Today, running is one of the most popular ways to fight excess weight. It really helps burn excess fat, tightens the skin and promotes health at the same time. But in reality, not everyone gets the results they want. And the point here is not that running is ineffective, but that a person does not know how to run properly in order to lose weight. Let's try to figure it out.
The benefits of running for weight loss and more
Running to burn fat is an easy and effective way to get rid of excess weight. It is no coincidence that this sport has gained enormous popularity all over the world. He has a numberBenefits, including the following:
- Running is affordable, doesn't require 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 really helps you lose weight as it provides a powerful cardio workout. On average, one hour of running burns 500-700 kcal.
- Running gives a person overall benefits, and this applies not only to the figure, but also to health. It helps fight stress, strengthens the nervous system, trains the heart and blood vessels, improving their functioning.
- Jogging normalizes the work of the digestive system and accelerates the metabolism.
- Running perfectly strengthens the muscles and keeps them in tone.
- This type of activity stimulates the removal of harmful waste, toxins and excess fluids from the body.
Although running will help anyone lose weight, you should consider itcontraindications, and they are as follows:
- serious disorders in the functioning of the heart and blood vessels (heart defects, heart failure, blood pressure problems);
- phleburism;
- bronchial asthma;
- disorders of the endocrine system;
- 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 jogging, as they may injure themselves. In their case, brisk walking or jogging may be more appropriate.
In order to lose weight by running, it is recommended to research different options and choose the best one. It is also very important to know how to run correctly to burn fat, to study all the rules and recommendations.
Why running is good for weight loss
So does running help you lose weight? Let's find out.
Problems with excess weight are usually characteristic of people leading a sedentary lifestyle. Also, a good half of the population now owns personal vehicles. Thanks to cars, we stop not only running, but also 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 get fit and run. This is the simplest type of physical activity available to everyone. 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 work faster, which is why it's classified as cardio. With an accelerated pulse, more blood passes through the heart per unit time than in a relaxed state. The lungs also begin to work harder and your blood is actively enriched with oxygen. Oxygenation occurs in all cells of the body, from the tips of the toes to the brain. Metabolic processes begin to run faster.
Running requires energy. To ensure its constant flow, the body uses up its internal reserves. First, the glycogen stored in the liver is used up, then the fat deposits of our body are used. Therefore, running and being overweight are incompatible concepts. If you move actively and burn more calories than you take in with food, your excess weight will disappear. Running and losing weight go hand in hand.
- When jogging (7-9 kilometers per hour), fat burning begins after 20-30 minutes of continuous running.
- In interval training, the process of breaking down fat starts much earlier; you don't need to run for an hour to start fat catabolism. But interval running is a pretty heavy load, and this type of cardio isn't for everyone.
When we talk about whether running helps to lose weight, it is important to clarify its type and duration. If we mean classic jogging 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 must be taken into account in order for jogging to really give results. Let's take a closer look at them.
Duration of execution
Please note that the length of your run will depend on the intensity of your training. You should also take into account the level of physical fitness and choose the optimal load. It is recommended to start with not very long runs and gradually increase their duration as well as the running distance.
Running is recommendedat least 40 minutes, because only after this time has expired, the body begins to use up not calories, but directly the hated fats. Many experts recommend interval running – it increases endurance and is great for weight loss.
Preparing and completing your workout
A proper fat burning run doesn't have to start and end just like that. Certain rules must be followed.Before training, consider the following:
- It is recommended to eat at least two hours before training in order to burn fat;
- It is useful to take a contrast shower in advance, which will help to tone the muscles and blood vessels, so the body will bear the load more easily;
- Before the main part of the lesson, 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 figure. Limit salt intake as it tends to retain fluid in the body, which increases body volume. It is also important to drink enough water and you can do this during exercise as well.
After running, the following recommendations will be useful:
- Stop gradually, not abruptly. Transition from running to walking and gradual deceleration. This will help restore breathing and heart rate and force the body to burn even more calories.
- After running, take a warm shower to help calm your muscles and nervous system.
- Avoid hypothermia. During running, the body heats up, and a slight breeze or draft can negatively affect your health.
Choice of workout intensity
An important point in how to run to burn fat is the intensity of running, which determines the speed of weight loss and the final results. 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 workout, the faster energy is used up. Calm and relaxed running is safe for health, but it is more suitable for keeping in shape than for losing weight. And too intense training can lead to exhaustion of the body, and as a result, it can start to lose not only fat, but also muscle, and the cardiovascular system can suffer from excessive stress.
that's whyloads should be increased gradually and consistently. If you're new to running, start small and build up over time. You can determine the intensity of your workout by monitoring your heart rate. Usually, a good fat burning effect gives a heart rate above 130 beats per minute. However, if this figure exceeds 150, then the load may be too intense. At the right intensity, the heart rate should return to normal levels no more than half an hour after the end of the run.
Clothes and shoes
Proper equipment also plays an important role in running efficiency. Shoes and slimming suits should be as comfortable as possible and not restrict movement.
Clothing should be chosen from natural, breathable materials.I canuse a special slimming suit, providing concentration on some problem area. For example, you can buy breeches and shorts that speed up the process of losing weight.
You should choose shoes that are comfortable, lightweight and fit perfectly. This will help reduce stress on the joints and minimize the risk of injury.
It is often recommended for use by those who want to reduce the volume of the abdomenrunning and slimming belt or household foil. In general, this is useful, but do not expect a miracle to happen and lose weight in three workouts. These elements help to accelerate the process of removing excess fluid, which also has a beneficial effect on the process of losing weight. There are also belts with a massage effect.
Regularity of training
How often and how long should you run to burn fat? Regularity is the most important key to success. The best option is to run 3-5 times a week. To speed up the results, you can alternate running with other types of activity, such as strength training or swimming. It is recommended that men combine running for weight loss with weight training.
Don't expect quick results. Expresslychanges for the better will be noticeable after 6-8 weeksregular training.
Knowing how to run correctly to lose weight, you can improve your appearance without harming your health. In addition, it is recommended to adhere to the following recommendations:
- While running, remember tocontrol your physical condition.Pain and dizziness are unacceptable. Breathing should remain even.
- You can run both on a treadmill and in open areas.The first option is good because it is available at any time. 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 endurance and will allow you to properly distribute the load.
- Make sure your running technique is correct.
- Posewhile runningit must be level.Breathe evenly. Tempo changes should be smooth.
If you want to burn fat in a certain area by running,You can adhere to the following technical recommendations:
- To lose weight in the legs, it is recommended to use a high hip lift technique, incorporate running with an extra step into your training, and alternate running with jumping (with or without a jump rope).
- To lose weight in the stomach, additionally load the abdominal muscles and always control their tone.
If you follow all the rules and there are no contraindications, you can safely start running and soon you will notice clear changes for the better. Also, do not forget about proper nutrition and other types of exercise - in combination, you will get an effective program that will help you achieve an ideal figure. As a bonus, running will help you improve your health and forget about stress and depression.
How to build strength, endurance and burn fat with running
People often underestimate running or look at it one-sidedly. For example, if you want to lose weight, go for a run. If you want to exercise your heart, run too. Some people see it as an opportunity to set a personal best and prove to themselves that you can run 10km without stopping. For some, running is a way to relax the brain after an intellectually or nervously stressful day at work. The opposite also happens - a great exercise in the morning to gain strength, energy and complete the planned work plan in record time.
A versatile but insidious discipline
On the one hand, everything is like that. On the other hand, running power is in many cases overestimated or not taken into account at all.
Thus, running increases the effectiveness of strength training - it increases the working loads and the intensity of the training. This is an important aid in removing excess fat. This is if everything is done correctly, which we will discuss below. There are also opposite cases.
For example, a person decides to lose weight - it doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl - and run away. After all, he had heard out of the corner of his ear that running helped you lose weight. The comrade sweats seven times, red as a lobster, his heart jumps out of his chest, his legs give way, there is no air, but he continues to move his weakened legs - he has to run these 3-4 km.
I ran for a month three times a week, suffered a lot, got on the scale, but there was no result. The reflection in the mirror hasn't changed much either. That's the best case scenario. In the worst case, he began to look bad, his health was also not good, his knees hurt, he lost weight (he has less muscles, the fat has not disappeared anywhere) and the pitiful 2-3 kg lost from a hundredth of the total body weightweight are not pleasant at all.
The fact is that you need to run correctly and build the training process wisely, while not forgetting about nutrition and a number of other factors. Let's talk about everything in more detail.
Suitable for everyone
The running training system that I will discuss below is universal. It is suitable both for a completely untrained overweight person who has decided to get his body in order, and for an advanced athlete who has been training with weights for years, but neglects running for various reasons.
For example, your knees hurt, you're short of breath, your muscles are "burning" (not burning). I can easily be classified as the latter and I've dabbled in running more than once before, but only now have I found really effective methods of using it.
Ten years ago I did an experiment - I wanted to run 10 km. I got results but it was hard and took more than three months. The hope of eating tasty treats while losing fat through a long run didn't pan out. And 10 km I ran with difficulty, which is called "I can't". After that, I more or less got used to running (I hated it at all), but these are flowers compared to the results of a reasonable approach to training.
Where do I start
There is no need for preparation or long preparations. We ate normally, after an hour and a half we put on old sneakers, went to the nearest stadium with rubber tracks, set the timer on the watch or smartphoneone hourand ran at a light pace. Only a few points are important:
- Do not run on asphalt.A rubber stadium is good, a treadmill in the gym is good, dirt with grass is good. Asphalt is not ok, but excessive load on the joints and ligaments. High-quality sneakers, selected individually (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 such an opportunity. But you can run on the surfaces described above in any, even the most anonymous Chinese sneakers (be prepared for calluses from such shoes).
- Work within your aerobic threshold.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 - optical, chest) - then work in the heart rate range of 120-150 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 suffocating, it becomes difficult - go for a brisk walk until your breathing recovers, then jog again. And you work like this for an hour. Evento walk most of the time.
- After 60 minutes, record how far you have walked in that time. Next time try running and walking more.Let it be 100 meters, 200, but more. If you do everything right, you won't have to stress. The body itself adapts to any reasonable load with a reserve. In this case, we focus on breathing and pulse, we do not overload the body and it will respond by adapting with compensation. I died for a day, went back to the stadium, ran/walked for an hour - look at my smartphone (if it can count steps), activity tracker or count laps and you see you've covered more distance, but at the same time you haven'tsuffered or out of breath while running. I speak from my own experience.
Working on this system, in 2-3 months an untrained person will learn to run for an hour without rest and at a good pace, without getting out of breath or getting exhausted. General well-being will improve, endurance will increase and weight will decrease, provided 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 personally tested on myself. 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 your strength performance in the gym or all together, then read the next part of this series of articles where I will talk about how to run without knee pain, whyyou should run strictly 60 minutes, plus how to burn fat and maintain muscle.
This is real - I checked it myself. People often underestimate running or look at it one-sidedly. For example, if you want to lose weight, go for a run. If you want to exercise your heart, run too. Some people see it as an opportunity to set a personal best and prove to themselves that you can run 10km without stopping. For some, running is a way to relax the brain after mental or nervous stress.
Running for weight loss: how to burn more calories?
Running is one of the most effective and fastest ways to exercise for weight loss. Increased heart rate during running contributes to the consumption of large amounts of oxygen, increasing energy expenditure, which leads to fat burning. For fast 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 properly run to lose weight
One of the important factors in the impact of running on weight loss is the high consumption of oxygen - the main fat burner. Running is called aerobic exercise for a reason because it is done with available oxygen.
An important condition for training aimed at losing weight is a well-ventilated room or clean street air and proper breathing during running.
It is essential that!Correct breathing when running should be accompanied by a quick and sharp inhalation, and the exhalation should be, on the contrary, gradual and smooth. You should inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.
Another important factor in losing weight is the heart rate zone.Heart rate plays a crucial role in weight loss.
- Lower heart rate threshold, at which fat burning is maintained, is 120 beats per minute.
- Upper threshold, which keeps fat burning, not muscle, and the heart muscle doesn't get excessive stress, is 160 beats per minute.
These are average values. 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. Let's take age 30 for 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 own 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 bpm.
Therefore, for a thirty-year-old, the permissible heart rate zone is 114 - 152 beats per minute.
How many calories are burned when running?
In one hour of running, you can lose up to 700-800 kcal on average. Indicators depend on the degree of load, age, weight and physical fitness.
How much running do you need to lose weight?
The duration of the training also plays an important role.To reach 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 also begin to burn muscle fibers.
But alsoLess than 20 minutes makes no sense to train at all.
To run efficiently, it's important to rest less without lowering your heart rate, but you don't need to run at the same pace. Interval jogging, where you spend more time running and a little less walking, is also suitable for burning fat.
You can run both outside and on a trail at the gym. Special simulators are adapted to set the angle of inclination - to simulate an uphill climb. This method is ideal for interval training; instead of resting while walking, climb up. By increasing the load, you can burn more calories and also put more strain on your glutes and hamstrings.
When is the best time to run for weight loss?
For each person, depending on the rhythm of life, the best time for training will be different.
Research shows that for most people, effective workouts occur in the afternoon, especially in the evening.
One of the popular ways to lose weight is running on an empty stomach in the morning. After sleep, glycogen stores are depleted, so the body uses its own fat for energy. Such training should not be long, 30 minutes is enough, otherwise, in addition to fat, there is a risk of losing muscle mass.
There can be two such half-hour training sessions per day – in the morning and in the evening.
3-4 workouts a week are enough.Rest from aerobic exercise is just as important as strength training. The body needs time to recover, otherwise the further fat burning process will be impossible.
It doesn't matter what time of day you train, if your body is rested after the night and full of energy, then a morning run will bring no less benefits than an evening run. It is important here to feel your own body.
Running program for weight loss in tables
The training scheme is designed for several levels of difficulty, both for running outdoors and on a treadmill. It may take 2 to 4 weeks of training to adapt to the program. If running gets easier, move up to an advanced level.
Outdoor running for beginners
interval time
| Run | 2 minutes |
| A quick walk | 2 minutes |
The first workouts are designed for 30-40 minutes. Each week you should increase the duration of the session and the duration of the run.
Outdoor running for the fit
interval time
| Run | 5 minutes |
| walking | 2 minutes |
Training should be40 to 60 minutes maximum.
Fitness workout on a treadmill for beginners
interval time
| Run | 2 minutes |
| Walking on an incline | 2 minutes |
Advanced Treadmill
interval time
| Run | 5-10 minutes |
| Walking on an incline | 2-3 minutes |
Don't start running right away with cold muscles. After training, it is recommended to stretch the muscles.
If necessary, the load can be increased by increasing the speed and reducing the rest time. This way, you can go from interval training to continuous jogging in an hour.
Conclusion
Indeed, running is a quick and easy way to lose weight. An important condition for training is proper breathing, heart rate, load-rest ratio. Remember that to lose weight it is important not only to run, the expenditure of calories must exceed the intake of calories. Accordingly, it is necessary to monitor your diet, not to overeat and limit the intake of simple carbohydrates.