Slow running could be better for your health – and how you feel about exercise

Runners are obsessed with time. Amateur or professional, for most avid runners the aim is to get faster – constantly training in order to shave even just a couple of seconds off their marathon time or 5K pace.

But one running trend that’s started to gain a foothold in recent years is that of “slow running”. The idea behind the slow running movement is that anyone can run – no matter your ability or how fast you run.

Fans of this approach say it has many benefits – not just for your health but also in how enjoyable you find running. Research agrees, with evidence showing slow running may in some ways be more beneficial than training at higher intensities.

When we think of elite runners such as Eliud Kipchoge or Kelvin Kiptum, we might assume that to set world records, they primarily train at these record-setting paces. But surprisingly, elite runners spend around 80% of their time training at what’s termed zone 2 running – a running pace which raises your heart rate, but is still slow enough that you can hold a conversation. Only around 20% of their training is done in the higher intensity zones, which are closer to their race pace.

The reason for this relates to the amount of stress...

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