Today, running is one of the most popular ways to combat excess weight. It really helps burn excess fat, tightens the skin and at the same time promotes health. But in reality, not everyone gets the results they want. And the issue here is not that running is ineffective, but that the person does not know how to run correctly to lose weight. Let's try to find out.
The benefits of running to lose weight and more
Running to burn fat is a simple and effective way to get rid of excess weight. No wonder this sport has gained immense popularity across the world. He has a numberbenefits, including the following:
- Running is accessible, requires no financial investment or special equipment, so anyone can do it.
- This is a safe sport and if you follow the basic rules it will only bring benefits.
- Regular exercise actually helps you lose weight as it provides a powerful cardiovascular workout. On average, an hour of running burns 500 to 700 kcal.
- Running brings comprehensive benefits to a person, and this concerns not only the body, but also health. It helps fight stress, strengthens the nervous system, trains the heart and blood vessels, improving their functioning.
- Running normalizes the functioning of the digestive system and speeds up metabolism.
- Running perfectly strengthens your muscles and keeps them toned.
- This type of activity encourages the removal of harmful waste, toxins and excess fluid from the body.
Although running helps everyone lose weight, you need to take this into considerationcontraindications, and are as follows:
- serious disturbances in the functioning of the heart and blood vessels (heart defects, heart failure, blood pressure problems);
- phlebeurism;
- bronchial asthma;
- endocrine system disorders;
- serious vision problems;
- inflammatory processes in the body;
- infectious diseases;
- problems of the musculoskeletal system.
People who are very overweight should consult a specialist before starting to run, as they could cause harm to themselves. In their case, brisk walking or running may be more appropriate.
To lose weight through running, it is recommended to study different options and choose the best one. It is also very important to know how to run correctly to burn fat, study all the rules and recommendations.
Why running is good for losing weight
So, does running help you lose weight? Let's find out.
Problems with being overweight are usually typical for people who lead a sedentary lifestyle. Furthermore, a good half of the population now owns personal vehicles. Thanks to cars, we stopped not just running, but walking. As a result, the body accumulates fat and muscles atrophy due to uselessness.
To avoid obesity and unpleasant consequences for your appearance and health, you need to pull yourself together and go for a run. This is the simplest type of physical activity that is within everyone's reach. And let it be just a quick walk at first. As soon as your body adapts, start running.
Let's take a closer look at how running burns fat?
Running makes your heart beat faster, which is why it is classified as cardio. With an accelerated heart rate, more blood passes through the heart per unit of time than in a calm state. The lungs also begin to work harder and the blood is actively enriched with oxygen. Oxygen saturation occurs in every cell in the body, from the tips of your toes to your brain. Metabolic processes begin to occur more quickly.
Running requires energy. To ensure its constant flow, the body depletes its internal reserves. First, the glycogen stored in the liver is consumed and then the fat deposits in our body are used. Therefore, running and being overweight are incompatible concepts. If you move actively and burn more calories than you consume from food, your excess weight will disappear. Running and losing weight are interconnected.
- For running (7 to 9 kilometers per hour), fat burning begins after 20 to 30 minutes of continuous running.
- With interval training, the fat breakdown process begins much earlier; you don't need to run for an hour to start fat catabolism. But interval running is quite a heavy load and this type of cardio is not suitable for everyone.
When talking about whether running helps you lose weight, it is important to clarify its type and duration. If we refer to classic running at an easy pace, the training duration should be at least thirty minutes.
How to run to burn fat: basic rules
We already know that the answer to the question of whether running helps you lose weight will be positive. However, there are a number of nuances that need to be taken into account for the race to really produce results. Let's take a look at them.
Execution duration
Note that the length of your run will depend on the intensity of your workout. You also need to take into account the level of physical fitness and choose the load that will be optimal. It is recommended to start with not very long runs and gradually increase the duration, as well as the distance covered.
Running is recommendedat least 40 minutes, because only after this time has elapsed does the body begin to consume not calories, but directly the hated fats. Many experts recommend interval running - it increases endurance and is great for weight loss.
Preparing and finishing your workout
Proper fat-burning running shouldn't start and end like this. Certain rules must be followed.Before training, consider the following:
- It is recommended to eat at least two hours before training to burn fat;
- It is useful to take a contrast shower beforehand, which will help tone the muscles and blood vessels, so that the body can more easily bear the load;
- Before the main part of the class, do a short warm-up - this will help prevent injuries and muscle pain, as the body will be ready for stress.
Between workouts you need to control your diet. Naturally, it is not recommended to eat sweets, fatty foods and other foods that are enemies of your body. Limit your salt intake, as it tends to retain fluids in the body and increases body volume. It's also important to drink plenty of water, and you can do this during your workout as well.
After a run, the following recommendations will be useful:
- Stop gradually, not abruptly. Transition from running to walking and gradually decrease your speed. This will help restore your breathing and heart rate and force your body to burn even more calories.
- After your run, take a warm shower, which will help calm your muscles and nervous system.
- Avoid hypothermia. While running, your body heats up and a slight breeze or draft can negatively affect your health.
Selecting workout intensity
An important point in how to run to burn fat is the intensity of the run, which determines the speed of weight loss and the final result. It is important to remember that it is important not only to lose weight, but also not to harm your health.
The more intense the training, the faster energy is consumed. Running calmly and relaxed is safe for your health, but it is more suitable for staying in shape than for losing weight. And excessively intense training can lead to depletion of the body, and as a result, it can begin to lose not only fat, but also muscle, and the cardiovascular system can experience excessive stress.
That's whyloads must be increased gradually and consistently.If you are new to running, start with the minimums and increase them over time. You can determine the intensity of your workout yourself by monitoring your heart rate. Typically, a good fat burning effect provides a pulse of more than 130 beats per minute. However, if this value exceeds 150, the load may be too intense. At the correct intensity, your heart rate should return to normal levels within half an hour after finishing your run.
Clothes and shoes
Proper equipment also plays a significant role in running performance. Running shoes and overalls for weight loss should be as comfortable as possible and not restrict movement.
Clothes should be chosen from natural, breathable materials.He canwear a special weight loss suit, providing concentration on a problem area. For example, you can buy pants and shorts that speed up the weight loss process.
You should choose shoes that are comfortable, light and fit perfectly. This will help reduce stress on your joints and minimize the risk of injury.
Often, those who want to reduce abdominal volume are recommended to usebelt for running and weight loss or plastic wrap. In principle this is useful, but don't expect a miracle to happen and you will lose weight in three workouts. These items help speed up the process of removing excess fluid, which also has a beneficial effect on the weight loss process. There are also belts with a massage effect.
Regularity of training
How often and for how long should you run to burn fat? Regularity is the most important key to success. The best option is to run 3 to 5 times a week. To speed up getting results, you can alternate running with other types of activities, for example, strength training or swimming. It is recommended that men combine running to lose weight with weight training.
Don't expect quick results. Explicitchanges for the better will be noticeable after 6-8 weeksregular workouts.
Knowing how to run correctly to lose weight, you can improve your appearance without harming your health. Furthermore, it is recommended to follow the following recommendations:
- During the race, be sure tocontrol your physical condition.Pain and dizziness are not acceptable. Breathing must remain even.
- You can run both on a treadmill and in open areas.The first option is good because it is available in any weather. The second allows you to enjoy the beauty of nature and breathe fresh air, but due to weather conditions it will not always be available. It is recommended to run not on asphalt, but on the ground - this has a beneficial effect on the level of resistance and will allow you to correctly distribute the load.
- Make sure your running technique is correct.
- Posturewhile runningmust be level.Breathe evenly. Pace changes should be smooth.
If you want to burn fat in a specific area through running,You can follow the following technical recommendations:
- To lose weight in the legs, it is recommended to use a technique with high hip elevation, include running as an additional step in training and alternate running with jumping (with or without a jump rope).
- To lose weight in your stomach, also apply pressure to your abdominal muscles and always control your tone.
If you follow all the rules and there are no contraindications, you can safely start running and you will soon notice clear changes for the better. Also remember about proper nutrition and other types of exercise - in combination you will get an effective program that will help you achieve the ideal figure. As a bonus, running will help you improve your health and forget about stress and depression.
How to increase strength, endurance and burn fat with running
People often underestimate running or view it in a one-sided way. Like, if you want to lose weight, go run. If you want to train your heart, run too. Some people see this as an opportunity to set a personal record and prove to themselves that it is possible to run 10km without stopping. For some, running is a way to relax the brain after an intellectually or nervously stressful day of work. The opposite also happens - a great morning exercise to gain strength, energy and complete the planned work plan in record time.
A universal but insidious discipline
On the one hand, everything is like that. On the other hand, the operating power is, in many cases, overestimated or not even taken into account.
Thus, running increases the effectiveness of strength training - increases the working weight and training intensity. It is an important help to get rid of excess fat. That is if everything is done correctly, which we will discuss below. There are also opposite cases.
For example, a person decided to lose weight-it doesn't matter if he is a man or a girl-and we run furiously. After all, he had heard out of the corner of his ear that running allows you to lose excess weight. The comrade pours out seven sweatshirts, red like a lobster, his heart jumps out of his chest, his legs give out, there is not enough air, but he continues to move his legs that have become weak - he needs to run these 3-4 km.
I ran for a month three times a week, I suffered a lot, I got on the scale, but I didn't get any results. The reflection in the mirror didn't change much either. This is the best case scenario. In the worst case, he began to look bad, his health was also not good, his knees hurt, he became emaciated (there is less muscle, the fat did not go anywhere) and the pitiful 2-3 kg lost in a hundred weights of total body weight are not pleasant at all.
The fact is that you need to run correctly and build the training process wisely, without forgetting about nutrition and a number of other factors. Let's talk about everything in more detail.
Suitable for everyone
The running training system, which I will discuss below, is universal. It is suitable for both a completely untrained overweight person who has decided to put his body in order, and an advanced athlete who has been training with weights for years, but ignores running for various reasons.
For example, your knees hurt, you are short of breath, your muscles "burn" (don't burn). I can safely classify myself as the latter, and I have already addressed the issue of running more than once, but only now have I found truly effective methods of using it.
About ten years ago I conducted an experiment - I wanted to run 10 km at a time. I got results, but it was difficult and took more than three months. The hope of eating tasty treats and losing fat throughout the race did not come true. And I ran 10 km with difficulty, which is called "I can't do it". So I more or less got used to running (I hated it), but these are flowers compared to the results of a reasonable approach to training.
Where to start
There is no need for any preparation or time-consuming preparations. We ate normally, an hour and a half later we put on old sneakers, walked to the nearest stadium with rubber tracks, set the timer on our watch or smartphone toone hourand ran at an easy pace. Only a few points are important:
- Don't run on asphalt.A stadium with a rubber surface is ok, a treadmill in the gym is ok, dirt with grass is ok. The asphalt is not good, but an excessive load on the joints and ligaments. High-quality, individually selected sneakers (how to do this is written here) will partially solve the problem of hard surfaces, but this is not a panacea and not everyone has this opportunity. But you can run on the surfaces described above in any, even the most anonymous, Chinese sneakers (be prepared for calluses from these shoes).
- Work within your aerobic limit.I described the theory in detail inThis article(section "Aerobic training"), I will not repeat myself, but I will summarize briefly. If you have a heart rate monitor (any type - optical, chest-mounted) - work within the heart rate range of 120 to 150 beats/min. The main thing is not to choke - there must be enough oxygen. Without a heart rate monitor, use your breathing as a guide. As soon as you start choking, it becomes difficult - go for a brisk walk until your breathing is restored, and then jog lightly again. And you work like this for an hour. Even if you walk most of the time.
- After 60 minutes, note how much distance you covered during that time. Next time, try running and walking more.Let it be 100 meters, 200, but more. If you do everything correctly, you won't need to strain. The body itself adapts to any reasonable load with a margin. In this case, we focus on breathing and heart rate, we do not overload the body and it will respond by adapting with compensation. I rested one day, went back to the stadium, ran/walked for an hour - looked at my smartphone (if it can count steps), activity tracker or counted laps, and you see, you covered more distance, but at the same time you did not suffer or become out of breath while running. I speak from experience.
Working according to this system, in 2-3 months an untrained person will learn to run for an hour without a break and at a good pace, without becoming out of breath or exhausted. General well-being will improve, endurance will increase and weight will decrease, as long as the citizen does not start eating more, compensating for the increased energy consumption.
ButThe devil is in the details. Yes - this is a working system that I have personally tested. You can grab it and use it right now without going into details.
If you want to get the most effective result, be it burning fat, improving strength results in the gym, or all together, then read the next part of this series of articles, in which I will talk about how to run without knee pain, why you must run strictly 60 minutes in addition to how to burn fat and maintain muscle.
This is real - I checked it myself. People often underestimate running or view it in a one-sided way. Like, if you want to lose weight, go run. If you want to train your heart, run too. Some people see this as an opportunity to set a personal record and prove to themselves that it is possible to run 10km without stopping. For some, running is a way to relax the brain after being mentally or nervous.
Running to lose weight: how to burn more calories?
Running is one of the most effective and quickest ways to train to lose weight. The increase in heart rate during running contributes to the consumption of large amounts of oxygen, increasing energy expenditure, which leads to fat burning. For quick and desired results, it is important to get the right load when running, train at the right time and in the right mode.
How to run correctly to lose weight
One of the important factors that influence running in weight loss is the high consumption of oxygen – the main fat burner. It is not for nothing that running is called aerobic exercise, as it is performed with available oxygen.
An important condition for training aimed at losing weight is a well-ventilated environment, or fresh street air, and adequate breathing during running.
Is important!Correct breathing during running should be accompanied by quick and sharp inhalation, and exhalation should, on the contrary, be gradual and smooth. You need to inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
Another important factor in losing weight is your heart rate zone.Heart rate plays a crucial role in weight loss.
- Lower heart rate limit, in which fat burning is maintained, is 120 beats per minute.
- Upper limit, which preserves the burning of fat, not muscle, and the heart muscle does not experience excessive stress, is 160 beats per minute.
These are averages. But for everyone you can calculate an individual heart rate zone depending on age.
We subtract your age from your maximum heart rate of 220 beats per minute. Take 30 years of age as an example.
- 220 - 30 = 190 beats per minute - we get our maximum heart rate.
- We multiply our maximum by 0. 6 to calculate 60% of our maximum.
190 * 0. 6 = 114 beats per minute - the lower limit of the pulse. We calculate the upper limit of the heart rate, 80% of the maximum.
190*0. 8=152 beats per minute.
So, for thirty years old, the permissible heart rate zone is 114 to 152 beats per minute.
How many calories are burned while running?
In an hour of running, on average, you can lose 700 to 800 kcal. Indicators depend on the degree of load, age, weight and physical fitness.
How much should you run to lose weight?
The duration of the workout also plays an important role.To achieve your goals, you should not exceed 60 minutes of running.Training for more than an hour will not only overload the body as a whole, which, on the contrary, will slow down weight loss, but will also begin to burn muscle fibers.
But alsoLess than 20 minutes doesn't make any sense for training.
To run effectively, it's important to rest less without slowing your heart rate, but it's not necessary to run at the same pace. Interval running is also suitable for burning fat, in which you spend more time running and a little less time walking.
You can run outdoors and on the treadmill at the gym. Special simulators are adapted to set the angle of inclination - to simulate climbs. This method is perfect for interval training: instead of resting while walking, walk up a hill. By increasing the load, you can burn more calories and also put more pressure on your buttocks and hamstrings.
When is the best time to run to lose weight?
For each person, depending on the pace of life, the best time to train will be different.
Research has shown that for most people, effective training occurs in the afternoon, especially in the evening.
One of the popular ways to lose weight is to run on an empty stomach in the morning. After sleep, glycogen stores are depleted, so the body uses its own fats for energy. This workout should not be long, 30 minutes is enough, otherwise, in addition to fat, there is a risk of loss of muscle mass.
There can be two half-hour workouts a day - in the morning and in the evening.
3-4 workouts per week are enough.Resting from aerobic exercise is no less important than resting from strength training. The body needs time to recover, without this the fat burning process will be impossible.
No matter what time of day you exercise, if your body is rested after the night and full of energy, a morning run will bring no less benefits than an evening run. It's important to feel your own body here.
Running weight loss program on tables
The training scheme is designed for various levels of difficulty, both for outdoor running and on a treadmill. It may take 2 to 4 weeks of training to adapt to the program. If running becomes easier, move up to an advanced level.
Outdoor Running for Beginners
break time
| Run | 2 minutes |
| brisk walk | 2 minutes |
The first workouts are designed for 30-40 minutes. Every week you need to increase your session duration and run duration.
Outdoor running for those who are fit
break time
| Run | 5 minutes |
| Walking | 2 minutes |
Training must be40 to 60 minutes maximum.
Training in the gym on a treadmill for beginners
break time
| Run | 2 minutes |
| Walking downhill | 2 minutes |
Treadmill running for advanced
break time
| Run | 5-10 minutes |
| Walking downhill | 2-3 minutes |
Don't start running right away with cold muscles. After exercising, it is advisable to stretch your muscles.
If necessary, the load can be increased by increasing speed and reducing rest time. So you can switch from interval training to continuous running for an hour.
Conclusion
In fact, running is a quick and easy way to lose weight. An important condition for training is adequate breathing, pulse and load-rest ratio. Remember, to lose weight it is important not just to run, your calorie expenditure must exceed your calorie intake. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor your diet, not overeat and limit your intake of simple carbohydrates.