Run for the Hills

A lot of runners hate hills, and avoid them like the plague. But you really should see hills as your friends, since they are a great opportunity to improve your running and burn some extra calories.

According to fitness expert Liz Neporent:

For every additional 5 percent of grade (a modest uptick in the landscape), a 150-pound exerciser will burn an extra three to five calories per minute.

So if you are trying to burn some extra calories, or just want to challenge yourself more, go find a hilly area to run in. As for me, I’ve learned to love hills over the years, after initially avoiding them. Injuries I’ve had made for a difficult relationship with hills year back.

Hills are kind of difficult to avoid in most of Westchester county, so I had to make peace with them and have become much better as a runner thanks to them. I think running on hilly terrain has even helped me improve my running speed on flatter surfaces. Just remember that running up hills is harder on your heart, while running down is harder on your legs.

Go run for the hills!