Chase Away Boredom

Once you can run comfortably for 20 to 30 minutes at a time, your mind and your muscles will start getting used to the workout, and you might get a little bored. Even if you can squeeze in only a couple of runs a week, you may want to add some variation to keep yourself challenged and engaged.

Consider increasing the duration of one run a week, suggests Benson. Build up to 45 minutes, adding no more than 10 minutes per run. Start this long run with an easy jog for the first five minutes, then slowly increase your speed until you reach a pace that is challenging but doesn’t leave you gasping for air. This is what’s known as a “steady-state run” — you find a pace and maintain it.

Another way to challenge yourself, and to save time if you can’t fit in an extended workout, is to go for a short interval run, alternating jogging with bursts of fast running. This will help you strengthen and tone your leg muscles and improve your heart and lung capacity. The duration of the intervals can vary. If you have only 20 minutes and there’s a track nearby, run down the straightaways, then jog the curves. Or stick to your standard three-mile route but pick up the pace for two to three minutes at a time. The point is to hit the highs and lows of the effort range: Run to your upper limit, then jog easily to recover.

Maybe the simplest way to enliven a mundane workout is to reverse direction. Steve Johnson, a marathon runner and a trainer at Equinox gym in Chicago, says that simply running your usual course counterclockwise can make a big difference.