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Dec 15, 2023 · Running can be a great weight loss tool if you follow some key steps. Running helps you to gain many things: a purpose, a greater sense of wellbeing, a running community, a higher level of fitness ...
- Running For Weight Loss
How Running Can Help You Lose Weight. ... 4 Sprint Workouts...
- Running for performance vs weight loss
In fact, one of the most common mistakes I see in runners is...
- Running For Weight Loss
- Overview
- There Are Many Types of Running
- It Burns More Calories Than Most Exercises
- High-Intensity Running Continues to Burn Calories After Exercise
- High-Intensity Running Suppresses Appetite and Helps You Eat Less
- Moderate-to-High Intensity Running Targets Harmful Belly Fat
- Running Has Many Other Benefits for Health
- How to Get Started
- Sample Running Plan
- How to Stay Motivated
Running can help you burn belly fat and lose weight. It helps your body burn calories for a few hours after you’re done. Plus, it can help curb cravings and is generally great for good health.
Running is an incredibly popular way to exercise.
In fact, it’s estimated that in the US alone, over 64 million people have run at least once in the past year (1).
Running is also linked to many health benefits, and is one of the best types of exercise to help you lose weight.
There are many different styles of running, each with their own unique purpose and benefits.
These are the most popular types:
•Base runs: What most people would call a normal run. They are short-to-moderate length runs around 6 miles (10 km) and done at your natural pace.
•Long runs: Longer versions of base runs done at the same pace but over a greater distance of around 10–12 miles (15–20 km). They help improve your overall fitness and endurance.
•Interval runs: Short, intense runs repeated several times with short breaks in between. For example, 5 x 0.5 mile runs with 1/4 mile (400 meters) light jogging between each interval. These runs train your running power and speed.
•Hill repeats: Similar to interval runs but done uphill. For example, 10 x 1-minute hill repeats. They train your running power and speed while improving stamina.
Losing weight requires you to burn more calories than you consume, and exercise can help you do so.
Running is a great option, as it burns more calories than most other types of exercise because it requires many different muscles to work hard together (2).
In particular, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) involving running burns the most calories per minute by using various muscles at their maximum power.
The difference in calories burned by running versus by other exercises is supported by research.
For example, a study with 12 men and 12 women compared how many more calories running 1 mile (1,600 meters) burned than walking the same distance on both a treadmill and track.
Results showed that, on average, running 1 mile on the treadmill burned 33 more calories than walking, and running 1 mile on the track burned 35 more calories than walking (3).
Doing any exercise regularly will help you lose weight, but only a few types of exercise will continue to burn calories even after you finish working out.
High-intensity types of running like hill repeats and interval runs can continue to burn calories up to 48 hours after you work out (5).
These exercises use many muscles and need more energy afterward to recover. This is often labeled the “afterburn effect” among the fitness community.
Several studies have found that the “afterburn effect” could help you burn significantly more calories over time (6, 7).
In one study, 10 men cycled for 45 minutes at an intense pace to calculate how many calories they burned after the workout and for how long.
The average participant burned 519 calories during their workout and an extra 190 calories over the 14 hours following the workout (7).
Many people try reducing their calorie intake by eating less food or changing the food they eat.
Unfortunately, these strategies may sometimes only increase hunger and make losing weight a challenge.
Several studies have found that high-intensity running may combat this struggle by reducing your appetite after a workout (8, 9).
The exact processes surrounding this response are unclear, but one way high-intensity running may reduce appetite is by suppressing the levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin and producing more satiety hormones like peptide YY (PYY).
A study in 11 men found that running for 60 minutes or strength training for 90 minutes reduced ghrelin levels, compared to no exercise. Only running increased PYY production (8).
Another study with nine men compared the effect of 60 minutes of running and no exercise on ghrelin production. They found that running lowered ghrelin levels for three to nine hours in comparison to no exercise (9).
Carrying excess belly fat is extremely bad for your health.
Many studies show a connection between belly fat and an increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and many other diseases (10, 11).
Studies have found that moderate-to-high aerobic exercise like running can reduce belly fat, even without changing your diet (12, 13, 14).
An analysis of 15 studies and 852 participants found that aerobic exercise reduced belly fat without any change in diet. However, training at moderate-to-high intensity was most effective at reducing belly fat (14).
Another study of 27 middle-aged women found that high-intensity running considerably reduced belly fat, compared to low-intensity walking/running or no exercise (15).
Lastly, a study of 45 healthy but inactive women found that high-intensity interval exercise three times per week significantly reduced body fat and belly fat, compared to steady pace exercise or no exercise (16).
Aside from weight loss, running has been linked to many other health benefits.
A few specific health problems that running may help prevent or alleviate include:
•Heart disease: A 15-year study with over 50,000 participants found that running at least five to ten minutes a day, even at low speeds, reduced heart disease risk up to 45% (17).
•Blood sugar: Running can lower blood sugar by making muscle cells more sensitive to insulin. This helps sugar move into muscle cells for storage (18, 19).
•Cataracts: One study found that moderate-pace walking and vigorous running both reduced the risk of cataracts, with more exercise directly resulting in a lower risk (20).
•Falls: Running may reduce the risk of falling among the elderly. Research shows that elderly participants who run are less likely to fall because their leg muscles are more responsive (21).
There are many items available for running, but most beginners can get by on the bare minimum.
This includes good running shoes, a comfortable top, a water bottle and running shorts, tights or comfortable pants.
It is highly recommended for women to wear a sports bra while running to reduce pain. Reflective gear is highly recommended as well if you plan on taking your run during early hours or late at night. This will help to prevent any accidents.
Here are a few basics you should know before beginning a running workout:
•Frequency: To get started, aim for 3 to 4 days of running per week. This allows for enough recovery time between workouts.
•Warm up: Before every running workout, it is important to warm up and stretch in order to prepare your body for the run. Start by stretching, followed by 5 minutes of walking at an easy pace. Then, slowly progress to a power walk.
Week One
•5 minutes warming up •1 minute running at your natural pace, and then 2 minutes moderate-pace walking — repeat 7 times •5 minutes cooling down
Week Two
•5 minutes warming up •2 minutes running at your natural pace, and then 2 minutes moderate-pace walking — repeat 5 times •5 minutes cooling down
Week Three
•5 minutes warming up •3 minutes running at your natural pace, and then 2 minutes moderate-pace walking — repeat 4 times •5 minutes cooling down
Sticking to a dedicated running plan can help you achieve long-term success with your weight loss goals.
The trick to staying motivated is to keep it fun so you won’t be tempted to make any excuses to avoid your workout.
Keep your workouts interesting by changing your running route every few weeks or adding in different types of runs like intervals or hill repeats.
Running with a friend that challenges you can keep you accountable and provides extra safety if you run during the early or late hours of the day.
If you find it difficult to motivate yourself early in the morning, try laying your running gear out the night before to save the effort in the morning.
Signing up for marathons or other competitions when you are comfortable can also provide you with extra motivation for running and keep you focused.
- Just Start Moving. If you’re here, it’s because you’re engaging in one of the oldest forms of procrastination…knowledge gathering. Oh sure, we make it sound necessary by calling it research, but it usually just leads to analysis paralysis.
- One Change at a Time. It’s so tempting to make the grand proclamation that you’re now only going to drink green smoothies for breakfast, you’ll be following a 16 hour intermittent fasting protocol and going to the gym every morning.
- Don’t Over Commit. Along with small changes, let’s talk about not going for gold on day one. I know many new runners start with their eyes on the marathon!
- Focus on Eating The Right Amounts. Running for weight loss is a great first step, but must focus on nutrition. It is one of the most important things you can do if you want to truly take advantage of running for weight loss.
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Feb 21, 2024 · In fact, one of the most common mistakes I see in runners is when they choose to focus on weight over performance. By fixating on weight, you influence your behaviours, especially around fuel, and ...
Aug 7, 2024 · Intermediate to Advanced Plan. For people already running, increasing the time running, intensity, and the number of days per week running can all help with weight loss. Varying your workouts throughout the week can be a great way to advance your runs. To add time to your existing running routine, slowly add five or 10 minutes to each session ...
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Nov 20, 2023 · How to Utilize Running for Weight Loss. To prevent overeating when you’re in a running groove, you have to be smart about what you’re eating before, during and after that workout. Before a run ...
