4 Reasons To Do Sprints

Running has become one of the hippest activities around the world (or maybe it’s always been and it’s just the internet hype) but nevertheless more and more people are starting to do something exercise-wise and that’s great. Cardio is a powerful tool for getting in shape. But it seems like most of the people wo run aim for their 5k. What about sprints?

Why Do Sprints

Boost Growth Hormone

Human growth hormone levels rise considerably after only a 30 second sprint. It is used by our bodies for everything from bone density to muscle growth to fat loss. So if you want all of these things a few 30 second sprints can make for a great warm up for your workout. Or you can simply do sprints for 15 minutes and get the same results as if you were doing moderate cardio for 9 or 12 hours.

Make Yourself Tough

It may sound funny but it’s true, sprinting is mentally challenging and requires all of your effort, which is good because when you endure that and overcome the exercise stress your body and mind adapt and also help produce a nerve-protecting protein, which also promotes growth of new ones.

Build Muscle

You won’t get as big as you’d probably get in the gym from sprinting but you can surely build some muscle mass doing sprints only especially if you are just starting on a fitness path.

Save Time

Sprinting isn’t something you can do for hours like regular cardio or even a gym workout. It is a great exercise to include into your HIIT program. Thus you get all the benefits of exercise and cardio in just 15-20 minutes. Add daily walking (doing chores, work, or spending time with kids) and you might get excellent results without even stepping into the gym.

Doing sprints often, especially if you are training at the gym may be taxing on the body so a low intensity exercise like walking is better if you also want to train on non-lifting days as they reduce inflammation and put less stress on the recovering body.