Weight loss has been such a mental disturbance for those suffering from being overweight, obese, or morbidly obese. On that note, choosing running for weight loss is something that has drawn the attention of many.
Flexible, versatile, and relatively easy to begin, running can encourage you to lose weight, especially when consolidated with a healthy diet. Therefore, this article will explain deeply how running for weight loss could help you maintain a healthy weight and stay fit.
How Does Running Help You in Your Weight Loss Journey?
The good news is, running actually burns a lot of calories! It can undoubtedly support your advance to burn calories long after a workout. In addition, it may aid in suppressing appetite and target harmful and disturbing belly fat.
Whether you’re a runner who needs to lose a few pounds or a non-runner who wants to choose running to drop some weight, running for weight loss can be complicated. That is why you need to learn to come to the track effectively. In fact, the principal contribution to this problem is that running consumes energy, and we want to eat to stay energized. But, how much we eat is the contrast between weight gain, loss, or maintenance and performance. Remember that there’s a fine line between dropping weight and losing performance. Hence, await results, but anticipate them to be gradual and steady instead of dramatic.
Can You Drop Weight Just by Running?
Studies have shown that running will give you the most beneficial blow for your weight loss journey. Running gives you the most effective rate of calorie burn you can get in a targeted time. And it has been the most convenient and productive exercise for weight loss, more than just a swift fix. Furthermore, according to the experts, a thoughtfully crafted running schedule can significantly promote weight loss.
Running vs. Jogging
You might think running and jogging express the same meaning. But, in fact, both of them are actually different. The distinct contrast between the two is the pace. Jogging is described as performing at a speed of less than six mph, while running is represented as anything faster than six mph. Other variations, such as how your body burns calories and how your muscles respond to the two exercises, explain the difference between jogging and running.
Moreover, a massive recent study revealed that for people who have a genetic disposition toward obesity, general jogging was the most practical exercise for regulating BMI, percentage of body fat, and waist circumference. Therefore, anyone who wants to lose weight can first try jogging for a start and then move into running for weight loss.
How to Increase the Effectiveness of Running for Weight loss?
You can drop weight just by running if your cycle increases your activity level exceeding what it was before. So, if you never exercise and start running even for 30 minutes, you’re going to burn more calories and lose some weight. But be aware not to sink into the pitfall of eating extra at that time.
However, when that volume of running becomes routine, your weight will stay constant. This will happen even if you run the exact 3 miles on three days every week for months on end. Actually, you are still burning calories by running, but you’re not burning extra calories than you did before. Therefore, if you run the same and eat the same, you’ll still weigh the same.
Hence, to enhance the productivity of running for weight loss, you need to adjust something up. Perhaps you go deep or go faster during several sections. Or, possibly you substitute some flats with some inclinations. In fact, any change that includes “anything more further than you did before” business can definitely promote calorie burn. As you are basically doing single-leg plyometrics when you run, your core strength rises. And, your hamstrings, glutes, and calves get strong, and you operate your arms to compensate. So, running is a whole-body workout.
Can You Lose Weight by Running 30 Minutes a Day?
One 30 minutes running session has been confirmed to burn between 200-500 calories. And, that’s a significant step ahead of your weight loss goal. Moreover, many studies have shown that running for just 15-30 minutes will kick-start your metabolism and burn some grave fat, both throughout and after the exercise itself. That’s because, during a shorter run, your body will utilize fat as its main power source rather than depending on the carbohydrates that play a more prominent part as exercise strength rises.
How Long Must You Run to Lose Weight?
According to what studies have shown, you should generally consume about 30 minutes a day practicing. If you are in good health, you can change it gradually for more results. This is because running 40-50 minutes will support the body to burn calories at a higher rate. However, It would help if you began running three times a week and then expanded the amount to four or five times a week. Usually, the more you work out, the greater the results will be.
Does the Time of Day Matter When Running for Weight Loss?
Studies show that your training benefits are maximized when your body temperature is at its peak. For most people, that is between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., though some studies prolong this time to 7 p.m. However, the most suitable running time for you depends on when you feel most motivated. Therefore, program your runs at a time when you know that you will accomplish them.
Running for Weight Loss + a Healthy Diet Makes the Ideal Combo!
Sorry to mention, but your diet SHOULD NOT stay the same if you plan to lose weight by running. According to the experts, you really need to think about what you eat when you are running for weight loss. In that case, a healthy diet will positively increase the productivity of your running.
Usually, runners have specific nutrition needs, but the fundamental principles for healthy eating still apply. Strive to choose smaller servings of high-fat and high-calorie foods. Plus, try to eat more whole grains and whole fruits and vegetables.
One common eating misconception among runners is that they overload the calories burned with excess calories from more food and beverages. Some runners even notice that they gain weight or beat a weight loss wall despite their regular training.
Tips to Kick-start a Healthy Diet While Running for Weight Loss.
- The first step to reaching your goal is understanding just how much you’re eating. For this, you can use a calorie calculator to calculate the number of calories you need daily.
- Write everything you eat in a journal for a few weeks to limit overeating or careless eating. Analyzing a record of your food consumption will help you see where your diet requires improvement. In addition, since you know that you’ll want to log it later, it may also provoke you to think twice before eating that piece of double chocolate cake, encouraging you to stay on track.
- You may feel hungry constantly once you start running. Therefore, you’ll need to seek to plan your snacks and meals to dodge going overboard.
Here are some more tips:
#01- Eat smaller meals
Divide your calories over five or six smaller meals instead of the usual three. This can help uphold your metabolism and energy levels. Moreover, it will block the hunger pangs that may encourage you to stuff.
#02- Watch liquid calories
Though you may be running a lot, you don’t want to drink sports drinks to hydrate yourself regularly. The same pertains to fruit juices, coffee drinks, and soda. Plain water is sufficient to stay well hydrated.
#03- Trim the carb intake
Usually, an ordinary adult should consume around 225–325 grams of carbohydrates per day on a 2,000 calorie diet (or approximately 45–65% of the total daily calories). Therefore, trim the carbs a little and substitute them with lean protein. Try this if you reach the number of calories mentioned above or are within the scale but still incapable of losing weight.
Should You Fast When Running for Weight Loss?
Fasting while running for weight loss can have pros and cons. In fact, you can burn fat more quickly if you are in a fasted state because fewer carbs are in your system. But, this doesn’t imply that you should run on an empty stomach. In fact, running without eating anything may lead to shorter and less productive workouts. Alternatively, you could begin your morning with a 100- to 200-calorie snack stuffed with protein and carbs. This will give you sufficient fuel for a run and may even function as an appetite suppressant once you are done.
Running for Weight Loss For Beginners
If you have never tried running for weight loss before but are interested now, this information will help you big time. In fact, your feet are the first contact with the ground when you run. Therefore, first, you should get yourself a good pair of running shoes. They do not literally have to be expensive or fancy ones but should be comfortable on your feet. Then, use these tips to get started.
#01 – Start slow, incline over time.
If you attempt to go all out on your very first day of running after months, years, or even a lifetime of resting, you not only endanger getting injured. And, you’ll end up being so nauseous and sick. Alternately, start gradually and comfortably, comprehending that every day you will do a little better.
So, here’s a plan that you would try:
- Week 1-2: Begin by running or jogging for 1 minute, then walking for 1 minute. Substitute eight times for an entirety of 16 minutes. Also, progress reps as you feel more satisfied, attempting to fit in at least three runs per week.
- Week 3: Accelerate your running time to 2 minutes, exchanging with 1 to 2 minutes of walking for an entirety of 30 minutes.
- Week 4: Attempt 3 minutes running or jogging, accompanied by 1 minute walking.
- Proceed to lengthen your running time, adding in 1-minute walking breaks as required. Then, in around a month, you can commence installing goals for time or distance, like running for 25 minutes or 2 miles.
#02 – Try running outdoors.
If you’re a novice to running, seek outdoors first before you try the treadmill. Running outdoors will reduce some concerns that come from tipping over on a treadmill. Moreover, running outside operates your hamstrings and back more than a treadmill. Plus, you have the bonus of some scenery and clean air to help keep you engaged in your run. Once you’ve learned your pace and mounted up some leg strength, you could hit the treadmill on those rainy days.
#03 – The ideal time to run.
Try to bypass running right after a big meal or when you’re starving. Your body requires the proper amount of fuel to handle you going during your run, but not too much where you feel pulled down. Therefore, about an hour to two hours before you set out, have a light snack or a low-carb meal. Oatmeal, a banana, a bagel, or another kind of bread will do the deal. Try not to try anything spicy or too fibrous as it can develop indigestion and press you down.
#04- Prevent weariness.
You may complain that running for weight loss is too dull or not compelling enough to keep you motivated. So, on that note, try to run with a friend, listen to music, or engage your mind by concentrating on your breathing. In fact, running can be an excellent stress reliever and can help you free your head after a hectic day at your workplace.
In addition, you can follow these three tips after you finish your running session.
In addition, you can follow these three tips after you finish your running session.
- Stretch: Stretching is super essential, and it’s not just after your run. Make sure you execute a warm-up before starting your session. It could include a brisk 5-minute walk and some progressive stretches (high knees or butt kicks). After your run, regularly do a cool down (walking for 5 minutes) and stretches. They should aim for your calf muscles, thighs, back, and IT bands.
- Eat: You must have something to eat after your run to support your body to restore muscle and build strength.
Try a snack or meal with some protein and carbohydrates like : Chocolate milk / Greek yogurt / Banana with peanut butter (Remember that you should start eating within an hour of your run to obtain the full privileges of your meal. Eating smart is an essential key to self-improvement.) - Drink water: This one might seem clear, but it’s yet a vital dynamic tip worth discussing. Your body needs water, particularly after a sweat session like running for weight loss. Actually, the more you sweat, the more you necessitate replenishing spent fluids. Therefore, an additional glass or two during the day should do the business to keep you hydrated and healthy.
Will You Be Able to Observe Results from Fewer Runs?
Persistence is key to any thriving weight loss program, particularly one that includes running. In fact, running is a powerful sport. It may be too strenuous for some to run every day or even every other day. But, if you exercise only infrequently, you won’t receive the benefits.
Therefore, try blending running with other weight training, rowing, cycling, or hiking activities. Attempt to do some kind of physical activity on most days of the week. According to a study, those who are most effective at weight loss participate in 250 to 300 minutes of moderate exercise per week.
Types of Running
If you are deciding on running for weight loss, it is important to know about the types of running. The most popular types of running include the following.
| 01 |
Base Runs |
A base run is what most people call a regular run. They are short-to-moderate range runs around 6 miles (10 km) done at your standard speed. |
| 02 |
Long Runs |
More extended versions of base runs are done simultaneously but over a considerable distance of about 10–12 miles (15–20 km). They support improving your overall fitness and stamina. |
| 03 |
Interval Runs |
These are short and powerful runs repeated numerous times with short breaks in between. For instance, 5 x 0.5 mile runs with 1/4 mile (400 meters) moderate jogging between each interval. These runs function your running power and pace. |
| 04 |
Hill Repeats |
Hill repeats are comparable to interval runs but done uphill. For example, 10 x 1-minute hill repeats. They train your running strength and agility while promoting endurance. |
| 05 |
Recovery Runs |
These are slow runs done after more difficult runs like hill repeats to add more mileage to your overall run. For example, a 4-minute run at a convenient pace after a more strenuous run. |
| 06 |
Progression Runs |
These imitate competition-style runs by beginning slow and ending at a faster speed. They intensify resistance, acceleration and decrease exhaustion. For example, 5 miles (8 km) at a natural pace, then 1 mile (1.5 km) at a more accelerated speed. |
The Best Types of Running for Weight Loss
Now, here, you should not let this session misguide you. Actually speaking, any type of running will obviously help you with weight loss. But, here, we need to share the BEST types that would work best with burning more calories, allowing you to reap the ultimate results.
In fact, the researchers show that interval training and hill repeats are unquestionably the most effective types of running for weight loss. The duration of high intensity boosts your muscles’ stimulus. Thus, you can achieve a much more significant result as a moderate base run in the same amount of time.
Moreover, studies have shown that high-intensity running sessions could proceed to burn calories even after you finish working out. High-intensity running like hill repeats and interval runs have the ability to burn calories up to 48 hours after you work out. And, these running work many muscles and need more energy later to recover. Therefore, this is often identified as the “afterburn effect”. Many studies have further discovered that the “afterburn effect” could encourage you to burn significantly more calories over time.
Here are some more benefits of high-intensity running:
It suppresses appetite and helps you to eat less.
Numerous studies have discovered that high-intensity running may resist this struggle by diminishing your appetite after a workout. However, The precise means circling this response are not defined clearly. But, high-intensity running may decrease appetite by suppressing the levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin and creating more satiety hormones like peptides.
Moderate to high-intensity running support to reduce harmful belly fat.
A widespread area of interest for some runners is belly fat. In fact, most of us don’t like the appearance of belly fat, but there are health causes to bother about fat in this body area. Belly fat isn’t just below your skin. It’s also rooted inside your body, around your vital organs, and this is called visceral fat.
Actually, having excess belly fat is highly harmful to both your health and looks. Many studies show a relationship between belly fat and a heightened risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, breathing issues, and many other conditions. Furthermore, studies have found that moderate-to-high aerobic exercise like running can decrease belly fat, even without adjusting your diet.
Other Health Benefits You Can Achieve from Running
Running comes with a package of other health benefits along with weight loss.
#01- Heart disease
A 15-year study with over 50,000 members discovered that running at least five to ten minutes a day, even at moderate speeds, decreased heart disease chance up to 45%.
#02 -Blood sugar
Running can drop blood sugar by causing muscle cells more receptive to insulin. This promotes sugar to flow into muscle cells for storage.
#03- Cataracts
One study uncovered that low-speed walking and strenuous running both decreased the chance of cataracts, with more training immediately resulting in a lower risk.
#04- Falls
Running may lessen the danger of falling among the aged. Research confirms that aged members who run are less prone to fall because their leg muscles are more receptive.
#05- Knee damage
A popular myth is that running is bad for your knees. An analysis of 28 investigations disproved this misunderstanding. They found strong proof linking physical activity with more potent knee tissue and stronger knees.
#06- Knee pain
Running may also support reducing knee pain. A study of members with a normal age of 64 years observed that running was not associated with knee pain or arthritis. Alternatively, members who ran more truly had less knee pain.
Summary
Running can be an efficient mode of exercise when you are attempting to lose weight. Running not only burns calories dramatically, but it also intensifies strength and persistence. In addition, as mentioned on top, incorporating a steady running program with strength training and healthful eating could definitely slim down and enhance your fitness level. So, we hope you will use this guide efficiently to avoid those pesky pounds from coming back. Wish you all the best with a fit and healthy life!