Want to live longer? Try fartleks.
Post Reports
The Washington Post
4.4 • 5.1K Ratings
🗓️ 17 February 2025
⏱️ 22 minutes
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Summary
Fartlek is a Swedish term for “speed play.” This informal version of interval training is simple, effective and dare we say … enjoyable? And not just because "fartlek" is fun to say.
Exercise columnist Gretchen Reynolds is here to vouch for this often-overlooked, decades-old practice. Reynolds, who helped popularize the 7-minute workout, has found that a growing body of research points to the benefits of this approach, even in small doses. According to exercise scientists, it can improve strength, endurance and longevity, and may even lower the risk of dementia.
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Today’s show was produced by Elana Gordon and mixed by Sam Bair. It was edited by Maggie Penman. Thanks to Anjuman Ali.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Good morning. I'm out on one of my favorite running routes. I'm about to start fart licking. I've warmed up with about 10 minutes of running. It's a beautiful cold morning. I saw a lovely sunrise as I was warming up. And now I'm about to start my regular |
| 0:24.3 | fartlic route. I just picked up the pace. I'm going to be running to the next cross street here, |
| 0:41.0 | which is one of my longer little fart licks. |
| 0:45.4 | This is Gretchen Reynolds. |
| 0:47.2 | She writes about exercise for the post. |
| 0:49.9 | And recently, she wrote about a way to make your workouts more efficient. |
| 0:55.5 | It's called The Fartlick. |
| 0:58.1 | Okay. |
| 1:00.4 | I'm coming up to the crossroad. |
| 1:04.6 | And now I'll slow back down. |
| 1:13.5 | I can feel my heart rate slowing somewhat. |
| 1:20.0 | It's a little rest period. |
| 1:32.3 | And now I will start to run again. I'm going to go to the next cross street here. |
| 1:37.3 | Fartlett is a Swedish word. |
| 1:40.3 | It means speed play. |
| 1:42.3 | Basically, whether you're walking or biking or jogging or running, you just increase your |
| 1:49.4 | speed for a short period of time and then come back down. |
| 1:54.3 | Some of my fart lick intervals are longer than others. |
| 1:58.3 | Some are shorter. |
| 1:59.7 | It's all fine. |
| 2:01.6 | You do whatever you want to do, |
| 2:03.6 | or as long as you want to do it, or as short. |
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