Hearing about a workout called a “fartlek” for the first time as a new runner might be intimidating and confusing. That’s because most terms, like “long run” and “speed workout,” are pretty self-explanatory. You may think to yourself, “How am I supposed to do a fartlek when I can’t even tell what it means?”
Luckily, fartlek workouts are way simpler than they sound—and perfect for beginners looking to improve their speed and overall performance. To break down what they are, why they work, and the best options for novices, we tapped two running coaches.
What are fartlek workouts?
“Fartlek” is a Swedish word that means “speed play”—and that’s exactly what it is, according to Karina Ripps, C.P.T., certified run coach and personal trainer. “It’s a mix of easy running with bursts of faster running built in,” she says.
This type of speed workout is often more unstructured and flexible than a traditional interval workout, explains Erica Coviello, C.P.T., certified personal trainer and RRCA-certified run coach. You can do them with a simple stopwatch or you can use landmarks to make them more fun.
For instance, if you’re running in a particularly crowded area, you can increase your speed for 30 steps any time you see a dog or someone wearing a hat, Coviello suggests. You could do the same if you’re listening to music: Run slow during the verses of a song, then pick up your pace during the chorus.
How can beginners benefit from fartlek training?
When you practice fartlek workouts you’re not glued to a pace or specific rest time, you’re just playing with speed, Ripps says. “For new runners, that’s perfect. It takes the pressure off, makes running feel less rigid, and it brings back that freedom of just moving,” she explains.
Here are a few more perks of fartlek workouts.
1. Running Faster and Longer
Adding fartlek workouts to your routine can help train your aerobic and anaerobic energy systems, so you can run faster and longer. Your aerobic system uses oxygen for fuel, sustaining longer exercises like endurance running, Coviello says. “The easy running portion of fartlek runs helps you build endurance by making this system work well,” she explains.
On the other hand, your anaerobic system does not use oxygen for fuel, instead it opts for other stored energy in your muscles during short, intense bursts, like sprints. The faster portions of fartlek workouts help you build speed and power by making this system work more efficiently as well, Coviello explains.
2. Improved VO2 Max
VO2 max is the amount of oxygen your body can take in, distribute, and use during activity, Coviello explains. By incorporating high-intensity bursts of speed throughout an easy run, you’re stressing your cardiovascular system just enough to spur adaptations, making it get better at transporting oxygen to your muscles, and therefore, bettering your VO2 max. “When this happens consistently over time, it becomes easier for you to sustain faster paces for a longer period of time,” she says.
Research backs this up: A small 2014 study published in the International Journal of Physical Education Fitness and Sports found that participants who practiced fartleks three times a week for 12 weeks had improvements in maximum oxygen consumption (VO2 max) and resting heart rate.
3. Better Running Gait and Form
While “good” running form means whatever is most comfortable for you and doesn’t result in injury, any time you run fast, practicing fartleks can help get you closer to the “gold standard.” This means running with relaxed shoulders, a slight forward lean, elbows pumping behind you and avoiding overstriding, according to Coviello.
4. Burnout and Injury Prevention
“Too many beginners think that the only way to get faster is to go hard all the time. That mindset leads to overtraining and/or not enjoying the process,” Ripps says. Fartleks help you practice going hard, but also running easy. (Granted, you also shouldn’t do fartleks every day of the week; you still want easy efforts to make up the majority of your training!)
Additionally, fartleks can help you train for the physical demands of changing pace during races and improve your body’s ability to handle varying intensities, she says.
What are the best fartlek workouts to add to your training?
The beauty of fartleks is that they’re flexible, Coviello explains. You can adapt them to any location, situation, fitness level, and goal. Do these fartlek workouts once or twice a week—so long as the rest of your weekly mileage is mostly easy—to help you get faster and stronger.
1. 30/60 Workout
Why it works: This workout improves both aerobic endurance and anaerobic power, increasing leg turnover, which can improve your running form, according to Coviello. “You get these benefits without [too much] stress, and you still have the ability to recover,” she says.
This 30-minute fartlek is mostly easy but with 30 seconds of faster running throughout the workout followed by at least 60 seconds of easy running to recover. “Don’t run the speedy part so hard that you need to walk,” Coviello cautions. “If you find it hard to recover, just run the hard part a little slower.”
How to do it:
- Warm up with 5-10 minutes of walking or slow jogging
- Run hard for 30 seconds, then run easy for 60 seconds
- Repeat this 8 times
- Cool down with 5-10 minutes of walking or slow jogging
2. 2 Minutes On, 2 Minutes Off
Why it works: This workout from Coviello can improve VO2 max, running economy, and aerobic endurance, which “have the combined effect of allowing you to run faster down the road,” she says.
How to do it:
- Warm up with 5-10 minutes of walking or slow jogging
- Run hard for 2 minutes, then run easy for 2 minutes
- Repeat this 6-8 times
- Cool down with 5-10 minutes of walking or slow jogging
3. Mailbox Pickups
Why it works: This is one of Ripps’ favorite fartlek workouts for new runners because there’s no timing, no specific pace, and no pressure. “It gets you comfortable changing gears, improves your aerobic strength, and keeps things mentally fresh,” she says.
How to do it:
- Choose a mailbox, tree, or landmark up ahead and run hard until you get there
- Run easy until you feel ready to go again
- Repeat this 6-8 times
4. 1 Minute On, 2 Minutes Easy
Why it works: This workout from Ripps is structured yet simple. “The one-minute surge builds cardiovascular strength and leg turnover, and the two-minute recovery keeps you from going too hard,” she says. ”I like this one when a runner is ready to take things up a notch but still wants guidance on how to pace themselves.”
How to do it:
- Warm up with 10 minutes of slow jogging
- Run hard for 1 minute, then run easy for 2 minutes
- Repeat this 6-8 times
- Cool down with 5-10 minutes of walking or slow jogging
Danielle Zickl is a freelance writer who has 10 years of experience covering fitness, health, and nutrition. She's a graduate of Ithaca College. You can find her work here on Women's Health, and in many other publications including PS, SELF, Well+Good, Runner’s World, Outside RUN, Peloton, Men’s Fitness, and more.
