity. Increasing your aerobic capacity means your lungs can supply oxygen throughout your body more efficiently, increasing your overall endurance.

Even if becoming a faster runner is not something you are interested in, increasing your aerobic base is still beneficial to your health.

Enhanced fat metabolism

A major benefit of slow running is that it will enhance your body's ability to metabolise fat as a fuel source. Much like increasing your aerobic capacity, this is beneficial to endurance athletes as more efficient metabolization of fat will preserve your body’s glycogen stores that can then be used for more intense effort towards the end of a run or workout.

Studies have shown that the body develops an increased reliance on fat oxidation after long-term, low-intensity exercise, resulting in better energy efficiency when you need to exert yourself.¹

Injury prevention 

Slow running can generate less impact force on the body, reducing the risk of overuse injuries. If you’re looking to increase the amount you run, slow running can be a good way to increase your mileage without adding to your fatigue levels. There is evidence that slow running can develop muscular strength and enhance the stability and resilience of your joints and connective tissue without the high fatigue associated with high-intensity workouts.²

That said, there is also evidence that faster running does not necessarily contribute more to your body's cumulative load than slow running, and so it is still safe to incorporate faster running into your exercise regimen if desired.³ If you are concerned about any injuries sustained while running, it is important to consult a healthcare professional. 

Mental benefits 

Whether running fast or slow, exercise in general is associated with positive impacts on mental health. Slow running, however, provides an accessible way to start exercising and reap the benefits. The low intensity means it is achievable for most people without feelings of over-exertion, making them more likely to adhere to long-term exercise programs with consistency.

Training principles of slow running 

Consistency over intensity 

While it may be tempting to pick up the pace, a fundamental principle of slow running is maintaining sub-maximal exertion throughout the run. Taking a faster approach can have its own benefits, but incorporating slow runs allows you to accumulate mileage sustainably without generating excessive fatigue.

Incorporating variety

If you’re coming from a relatively sedentary background, slow running alone will be incredibly beneficial to your health, but if your physical fitness is more advanced, it can be important to balance it with more exerting workouts. 

There is scientific evidence that submaximal endurance training can improve endurance performance in sedentary or recreationally active individuals, but amongst higher-trained individuals, submaximal training is not as beneficial.⁴ Regardless of your level of fitness, incorporating higher intensity exercises for variety may help you stay interested and engaged with your exercise plan. 

Monitoring intensity

If you wish to give slow running a proper go, it is important to ensure you maintain the appropriate pace. This pace will vary by individual and their relative fitness level. As mentioned in the introduction, you can use perceived exertion scales, i.e. rating your exertion out of ten or determining whether you could hold a conversation. While not strictly necessary, some may find measuring their heart rate with a heart rate monitor to be helpful.

Progressive overload 

Gradually increasing the duration, frequency, and pace of your runs to match your increased fitness is crucial to continue making progress. This is a fundamental principle of any type of exercise program, even though you may be running with sub-maximal effort, you need to ensure you're pushing and making progress by some metric over time.

It is, of course, important not to push or attempt to progress too quickly, as this could lead to an increased risk of injury or burnout. A common approach is the ten percent rule, that is, increase your weekly mileage by no more than 10% each week. Another method to measure progress is to time your runs, if you get faster over the same distance, while still slow running, you know you're making progress. 

It's important to remember that if you are trying to improve your physical fitness and health, it can’t be rushed and may take some time to see progress, so be patient if you don't see the results you want right away.

Role of slow running in training programs

If you're interested in following a dedicated running program to improve your run time, slow running can be systematically incorporated.

Base building phase 

Slow running can be fundamental in the early stages of a running exercise program. This early phase looks at building a strong aerobic foundation and can cover several weeks or even months. Gradually increasing your overall mileage through steady, consistent runs can help prepare you for more vigorous training later.

Recovery runs

Recovery runs are short and easy runs that can be utilised between hard workouts to promote active recovery. These runs can promote blood flow, enhancing recovery without adding additional fatigue or stress. 

Long runs

Long runs are heavily utilised in endurance training and, due to their length, have to be conducted at a slow pace. These adaptations enable the body to better endure long periods of sustained physical effort and can enhance aerobic and muscular endurance as well as mental resilience. 

Practical tips for slow running 

Pacing 

Pacing can be a challenging concept for new runners. It may seem natural to want to increase your running speed if you feel under-exerted, but if you are new to running, you realistically won't be familiar with your own endurance, and can easily become over-fatigued. 

A simple way of ensuring you maintain a slow running pace is to see if you can hold a conversation while running. This should correspond with a heart rate of around 60-70% of your maximum heart rate.

Listening to your body

Sometimes external factors such as nutrition, sleep, or stress can affect your ability to perform runs. Completing a certain length of run within a certain time may be perfectly achievable one day, and not another. It can be important to adjust your pace depending on how you feel on the day and not always try to force yourself to keep a certain pace.

Staying interested

You may find that going on the same run every time could get boring, increasing the risk of burnout. Varying your route can help keep you interested and engaged in going on runs. You could also consider going on runs with friends, family, or dedicated running groups to add motivation and a social aspect.

Balancing with other exercises

There are many forms of exercise that can be used in conjunction with slow running if desired. Strength training and flexibility exercises have many of their own benefits that can be balanced with aerobic exercises like slow running.

Conclusion 

Slow running is an excellent entry point to running for beginners, emphasising consistency and sustainability. That said, even for those not so new to running, it can still be a great way to increase your mileage without adding undue strain and fatigue and is fundamental to a lot of endurance training programs.