The short-and-sweet dash

A true sprint is less than 400m, or one lap around a track, says Matsuzaki. And it’s so high-output that you couldn’t possibly imagine doing it beyond that. For all-out efforts, a few cues ensure you get the perks sans injury:

Up your cadence

How many steps you take per minute (SPM) is called cadence. For a long-distance runner, that’s about 170 to 180 SPM, compared with more than 240 SPM for sprinters, says Matsuzaki. Not only does a faster cadence typically translate to a faster speed, but it’s also a researchproven way to help improve efficiency. For any and all runners, increasing your cadence by as little as 5% has the potential to improve your form and aerobic demand. To figure out yours, film yourself on the treadmill from the side in slow motion for 10 seconds – then count the