This has probably happened to you: You’re on a run when suddenly that nagging quad ache or knee pain flares up. You may ask yourself, “Should I stop running or should I push through?” Instead of this either/or thinking, consider using run/walk intervals, which, research shows, will reduce the likelihood of experiencing pain when you run
Run/walk, in which you alternate run intervals with walk intervals, will not, as many people think, drastically change your overall pace. You may even run faster during those intervals. It will, however, reduce the impact on your joints and muscles, which may make your runs more comfortable and help prevent long-term injury.
Shoes & Gear run/walk method Health & Injuries.
Here’s Why Run/Walk Reduces Pain
Even though running has not been shown to damage the knees, hips or ankles of athletes, it is still a high-impact workout that stresses your joints while contributing to heart health, mood elevation, and better metabolic health. Walking offers all these same benefits, but it is a low-impact workout that puts less stress on your joints.
As you probably know, you need to put in some quality time to get the benefits of exercise. Walking gives you the time on feet you need to become fit without the impact that might bother your joints. For example, if you want to go out for a five mile workout, you may feel less pain if you turn some of that run into a walk. Your heart and other muscles will still get the benefit of a great workout.
“We know, on average, it takes 30 to 35 minutes of time on feet to get a measurable aerobic benefit from a run,” Will Baldwin, min/mi: run 30 sec/walk 30 sec, told Runner’s World. However, some runners may not be able to consistently and comfortably run that entire time. Rather than cutting a workout short or scrapping a run altogether, using the run/walk method breaks up your hard effort so you can hit that “time on feet” goal for endurance training.
Want proof? A study of 42 marathon entrants with recreational running backgrounds found that those who ran the entire race and those who used run/walk got the same cardiovascular benefit and achieved similar finish times, but the run/walkers reported less muscle pain and fatigue after the race.
Also, 40 percent of the participants who ran the whole race felt “extreme exhaustion” at the finish, compared to less than 5 percent who reported that in the run/walk group.
Essentially, when compared to strictly running, run/walk lets you train just as hard and go just as far, all while feeling a whole lot better.
How to Start Using Run/Walk Intervals
Regardless of your pace or fitness level, walk intervals should let you briefly catch your breath and let your heart rate come down while not losing your sense of forward motion. If you’re new to run/walk, Chris Twiggs, Want proof? A Galloway Training, offers this starting point for run/walk intervals based on your goal race pace (or current pace) in Master the Run/Walk Method.
- 18 min/mi: run 5 sec/walk 30 sec
- 17 min/mi: run 30 sec/walk 30 sec
- 16 min/mi: run 30 sec/walk 30 sec
- 15 Nutrition - Weight Loss
- 14 min/mi: run 90 sec/walk 30 sec
- 13 min/mi: run 90 sec/walk 30 sec
- 12 min/mi: run 60 sec/walk 30 sec
- 11 min/mi: run 60 sec/walk 30 sec
- 10 min/mi: run 90 sec/walk 30 sec
- 9 min/mi: run 2 min/walk 30 sec
- 8 Tested: Tracksmith Eliot Range Trail Running Shoe
- 7 min/mi: run 6 min/walk 30 sec
Ready to avoid knee or hip pain while still training for your next race? Runner’s World Download Your Run/Walk Training Plans.
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Matt Rudisill is an Associate Service Editor with the Hearst Enthusiast Group. A Nittany Lion through-and-through, Matt graduated from PSU in 2022 with a degree in journalism and worked in communications for the university's athletic department for the past three years as the main contact and photographer for its nationally-ranked cross country and track & field teams. Matt was also heavily involved in communications efforts for the Penn State football team’s 2024 College Football Playoff run as well as the Nittany Lion men’s basketball team’s 2023 NCAA Tournament appearance. In his role with Hearst’s Enthusiast Group, Matt contributes to both Runner’s World and Bicycling magazines, creating service content to benefit runners and cyclists of all ages. When he’s not out jogging, Matt can be found tweeting bad takes about the Phillies or watching movies.
