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What if, to improve as a runner, you had to learn to run slower?<\/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. An interesting strategy for both starting out in running and improving 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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Slow jogging 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 Natural Running Center<\/strong> captures this philosophy precisely: If you can\u2019t smile, speak easily, or even sing, you\u2019re probably running too fast.<\/strong> (Natural Running Center)<\/p>\n It isn\u2019t about setting a universal speed. The roughly 6-7 km\/h<\/b> often associated with the method are just a reference: for some people it will be a very easy jog and for others it might be even slower. The important thing is the relative intensity and the sense of comfort<\/b>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Here is a very simple way to know if you\u2019re 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\u2019re probably at an appropriate intensity.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re watching the clock, gasping, or needing to concentrate to keep the pace, slow down.<\/p>\n And this concept has a small but interesting scientific backing. A study conducted with 24 trained runners found that smiling while running was associated with lower oxygen consumption and better running economy compared to frowning or a control condition. The authors proposed that smiling periodically could be used as an attentional cue to promote movement economy. (ScienceDirect)<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t mean that smiling will make you a better runner by itself<\/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. Seek the \u201csmile pace.\u201d<\/b> 3. Slightly shorten your stride.<\/b> 4. Keep your body relaxed.<\/b> 5. Walk when necessary.<\/b> 6. Increase time first, then speed.<\/b> \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Here it\u2019s useful to separate Tanaka\u2019s philosophy from what science actually says.<\/p>\n The title of Tanaka\u2019s book references \u201cRun with Smile, Midfoot Strike\u201d<\/b>, and the slow jogging approach promotes light running with a soft landing of the foot. (Natural Running Center)<\/p>\n However, I would not recommend forcing a midfoot strike in the belief that it will prevent injuries.<\/b><\/p>\n Most long-distance runners land on the heel or rearfoot. A systematic review and meta-analysis found that around the 79% of distance runners initially landed on the rearfoot<\/b>, a figure rising to 86% as distance increases. Moreover, the available evidence does not conclusively show that midfoot or forefoot striking provides a performance advantage. (PubMed Central (PMC))<\/p>\n Another review concluded that deliberately shifting from rearfoot to midfoot or forefoot has not demonstrated improvements in running economy nor a reduction in injury risk by itself<\/b>. (PubMed)<\/p>\n Thus, the practical recommendation would be much simpler:<\/p>\n Don\u2019t think first about where the foot lands. Think about running relaxed, with a comfortable stride, without artificially lengthening it and without striking the ground.<\/b><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Slow jogging shares many benefits with low-intensity aerobic exercise: improved cardiorespiratory capacity, increased energy expenditure, and stimulation of leg muscles<\/b>, in addition to allowing you to accumulate activity in a relatively comfortable manner.<\/p>\n In a trial with 81 adults around 71 years old<\/b>, a 12-week program combining one-minute intervals of slow jogging and one minute of walking significantly improved aerobic capacity and performance on the chair-stand test. Improvements were also observed in various measures related to leg body composition.<\/p>\n The 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 is not only for beginners or older individuals<\/b>. A trained runner can use it for:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Natural Running Center\u2019s philosophy also presents it as a recovery tool: the activity should ideally leave you better than you were before you started, not add more stress to what you already accumulate 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 factors such as diet, physical activity, rest, and body composition.<\/p>\n Its advantage may lie elsewhere: a comfortable intensity makes it easier for some people to maintain activity longer and turn it into a sustainable habit<\/b>.<\/p>\n For an athlete, furthermore, easy aerobic work can complement quality sessions without adding as much fatigue as intense workouts.<\/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 don\u2019t need all our sessions to be intense. Endurance training yields important cardiovascular and metabolic adaptations, while low-intensity work allows accumulating volume and staying active with a lower recovery cost.<\/p>\n Therefore, slow running can be part of a longevity strategy: it\u2019s not about training less, but about learning when it is worth training more slowly.<\/b><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n 1. Turn it into a race.<\/b> 2. Obsess over the pace.<\/b> 3. Forcing a midfoot strike.<\/b> 4. Running too long on day one.<\/b> 5. Thinking it substitutes all training.<\/b> 6. Ignoring pain.<\/b> \u00a0<\/p>\n Take this test on your next run:<\/p>\n \u2713<\/b> You can hold a conversation.<\/b> If you meet all five, you\u2019ve probably found your slow running<\/i>.<\/p>\n And there\u2019s something more important: don\u2019t be afraid of being overtaken by walkers<\/b>. It\u2019s one of the fun 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 = RUN SLOW + RELAXATION + CONSISTENCY<\/b><\/p>\n Intensity:<\/b> low and comfortable, at a conversational pace.<\/p>\n Reference:<\/b> the \u201cniko niko,\u201d running with a sensation comfortable enough to be able to smile.<\/p>\n Technique:<\/b> a natural and relaxed stride. It\u2019s not necessary to force a midfoot strike.<\/p>\n Ideal for:<\/b> beginners, experienced runners, recovery runs, and athletes who want to increase their aerobic activity.<\/p>\n Key:<\/b> not chasing pace, but controlling the effort.<\/p>\n Philosophy:<\/b> running today in a way that lets you 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\u2019s the best practical translation of Tanaka\u2019s niko niko philosophy: 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 do you do it?<\/b><\/h6>\n
First forget about pace per kilometer.<\/p>\n
You should be able to talk easily and maintain a sense of control.<\/p>\n
The goal is to run lightly, relaxed, and without trying to move forward with large strides.<\/p>\n
Avoid tensing shoulders, arms, or jaw. The feeling should be of easy, fluid movement.<\/p>\n
For a beginner, alternating easy running and walking is perfectly valid.<\/p>\n
The priority is to build exercise tolerance, not to prove how much you can run on day one.<\/p>\nShould you run on your forefoot?<\/b><\/h6>\n
What benefits can it offer?<\/b><\/h6>\n
A tool also for trained runners<\/b><\/h6>\n
And what about fat loss?<\/b><\/h6>\n
Slow running and longevity<\/b><\/h6>\n
6 mistakes you must avoid<\/b><\/h6>\n
If you go out thinking you have to prove how much you can run, you\u2019ve missed the point.<\/p>\n
The 6-7 km\/h is a reference, not a duty. Your slow running pace depends on your fitness level.<\/p>\n
Do not alter your striking pattern thinking it\u2019s healthier. The strike pattern is individual, and the evidence does not justify making it an obsession.<\/p>\n
Slow does not mean there is no load. The body needs adaptation.<\/p>\n
A runner also needs strength, mobility, high-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\u2019s going on.<\/p>\nSPORT LIFE TEST: ARE YOU RUNNING SLOW ENOUGH?<\/b><\/h6>\n
\u2713<\/b> You can smile without effort.<\/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
TO REMEMBER A QUOTE<\/b><\/h6>\n
Scientific references<\/b><\/h6>\n