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What if, to improve as a runner, you had to learn to run more slowly?<\/b> Slow jogging, developed by the Japanese physiologist Hiroaki Tanaka, proposes a simple training method: running at a very low intensity, almost at a brisk-walk pace, while maintaining a comfortable level of effort. A strategy that is interesting both for getting started in running and for developing the aerobic base, accumulating minutes of activity, or performing recovery runs.<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/h6>\n
What is slow running?<\/b><\/h6>\n
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The slow jogging<\/i> or slow running<\/b> is a form of low-intensity running popularized by the Japanese researcher Hiroaki Tanaka, professor at Fukuoka University. Its principle is simple: run slowly enough to be able to hold a conversation and even smile while you run<\/b>.<\/p>\n
Tanaka popularized the Japanese concept \u201cniko niko\u201d<\/b>, which can be translated as \u201csmile.\u201d The idea is to use the smile and the ability to speak comfortably as practical signals that we are running at an appropriate intensity.<\/p>\n
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An article from the Natural Running Center<\/strong> precisely captures this philosophy: if you cannot smile, talk with ease, or even sing, you are probably running too fast.<\/strong> (Natural Running Center)<\/p>\n It is not about setting a universal speed. The approximately 6-7 km\/h<\/b> figures that commonly appear associated with the method are only a reference: for some people it will be a very easy jog and for others it may be even slower. What matters is the relative intensity and the sensation of comfort<\/b>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Here is a very simple way to know if you are doing slow running<\/i>:<\/p>\n Can you run and maintain a conversation without running out of breath? Can you smile naturally?<\/b><\/p>\n If the answer is yes, you are probably at the right intensity.<\/p>\n If you keep an eye on the clock, pant, or need to concentrate to keep the rhythm, slow down.<\/p>\n And this concept also has an interesting scientific backing. A study conducted with 24 trained runners observed that smiling while running was associated with lower oxygen consumption and better running economy compared with frowning or a control condition. The authors suggested that smiling periodically could be used as an attentional cue to promote movement economy. (ScienceDirect)<\/p>\n Smiling will not automatically make you a better runner on its own<\/b>, but it fits perfectly with Tanaka\u2019s philosophy: relaxation, comfort and absence of unnecessary tension.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 1. Start much slower than you think.<\/b> 2. Look for the \u201csmile pace.\u201d<\/b> 3. Slightly shorten your stride.<\/b> 4. Keep the body relaxed.<\/b> 5. Walk when necessary.<\/b> 6. Increase time first, then speed.<\/b> \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Here it is useful to separate Tanaka\u2019s philosophy from what science actually says.<\/p>\n The book title of Tanaka refers to \u201cRun with Smile, Midfoot Strike\u201d<\/b>, and the slow jogging approach promotes light running and a soft landing of the foot. (Natural Running Center)<\/p>\n However, I would not recommend that a runner artificially force a midfoot support thinking it will prevent injuries.<\/b><\/p>\n The majority of long-distance runners use a heel or rearfoot strike. A systematic review and meta-analysis found that around the 79% of distance runners initially landed on the rearfoot<\/b>, a proportion that rose to 86% with increasing distance. Moreover, the available evidence does not conclusively show that running with a midfoot or forefoot strike provides a performance advantage. (PubMed Central (PMC))<\/p>\n Another review concluded that deliberately changing from rearfoot to midfoot or forefoot strike has not demonstrated improvements in running economy nor a reduction in injury risk by itself<\/b>. (PubMed)<\/p>\n Therefore, the practical recommendation is much simpler:<\/p>\n Do not focus first on where the foot lands. Focus on running relaxed, with a comfortable stride, without artificially lengthening it or pounding the ground.<\/b><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Slow jogging<\/i> shares many of the benefits of low-intensity aerobic exercise: improved cardiorespiratory capacity, increased energy expenditure and stimulation of the leg muscles<\/b>, as well as allowing you to accumulate physical activity in a relatively comfortable way.<\/p>\n In a trial involving about 81 adults aged around 71<\/b>, a 12-week program combining one-minute intervals of slow jogging and one minute of walking significantly improved aerobic capacity and performance on a chair-stand test. Improvements were also observed in various measures related to leg body composition.<\/p>\n Research specifically on Tanaka\u2019s method remains limited, so we should not attribute miraculous properties. What it does have behind it is a solid principle: regular aerobic exercise is one of the best strategies to improve and maintain physical capacity<\/b>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Here is one of the most interesting applications for Sport Life readers.<\/p>\n Slow running<\/i> is not only for beginners or older people<\/b>. A trained runner can use it for:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The philosophy of Natural Running Center also presents it as a recovery tool: the activity should ideally leave you, when possible, better than when you started<\/b>, not add more stress to what you already carry in daily life. (Natural Running Center)<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Running slowly does not have a magical effect on body fat<\/b>. Fat loss depends on the energy balance maintained over time and on factors such as diet, activity, rest, and body composition.<\/p>\n Its advantage may lie elsewhere: a comfortable intensity makes it easier for certain people to sustain activity longer and turn it into a sustainable habit<\/b>.<\/p>\n For an athlete, moreover, gentle aerobic work can complement quality sessions without adding as much fatigue as more intense training.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Perhaps this is the idea that matters most: running slowly can help you keep running for many years<\/b>.<\/p>\n We do not need all our sessions to be intense. Endurance training yields important cardiovascular and metabolic adaptations, while low-intensity work allows for volume to accumulate and keeps us active with a lower recovery cost.<\/p>\n Therefore, slow running can form part of a longevity strategy for athletes: it\u2019s not about training less, but about learning when it is worth training slower.<\/b><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 1. Turn it into a race.<\/b> 2. Obsess about pace.<\/b> 3. Forcing a midfoot strike.<\/b> 4. Running too long from day one.<\/b> 5. Thinking it substitutes all training.<\/b> 6. Ignoring pain.<\/b> \u00a0<\/p>\n Try this test on your next workout:<\/p>\n \u2713<\/b> You can hold a conversation.<\/b> If you meet all five, you\u2019ve probably found your slow running.<\/p>\n And there\u2019s something even more important: don\u2019t be afraid of being overtaken by walkers. It\u2019s one of the most enjoyable ideas of Tanaka\u2019s method and also appears in the Natural Running Center approach: if you need to run very slowly, run very slowly. Other people\u2019s speed has nothing to do with your training. (Natural Running Center)<\/p>\n SLOW RUNNING = RUNNING SLOW + RELAXATION + CONSISTENCY<\/b><\/p>\n Intensity:<\/b> low and comfortable, at a conversational pace.<\/p>\n The reference:<\/b> the \u201cniko niko,\u201d running with a sensation comfortable enough to smile.<\/p>\n Technique:<\/b> a natural and relaxed stride. It is not necessary to force a midfoot strike.<\/p>\n Ideal for:<\/b> beginners, veteran runners, recovery runs and athletes who want to increase their aerobic activity.<\/p>\n The key:<\/b> not chasing pace, but controlling effort.<\/p>\n The philosophy:<\/b> running today in a way that allows you to run again tomorrow.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you can\u2019t smile, you\u2019re probably running too fast.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n More than a rigid scientific rule, it is the best practical translation of Tanaka\u2019s niko niko philosophy: to make running feel easy, sustainable, and enjoyable again.<\/b><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\u00a0<\/h6>\n
The smile test<\/b><\/h6>\n
How is it done?<\/b><\/h6>\n
Forget about pace per kilometer at first.<\/p>\n
You should be able to talk with ease and maintain a sense of control.<\/p>\n
The goal is to run lightly, relaxed, and not to advance by taking large strides.<\/p>\n
Avoid tensing shoulders, arms, or jaw. The sensation should be of easy, fluid movement.<\/p>\n
For a beginner, alternating light running and walking is perfectly valid.<\/p>\n
The priority is to build exercise tolerance, not to show how far you can go on day one.<\/p>\nShould you run on your midfoot?<\/b><\/h6>\n
What benefits can it bring?<\/b><\/h6>\n
A tool also for trained runners<\/b><\/h6>\n
What about fat loss?<\/b><\/h6>\n
Slow running and longevity<\/b><\/h6>\n
6 mistakes to avoid<\/b><\/h6>\n
If you go out thinking you have to prove how much you can run, you\u2019ve lost the concept.<\/p>\n
The 6-7 km\/h range is a reference, not a requirement. Your slow-running pace depends on your fitness.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t change your foot strike pattern just because you think it\u2019s healthier. The strike pattern is individual, and the evidence does not justify turning it into an obsession.<\/p>\n
Slow does not mean there is no load. The body needs adaptation.<\/p>\n
A runner also needs strength, mobility, quality sessions when appropriate, and rest.<\/p>\n
Running slowly does not make an injury safe. If persistent pain appears or it alters your running form, stop and assess what is happening.<\/p>\nSPORT LIFE TEST: ARE YOU RUNNING SLOW ENOUGH?<\/b><\/h6>\n
\u2713<\/b> You can smile effortlessly.<\/b>
\u2713<\/b> You don\u2019t feel like you\u2019re competing.<\/b>
\u2713<\/b> Your breathing stays controlled.<\/b>
\u2713<\/b> You finish with the sense that you could have kept going.<\/b><\/p>\nIN SUMMARY<\/b><\/h6>\n
FOR A TAKEAWAY PHRASE<\/b><\/h6>\n
Scientific references<\/b><\/h6>\n