You don’t know “jeffing” but you practice it without knowing it, at least those who have difficulty keeping up the pace and take a little break from time to time while walking. Well, don’t feel guilty anymore because this method has been the subject of a study and, not only does it spare your joints and muscles, but it will also allow you to complete a marathon without exhaustion.
What if you mixed running and walking to improve your sports sessions? This technique doordoor a name, “jeffing”. It would allow you to work on your endurance and better manage your fatigue by reducing the risk of muscle pain. Jeffing is a training technique that combines running and walking. It was created by American athlete Jeff Galloway in the 1970s.
This alternation between running and walking can be practiced by both beginners and experienced runners. In practice, jeffing involves running for one to two minutes, followed by slightly longer periods of walking. Initially, this running-walking combination lasts about twenty minutes. As the sessions progress, you can lengthen the running intervals and shorten the walking time.
For beginners and experienced runners alike
Similar to “fartlek”, a Swedish training method (meaning game of speedspeed in French), this practice consists of varying the running pace by alternating periods of running and walking. But unlike fartlek, jeffing focuses more on endurance than speed.
It would therefore be perfect for beginner runners. “ The main type of person who will benefit from a run-walk approach will be the beginner who does not have good aerobic fitness to begin with. », Explains Arj Thiruchelvam, running coach, in the columns of Stylist UK. He adds : ” This allows you to get out of your comfort zone of walking, and to experience higher intensity work to stimulate progress. “. This technique is also suitable for seasoned runners who want to improve their endurance capacity.
Jeffing is good for morale and reassurance
Jeffing also has a positive impact on mental health. “ Someone who has just started running may be a little nervous, so psychologically knowing that you can split your run gives you peace of mind to finish it », adds Arj Thiruchelvam. Concerning performance, this method allows better management of fatigue and the ability to cover longer distances without exhaustion.
“Psychologically, knowing that you can split your race reassures you to finish it”
“ It can reduce your risk of injury, especially if you are just starting out in the sport », Explains Dr. Ashley V. Austin, sports doctor, contacted by the media Self. She continues: “ Running is one of the highest impact forces you can put on your joints, and because of this, people can experience pain and overuse injuries if they accelerate too quickly. The run-walk method allows for slower, safer progression “.
Indeed, according to a study published in 2016 in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, jeffing allows you to finish a marathon almost as quickly as a continuous race, with less muscle pain and fatigue. “ Although a strategy combining running and walking does not reduce the load on the cardiovascular system, it allows beginning runners to achieve similar finish times with less (muscular) discomfort. », Explain the authors of the study.
