How to Lose Weight Running
Here is another of my Top 100 weight loss tips with article number 68 in the series. In this post, I'm going to look at how to lose weight running.
By running, I mean the light exercise form of short to medium distance running, or more popularly called jogging. This is where you can set your own limits and timings as long as you produce some results by your exertions.
How Running Helps You to Lose Weight
Running is an easy exercise to do as long as you are already fit enough to undertake it. For many people who are in advanced stages of obesity or in poor health due to conditions such as arthritis, gout, muscle wasting diseases and anything that serious impedes their mobility, of course taking up running is not really feasible.
But for anyone who has good mobility and the determination to lose weight, then running is an excellent way of doing it. It works best if you can set aside some time to run every day, but if that's not possible, then at least three times a week is the effective minimum you should reasonably expect to affect your weight level with.
Start Gradually
If you are just staring out, you must be careful to start with a very short run and gradually build up the distance each day. You can't just go from zero to running several miles on your first day as that will likely cause you extreme problems and even lead to a heart attack if you are initially unfit, so be careful in the early stages.
Once you have allocated a set time to run, then simply put on suitable clothing, such a track suit or jogging gear, some good running shoes and then get out of the house and run!
Running for fitness should not be confused with sprinting to achieve personal bests in time. You should initially take your runs at a leisurely pace so that you can build up your stamina to run further each day and for longer.
You will do your body far more good by running more slowly over a greater distance for longer than sprinting for 100 meters and then collapsing in an exhausted heap at the end of it!
When Weight Loss Kicks In
Measurable weight loss will occur once you get into a regular daily running schedule of running for more than 20 minutes. This is how long it takes the body to have taken all the usable sugars from the blood stream to convert into energy before it starts to use up stored fat to replenish the shortfall to feed the muscles.
Obviously, the longer you can continue running over the 20 minutes, the more weight you will lose over time.
While you are running every day, or as often as you can, you should look at improving your diet to complement the exercise to vastly improve your levels of weight reduction and move closer to achieving your weight loss goals. It will also ensure your body has all the essential nutrients it will need for the prolonged exercising so that it can build muscle and improve strength and stamina.
Lastly, enjoy your daily run because it is a great way to keep fit!
100 Weight Loss Tips number 67 follows in the next post!
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Posted on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 in Top 100 Weight Loss Tips | 2 Comments
2 thoughts on "How to Lose Weight Running"
Terry says:
Good for you Adam, running is a pleasant way to not only lose weight but improve fitness and stamina levels.
says:
Great post! I've written a piece myself about weight loss and running as part of an exercise routine that encompasses many different forms of fitness exercises, so this was quite interesting for me to read.
Thanks so much for the article.
Adam