JEFFING?! The answer to your prayers…

 Well, simply put, if you are struggling to find form due to injuries then JEFFING could well be the answer to your prayers! 

I had almost given up completely on running. I’d gained weight, struggled with injuries and felt a shadow of my former self. 

Then a colleague told me about Jeffing. 

What’s that? I asked- having already given up running in my head. 

Well you simply do interval training… I’d done intervals before and I remember them being terrifically painful. 

I think she gleaned as much from my face.

Oh no- they’re not like regular intervals- 500 fast then 100 slow. No you simply run for thirty seconds, then walk for thirty and repeat this for as long as you are running for- it’s been a godsend to me! 

I was still sceptical but agreed to give it a go. So there I was running for 30, walking for 30 and I continued this for approximately 15 minutes. To be honest, I was a convert right away. My calves are a real hotspot for me so the walk period gave them a chance for recovery- so I was able to go further and for longer. I played about with the lengths of time I ran for- sometimes I ran for 1 minute then walked for a minute, sometimes 2 minutes. Everything felt great.

In terms of cardiovascular health, my heart rate was constantly increasing and decreasing- which I am led to believe improves your cv health. For me though, the normal pressure I feel to not ‘give up’ by stopping was completely removed- the idea is to stop! This enabled me to actually enjoy my run without blowing through my backside desperately trying to keep going. 

I would normally be completely done in after only a 30 minute 3 miler- such are the depths that I have fallen. However, doing jeffing allowed me, as an injury prone runner to complete 4.5 miles in 50 minutes. Yes it wasn’t as strenuous as a normal run, but it will allow me to build my fitness and strength back up. I will definitely be doing this type of run more often than not as I look to return to the times I used to do 10 years ago. 

I would recommend this exercise- especially for those looking to get over injuries or people who need to shift some weight. It’s not for everyone but it is certainly worth a try.