Today, running is one of the most popular ways to fight excess weight. It really helps in burning 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 is not that running is ineffective, but that a person does not know how to run correctly in order to lose weight. Let's try to figure it out.
Benefits of running for weight loss and more
Running to burn fat is a simple and effective way to get rid of extra pounds. It is not for nothing that this sport has gained enormous popularity all over the world. He has a numberbenefits, including the following:
- Running is accessible, does not 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 because it provides a powerful cardio workout. On average, an hour of running burns 500-700 kcal.
- Running gives a person all-round benefits, and this does not only concern the figure, but also health. It helps fight stress, strengthens the nervous system, trains the heart and blood vessels, improving their work.
- Jogging normalizes the work of the digestive system and accelerates metabolism.
- Running perfectly strengthens muscles and keeps them in tone.
- This type of activity stimulates the removal of harmful waste, toxins and excess fluid from the body.
Although running will help anyone lose weight, you have to take it into accountcontraindications, and they are as follows:
- serious disorders of the heart and blood vessels (heart defects, heart failure, blood pressure problems);
- phlebeurism;
- 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 overweight should consult a specialist before starting to run, as they may harm themselves. In their case, brisk walking or jogging might be more appropriate.
To lose weight by running, it is recommended to study different options and choose the best one. It is also very important to know how to run properly 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 figure it out.
Problems with excess weight are usually typical for people who lead a sedentary lifestyle. Moreover, now a good half of the population has personal vehicles. Thanks to cars, we stop just running, but also walk. As a result, the body accumulates fat and muscles atrophy due to uselessness.
In order 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 form of physical activity available to everyone. And let it be just a brisk walk at first. As soon as your body adjusts, start running.
Let's take a closer look at how running burns fat?
Running gets the heart pumping, which is why it's classified as cardio. With an accelerated heartbeat, more blood passes through the heart in a unit of time than at rest. The lungs also begin to work harder, and your blood is actively enriched with oxygen. Oxygen saturation occurs in all cells of the body, from the tips of the toes to the brain. Metabolic processes begin to take place faster.
Running requires energy. To ensure its constant flow, the body uses its internal reserves. First, the glycogen stored in the liver is consumed, and then the fat deposits of our body are used. Therefore, running and excess weight are incompatible terms. If you move actively and burn more calories than you consume with food, the extra pounds will disappear. Running and losing weight go hand in hand.
- For running (7-9 kilometers per hour), fat burning starts after 20-30 minutes of continuous running.
- With interval training, the process of breaking down fat starts much earlier; you don't have to run for an hour to trigger 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 in losing weight, it is important to clarify its type and duration. If we think of a classic run at an easy pace, the duration of training should be at least thirty minutes.
How to Run to Burn Fat: The Basics
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 should be taken into account in order for running to really give results. Let's take a closer look at them.
Duration of work
Keep in mind that the duration of your run will depend on the intensity of your training. 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 too 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 passed, the body begins to consume not calories, but directly hated fats. Many experts recommend interval running – it increases endurance and is great for weight loss.
Preparation and completion of training
A proper fat burning run shouldn't just start and end. Certain rules must be followed.Before training, consider the following:
- It is recommended that you 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 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 have to control your diet. Of course, it is not recommended to eat sweets, fatty foods and other foods that are the enemy 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 training as well.
After the run, the following recommendations will be useful:
- Stop gradually, not suddenly. Switch from running to walking and gradually slow down. This will help restore breathing and heart rate and force the body to burn even more calories.
- After your run, 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.
Selection of training 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 training, the faster energy is consumed. Calm and relaxed running is safe for your health, but it is more suitable for maintaining fitness than for losing weight. And excessively intense training can lead to exhaustion of the body, and as a result, it can begin to lose not only fat, but also muscles, and the cardiovascular system can suffer from excessive stress.
Consequentlyloads must be increased gradually and consistently.If you're new to running, start with the minimum and build up over time. You can determine the intensity of your exercise by monitoring your heart rate. Typically, a good fat burning effect results in a heart rate greater than 130 beats per minute. However, if this figure exceeds 150, then the load may be too intense. At the correct intensity, the heart rate should return to normal levels no more than half an hour after the end of the run.
Clothes and footwear
Proper equipment also plays a significant role in running performance. Slimming running shoes and suits should be as comfortable as possible and not restrict movement.
Clothing should be chosen from natural, breathable materials.It canuse a special slimming suit, enabling 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, lightweight and fit perfectly. It 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 transparent film. In principle, this is useful, but do not expect a miracle to happen and you will lose weight in three training sessions. These things help to 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 how long should you run to burn fat? Regularity is the most important key to success. The best option is running 3-5 times a week. To speed up the results, you can alternate running with other types of activity, for example, strength training or swimming. It is recommended that men combine running for weight loss with weight training.
Don't expect quick results. Explicitlychanges for the better will be noticeable after 6-8 weeksregular training sessions.
Knowing how to run properly to lose weight, you can improve your appearance without harming your health. In addition, it is recommended to adhere to the following recommendations:
- During the run, a mustcontrol your physical condition.Pain and dizziness are not acceptable. Breathing should remain even.
- You can run both on a treadmill and on open surfaces.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.
- Posturewhile I'm runningit should be on the level.Breathe evenly. Tempo changes should be smooth.
If you want to burn fat in a certain area by running,You can follow the following technical recommendations:
- To lose weight in the legs, it is recommended to use a technique with high hip lifts, including running with an extra step in training and alternating running with jumping (with or without a skipping rope).
- To lose weight in the stomach, additionally use stress on 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. Remember also 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 by running
People often underestimate running or look at it one-sidedly. Like, if you want to lose weight, run. If you want to train your heart, run too. Some see it as an opportunity to set a personal best and prove to themselves that you can run 10 km 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 - an excellent morning exercise for gaining strength, energy and completing the planned work plan in record time.
A universal but insidious discipline
On the one hand, everything is like that. On the other hand, driving power is in many cases overestimated or not taken into account at all.
So, running increases the effectiveness of strength training - it increases working weights and training intensity. It is important to help 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 decided to lose weight - it does not matter if he is a guy or a girl - and let him rage. After all, he heard out of the corner of his ear that running allows you to lose extra pounds. Comrade sheds seven sweats, red as a lobster, his heart jumps out of his chest, his legs give out, there is not enough air, but he continues to move his weakened legs - he needs to run these 3-4 km.
I ran for a month three times a week, suffered a lot, stood on the scale, but there were no results. The reflection in the mirror hasn't changed much either. This is the best case scenario. In the worst case, he started to look bad, his health was also not good, his knees hurt, he was emaciated (less muscle, the fat didn't go anywhere), and he lost a measly 2-3 kg out of a hundred kilos. total body weight is not at all pleasant.
The fact is that you have to run properly 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 talk about below, is universal. It is suitable both for a completely untrained fat person who has decided to put his body in order, and for an advanced athlete who has been training with weights for years, but for various reasons ignores running.
For example, your knees hurt, you have shortness of breath, your muscles "burn" (not burn). I can safely classify myself as the latter, and I have approached the issue of running several times before, but only now have I found really effective methods of using it.
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 delicious treats while losing fat through a long run did not materialize. And I ran 10 km with difficulty, which is called "I can't". Then I more or less got used to running (I hated it at all), but these are flowers compared to the results of a sensible approach to training.
Where to start
There is no need for any preparations or lengthy preparations. We ate normally, an hour and a half later we put on our old sneakers, walked to the nearest stadium with rubber running tracks, set the timer on our watch or smartphone toone o'clockand ran at a leisurely pace. Only a few points are important:
- Don't run on asphalt.A stadium with a rubber surface is ok, a treadmill in a gym is ok, dirt with grass is ok. Asphalt is not ok, but excessive load on joints and ligaments. High-quality tennis shoes, selected individually (how to do it, 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 blisters 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 briefly summarize. If you have a heart rate monitor (any - optical, chest mounted) - then work in the 120–150 bpm heart rate range. The main thing is not to suffocate - there must be enough oxygen. Without a heart rate monitor, use your breathing as a guide. As soon as you start to choke, it becomes difficult - go for a brisk walk until your breathing is restored, then jog again. And you work like this for an hour. Even if you walk most of the time.
- After 60 minutes, record how much distance you have covered in that time. Try running and walking more next time.Let it be 100 meters, 200, but more. If you do everything right, you won't have to strain. The body itself adapts to any reasonable load with a reserve. In this case, we focus on breathing and heart rate, we don't overload the body, and it will respond by adjusting and compensating. I rested for a day, returned to the stadium, ran/walked for an hour - looked at my smartphone (can it count steps), activity tracker or counted laps, and you see, you covered more distance, but at the same time the time whenyou didn't suffer or run out of breath during the run. I speak from my own 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 breath or exhaustion. The general condition will improve, stamina will increase and weight will decrease, provided that 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 on myself. You can pick it up and use it right away without going into the details.
If you want to achieve the most effective result, whether it is to burn fat, improve your strength results 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, why you should run strictly60 minutes, plus how to burn fat and maintain muscle.
This is real - I've seen it for myself. People often underestimate running or look at it one-sidedly. Like, if you want to lose weight, run. If you want to train your heart, run too. Some see it as an opportunity to set a personal best and prove to themselves that you can run 10 km without stopping. For some, running is a way to relax the brain after a mental or nervous state.
Running for weight loss: how to burn more calories?
Running is one of the most effective and fastest ways of training for weight loss. The increased heart rate during running contributes to the consumption of a large amount of oxygen, increasing energy expenditure, which leads to fat burning. For fast and desired results, it is important to have the right load when running, to train at the right time and in the right mode.
How to run properly 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 not called aerobic exercise for nothing, because it is performed with oxygen available.
An important condition for training in order to lose weight is a well-ventilated room, i. e. fresh street air and proper breathing during running.
It is important!Proper breathing while running should be accompanied by a quick and sharp inhalation, and exhalation, on the contrary, should be gradual and smooth. You must inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
Another important factor for weight loss is your heart rate zone.Heart rate plays a key role in weight loss.
- Lower heart rate threshold, at which fat burning is maintained, is 120 beats per minute.
- Upper threshold, which preserves the burning of fat, not muscle, and the heart muscle does not receive excessive stress, is 160 beats per minute.
These are averages. But you can calculate an individual heart rate zone for everyone, depending on age.
We subtract your age from your maximum heart rate of 220 beats per minute. Let's take for example 30 years of age.
- 220 - 30 = 190 beats per minute - we get the 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.
Therefore, for the thirtieth year, the permissible heart rate zone is 114 - 152 beats per minute.
How many calories are burned when running?
In an hour of running, you can lose up to 700-800 kcal on average. Indicators depend on the level of load, age, weight and physical fitness.
How much should you run 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 will also begin to burn muscle fibers.
But alsoLess than 20 minutes makes no sense to train at all.
To run efficiently, it is important to rest less without lowering your heart rate, but it is not necessary to run at the same pace. Interval jogging, in which you spend more time running and less time walking, is also suitable for burning fat.
You can run both outside and on the treadmill at the gym. Special simulators are adapted to set the angle of inclination - to simulate climbing uphill. This method is perfect for interval training; instead of resting while walking, climb uphill. By increasing the load, you can burn more calories and also put more stress 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 has shown that for most people, effective training takes place in the afternoon, especially in the evening.
One of the popular ways to lose weight is jogging 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 trainings per day - in the morning and in the evening.
3-4 trainings a week are enough.Rest from aerobic exercise is no less important than from strength training. The body needs time to recover, without which the further fat burning process will be impossible.
It doesn't matter what time of day you exercise, 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. Here it is important to feel your own body.
Running program for weight loss in tables
The training scheme is designed for several difficulty levels, both for running outdoors 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
interval time
| Run | 2 minutes |
| Fast walk | 2 minutes |
The first training sessions are scheduled 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.
Treadmill gym training 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 on cold muscles right away. After exercise, it is advisable to stretch the muscles.
If necessary, the load can be increased by increasing the speed and reducing the rest time. So you can go from interval training to continuous running for an hour.
Conclusion
Indeed, running is a quick and easy way to lose weight. An important condition for training is proper breathing, heart rate, and the ratio of workload and rest. Remember, to lose weight it's important not only to run, your calorie expenditure must exceed your calorie intake. Accordingly, it is necessary to monitor the diet, not to overeat and limit the intake of simple carbohydrates.