'Jeffing' is a training technique that will make your running easier – here's how to do it
Perhaps you're deep in the midst of marathon training, or you're a beginner who wants to get better at running but are overwhelmed by anything longer than a 5k. Either way, it's time to give Jeffing, the run-walk coaching technique, a go.
It's a technique developed by Olympian Jeff Galloway, who took part in the 1972 10k Olympic race and has a 10k PB of about 28 mins. Jeffing is a highly effective and adaptable training method incorporating a mix of running and walking in a single workout. 'By alternating running and walking from the start, runners stay strong, recover faster, and finish feeling good,' says Galloway.
'Whether you're just starting or looking for a smarter way to train, Jeffing allows you to control your effort, stay consistent, and make running a lifelong habit.'
With the support of top experts, Jeff Galloway himself explains how he came up with Jeffing, what it is, explains Jeffing's benefits, and provides Jeffing workouts for beginners and seasoned runners alike.
What is Jeffing?
'My goal, in designing the Jeffing method, is to help people enjoy running while reducing fatigue, injury, and burnout', says Galloway. 'Many beginners push too hard and struggle, while experienced runners often battle overuse injuries. Jeffing provides a structured way to build endurance, maintain motivation, and even improve race times—without exhaustion.
'I’ve consulted and coached over 500,000 runners and walkers and I have not found a better way to manage or eliminate pain, exhaustion, burnout and other negative effects of distance running.
'In 1974, my first year of teaching Jeffing, (also called run walk run®) I worked with beginners to avoid the negatives of running - to keep them running. Over a six-month period, all of my students enjoyed running, improved and there were no injuries. When the “beginners” ran faster in races than their non-stop friends, a growing number of veteran runners have joined the “Jeffers” with great success.'
Instead of running non-stop until one feels pain or becomes exhausted, the Jeffing technique is to run for usually 10-60 seconds and then walk for 30 seconds—from the beginning of the workout. When the amounts of running and walking are balanced correctly, each walk erases the buildup of stress on weak links in the body and the running muscles can recover a great deal of strength and performance.
Jeffing offers proven strategies, based upon the pace, backed by hundreds of thousands of success stories. By using the right strategy from the beginning, every run can be a good run.
Jeff Galloway’s app has a free download and a free Jeffing timer — coached by Galloway himself!
'Jeffing is an effective run-walk training method that makes running more accessible and sustainable for all fitness levels,' confirms Dean Zweck, product development manager and former PT at Total Fitness. It involves alternating between periods of running and walking.
It's a versatile training technique that can be tailored to the needs of each runner, allowing you to adjust the frequency, duration, and pace of the run-walk intervals to suit your individual goals, continues Will Broome, director at Gym Equipment. 'For most runners, the end game is to gradually reduce the walking intervals until you've reached your target run time and distance.'
'Typically, people will start Jeffing by running for a couple of minutes before switching to walking', notes Mark Harris, PT and fitness expert at Mirafit. 'While the exercise can be completed by anyone, it’s popular among ultra runners due to its ability to enhance endurance.'
If you’ve tried the Couch to 5k programme, the concept of Jeffing will feel pretty familiar, continues Broome. It uses timed intervals of walking and running to help you gradually build up to running a 5k without stopping.
Why is it called Jeffing?
Decades ago, a social-media group, RUN MUMMY RUN, generated interest in running because of the many benefits to mothers, Galloway notes. 'A few of these women discovered my run walk run® method and gave it the nickname - Jeffing - because I invented it.' Other social media platforms picked it up and now it’s used around the world. There is a great community of Jeffers online you can check out: the Galloway Training HUB or the Just Jeffing It Facebook group.
'By incorporating planned walking breaks, Jeffing allows individuals to cover longer distances with less strain, making it an excellent option for beginners, returning runners, or anyone looking to improve their running efficiency', notes Zweck. Unlike simply walking when tired, this method helps manage effort levels strategically, allowing runners to maintain a steady rhythm while building stamina.
Benefits of Jeffing to improve running
1. Injury and fatigue prevention
Jeffing allows each exerciser to control and adjust each workout to be strong to the end without pain or exhaustion, explains Galloway. 'If the start ratio is not working, Jeffers can change immediately and feel good throughout. Any pattern of strategic walk breaks, when done early in a run--and regularly--will reduce both fatigue and irritation of injured areas.'
One of the biggest advantages of Jeffing is injury prevention, agrees Zweck. 'Running continuously places high stress on the joints and muscles, which can lead to common overuse injuries such as shin splints or knee pain.' By alternating running with walking, the impact is significantly reduced, making training more sustainable and allowing for consistent progress.
2. Improved performance
When the strategy is right—for the pace and the runner—race recovery is fast, and race times are faster than non-stop running, says Galloway.
'Our data (collected since 1974) shows that when non-stop runners find the right Jeffing strategy, the average time improvement is over 13 minutes in a marathon and over seven minutes in a half marathon.'
After extensive study, I’ve found that a 30-second walk break delivers the highest level of recovery while reducing the leg-tightening effect of longer walks. Those who walk for a full minute tend to slow down during the second 30 seconds at the end of the run—and find it increasingly more difficult to start the next run segment.
The strategies below are the most successful at each pace listed, based on a very large database of Jeffing reports.
9 min/mi (5:30/km)Run 2 min / Walk 30 sec or Run 90 sec / Walk 30 sec10 min/mi (6:20/km)Run 90 sec / Walk 30 sec or Run 60 sec / Walk 30 sec11-12 min/mi (6:50-7:30/km)Run 60 sec / Walk 30 sec or Run 45 sec / Walk 30 sec13-14 min/mi (8:00-8:40/km)Run 30 sec / Walk 30 sec or Run 20 sec / Walk 20 sec15 min/mi (9:20/km)Run 15 sec / Walk 30 sec16 min/mi (10:00/km)Run 10 sec / Walk 30 sec
Pace | Jeffing Strategy |
|---|---|
Advocates of the method swear by its ability to increase performance, notes Broome. 'The theory here is simple: if you have regular rest breaks, you'll be able to push yourself a bit harder when you're actively running. This allows you to reach your personal best, but with less physical strain.'
Research backs this up, he says. A study published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport found that incorporating walking intervals into your racing strategy can lead to comparable finish times as running the entire race. The study followed 42 marathon runners: one group used intermittent walking, while the other ran continuously. On race day, the run-walk group performed just as well as the continuous runners, but with less fatigue and soreness in the days afterwards.
3. Improved endurance
Jeffing is highly effective for improving endurance, as walk breaks help runners maintain energy levels over longer distances without early fatigue, says Zweck.
4. Better pacing
Similar to the point above, Jeffing allows you to learn about pacing, continues Zweck. Many runners find that structured walk breaks enable them to maintain a consistent pace throughout a race and finish feeling stronger than they would with non-stop running. 'The Jeffing approach helps avoid burnout and fatigue, increasing the run's length,' Harris agrees.
5. Distance management
Mentally, Jeffing removes the intimidation factor often associated with long-distance running. Instead of focusing on covering an entire distance in one go, breaking it into smaller, manageable intervals makes the process more approachable, advises Zweck.
'This shift in mindset can boost confidence, making running more enjoyable and less overwhelming. For those new to running, Jeffing serves as an excellent starting point, helping to build endurance gradually without excessive strain.'
6. Calorie burn
Jeffing is a great way to introduce more cardio into daily routines, explains Harris. 'The combination of running and walking is a great way to burn calories and manage weight gain, perfect for protecting against obesity and heart disease.'
How to start Jeffing
1.For those who have been walking only
Galloway suggests this programme for walkers: 'Work on seamless transitions between running and walking and then from walking back into running or shuffling. There should be never be a dramatic speedup or an abrupt stop.'
The 'shuffle' is the most gentle form of running: feet low to the surface, light touch of the foot and short stride.
1.Warm up with 5 minutes of gentle walking and then 5-10 minutes of your regular walking pace.
2. While walking, ease into a light 'shuffle jog' for 5-7 seconds and then ease back into your walk for 30-60 seconds.
3. Continue to repeat this pattern for 3 minutes and then walk for 3 minutes.
4. The first workout could be 3-5 x 3-minute segments of the Jeffing 'shuffle' (shuffle 5-7 seconds/walk for 30-60 seconds) followed by 3 minutes of walking.
The Jeff Galloway app coaches you into Jeffing with a free timer. If you don’t use the app, get a timer that will signal when it’s time to walk and then when to shuffle again.
5. Do this workout every other day, increasing by an additional 3-minute segment on each workout until you reach 30 minutes. Don’t do strenuous exercise on the day after your Jeffing day—it’s a recovery day.
6. Once you reach a half hour of Jeffing, you can keep increasing the time by 3 minutes each workout.
Or
6. Increase the shuffle to 7-10 seconds.
Or
6. If you have been walking more than 30 seconds between shuffles—drop down to 30 seconds.
2. 15 seconds run, 45 seconds walk
Andy Carr, head of fitness at Snap Fitness, suggests this beginner workout:
Warm up: 5-minute brisk walk
Workout: run 15 secs, walk 45 sec. Repeat for 20-30 mins.
Cool down: 5-minute walk and stretches
3. 1:3 run:walk ratio
Start with a 1:3 ratio for your walking and running intervals, says Adam Clark, fitness expert from rugbystuff.com. For example, run for 30 seconds and then walk for 90 seconds. Repeat this between 10 - 15 times over the course of a training session.
4. Use distance
You can use distance to calculate intervals instead of time, continues Clark. For example, run for 400m and then walk for 100m.
The faster you want to run, the shorter your walking intervals should be, advises Clark. However, you should not skip the walking intervals completely, as this can make you more fatigued.
Technique tips
Carr also gives the following running technique tips:
1. Keep your back straight, shoulders relaxed, and arms at a 90-degree angle.
2. Aim for quick, efficient steps rather than long strides. This reduces impact on joints and helps maintain a steady pace.
3. Breathe deeply and rhythmically (in through your nose, out through your mouth) to maintain oxygen flow and keep you running for longer.
For those who have been running non-stop, but want to try Jeffing
Galloway also offers a plan for runners.
1. Start each workout with a 5-10 minute walk.
2. Then do the following segments of jogging: jog for 30 seconds/walk for 30 seconds for 3 minutes.
3. Then shift to 60-seconds jog/30-second walk for 3 minutes.
4. Then shift to 90-seconds jog/30-second walk for 3 minutes.
5. Then shift to 2-minute jog/30-second walk.
6. Next, take a 3-minute walk and pick one of the strategies that felt the best.
7. Use that strategy for 6-10 minutes.
If you are slowing down at the end of a workout, either the Jeffing strategy was too aggressive or your jog pace was too fast.
Jeffing workouts
Galloway provides these two workouts:
1.Workout 1
Each of these steps can be modified as you improve or need more time to improve.
1. Walk for 3-5 minutes.
2. Then use a 5-10-second jog/30-second walk for 3-5 minutes.
3. Shift to 10-20-second jog/30-second walk for 3-5 minutes.
If that strategy was too aggressive, walk for 2-3 minutes to recover.
4. Shift to 15-30-seconds jog/30-second walk for 3-5 minutes.
5. Choose the Jeffing strategy that you like and use it for 5-15 minutes.
2. Workout 2
1.Pick the two strategies you like best. Run one of them for 15 minutes.
2. Then turn around and run back to the start, trying to record less than 15 minutes on the return. If you are doing this on a treadmill, try to run the same distance in less than 15 minutes.
You can use any time segment that you wish on the first one. As you run back, have a mission to go faster.
You can also change up the strategy on the way back (usually just a few seconds on each). This allows you to find other strategies that could work better.
Zweck recommends incorporating Jeffing into a routine three to four times per week to see consistent improvements. As endurance builds, running intervals can be increased gradually while maintaining walk breaks to manage effort and recovery.
Carr suggests the following progression workouts:
3. Workout 3
Warm up: 5-minute brisk walk
Workout: run 30 seconds / walk 30 seconds (repeat for 25-35 minutes)
Cool down: 5-minute walk and stretches
4. Workout 4
Warm up: 5-minute brisk walk
Workout: run 1 minute / walk 30 seconds (repeat for 30 - 40 mins)
Cool down: 5-minute walk and stretches
5. Workout 5
'As you progress, you can change the ratios of your workout, progressing to 1:2 and then to 1:1', Clark suggests.
6. Workout 6
'After this, the next step is a 2:1 workout, where your running intervals are twice as long as your walking intervals', Clark continues. This can be gradually increased until you can run for longer periods before eventually being able to run without stopping.'
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