If 2020 was the year that you decided to start running, you are making a significant investment in your fitness. Even if you are making running progress, your running routine can start to feel stale after a while. Here are some ways to mix up your running routine and supercharge your fitness progress:

Read more about setting new year’s fitness goals 

In order to boost your running, Stride It Out

Adding strides (short bursts of speed that are typically no more than 1 minute long) into your run is probably the most beginner-friendly way to get faster when you’re running. It’s also a great way to have fun. You can decide to speed up for the chorus of the song that you’re listening to, or run for 30 seconds once your treadmill hits the 1 mile mark. It is recommended to start off with only a few strides per run (perhaps 2 or 3 strides) and add more strides as they feel easier.

 Cross Train Like a Boss  to boost your running

Once you’ve gotten started running, it’s helpful to add some cross training into your routine as well. Never heard of it? Cross training is just a fancy way of saying that you are taking part in other sports or fitness activities aside from running. The idea of cross training is to benefit from using your muscles in a different way from running. Going to a bootcamp in Orange County or a gym in Irvine gets your heart pumping, and includes solid conditioning exercises that strengthen muscles that you don’t use when running. Try something new to work your muscles in a new way and become a stronger athlete overall.

If you want to improve your breathing, you can buy a training mask.

Switch Out Your Surfaces

The surface matters – at least it does when it’s the surface that you run on. It’s important to vary the surface you run on. Running on different surfaces reduces your likelihood of getting injured and makes your muscles stronger. Running on a treadmill at one of the gyms in Orange County will give you a more gentle workout impact. Taking your run to the streets will increase the overall impact on your body, but will mean less stress on your feet and ankles. Putting in running time on grass or dirt places a higher demand on feet and ankles, but less impact on your legs. Try to include a variety of surfaces in your running routine to keep yourself healthy and strong as you build your endurance and stamina.