If you’re finding your parkrun progress has stalled, and no matter how many miles you put in, you’re not seeing any meaningful difference in your times, this could be the training hack to help you break through the plateau. A new study has found that the simple exercise of double-legged hopping can increase your running economy – and it only takes five minutes a day.
The Study
The study, published in Scientific Reports, aimed to find out whether doing a short, daily hopping exercise could improve how efficiently amateur runners use oxygen while running – known as running economy – without affecting their overall fitness level.
The Methods
The study was a randomised controlled trial. It included:
- Two groups: one did the hopping exercise (exercise group), the other continued their usual routines without any changes (control group).
- 34 amateur runners (average age 29), all able to run 10k in under 55 minutes.
- The exercise group did 5 minutes of double-legged hopping every day for six weeks. The number of hopping sets increased each week, while the rest time between sets got shorter.
- Before and after the six weeks, all participants were tested on a treadmill at three running speeds: 10 km/h, 12 km/h, and 14 km/h. The researchers measured: running economy, aerobic fitness and the balance between oxygen used and carbon dioxide produced (a marker of energy use called the respiratory exchange ratio).
The Results
Running economy improved in the hopping group at faster speeds:
- At 12 km/h, they used less oxygen than before, meaning they ran more efficiently.
- At 14 km/h, the improvement was even more noticeable.
- At 10 km/h (a slower pace), there was no meaningful change.
Aerobic fitness (maximum oxygen use) did not change significantly, meaning the hopping didn’t improve or reduce overall fitness.
Energy use (respiratory exchange ratio) increased at the higher speeds, which might suggest the body was using more carbohydrates for energy during faster running.
Most participants stuck with the programme, and only two reported mild discomfort (shin or foot pain). No injuries occurred.
The Conclusion
The researchers concluded: ‘This study provides first evidence that 5 min of daily hopping improve running economy at moderate and high running speed without compromising maximal aerobic capacity in amateur runners. This is in line with previous studies using less frequent jump exercises with higher duration.’
They added that more research is needed to understand exactly how it works – whether it’s improving tendon function, changing how energy is used, or affecting movement technique.
What Does This Mean for Us?
A short daily routine of double-legged hopping on the spot can help us become more efficient at faster running speeds. This simple and time-efficient move could be included in your programme, or even quickly in your pre-run warm-ups to see the benefits. Skipping would likely have the same benefits, if you prefer. You can include it each day, for five minutes, by completing the following protocol – as used in the study:
- week 1: 5 sets of 10 secs / 50 secs rest
- week 2: 6 sets of 10 secs / 40 secs rest
- week 3: 8 sets of 10 secs / 30 secs rest
- week 4: 10 sets of 10 secs / 10 secs rest
- week 5: 15 sets of 10 secs / 10 secs rest
- week 6: 15 sets of 10 secs / 10 secs rest
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Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isn’t lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.