Losing weight is not really "my" topic, because I have a tendency to lose weight. On the contrary, I keep trying to shape my body instead of losing excess weight.
However, a large number of people rush to lose weight. Some one month is enough, some run a marathon, and some others run a lifetime and want to lose weight. This is good, because healthy running can also improve metabolism and cardiovascular function.
This is interesting to me:
- How effective is running to lose weight?
- Which running exercises burn the most calories?
- What are the physiological processes behind this?
- What does the research think about this?
Since I have been running for a few years and have noticed some changes in weight and appearance, I will share my experience.
Running as a way to lose weight is shrouded in many myths. In fact, not everyone can lose weight by running. Or lose weight, but not just for running. The problem of weight loss is much more complicated than it seems at first glance.
Needless to say the benefits of running, right?
In addition to the obvious advantages (involving large muscle groups, improving the function of the cardiovascular system, metabolism; there is a separate article on the benefits of running), at least one study is worth mentioning. More than 55, 000 people participated for 15 years.
What conclusions did the authors of the study come to?
- People who run regularly have a 30% lower risk of dying from any cause
- 45% reduction in risk of death from cardiovascular disease
- Life expectancy increased by an average of 3 years
While running does not require additional equipment, expensive equipment and high costs make it one of the most popular sports in the world. If you can afford a pair of cheap running shoes, you are in business.
Weight loss factors
No matter what exercise you are engaged in, there are some factors that directly affect the speed and intensity of your weight loss.
Among them:
- age. . . the older you get, the fewer jobs you recommend, so the results are less significant. In addition, muscles will shrink and weaken with age;
- Body composition. . . If you have more muscle mass than fat, you will burn more calories when running;
- Training intensity. . . Literally, everything is important: activity, frequency, speed, distance, etc. ;
- ground.Men burn calories faster than women. The University of Copenhagen conducted a study with eight other institutes in which 2, 500 people with diabetes and obesity received a strict eight-week calorie control diet. Under exactly the same conditions, men lose more weight than women;
- General daily activities. . . If you sit still for a long time, even a 10-minute charge is effective;
- weight. . . The greater the weight, the more calories burned at the beginning.
The main and unshakable formula for weight loss is to burn more calories than eat.
How many can be reset at once?
First of all, it is worth clarifying: Is it running on a treadmill or running on the street or stadium?
There seems to be no difference, but it is not. Functionally, the load change is small, but the mechanism is completely different. When running on an asphalt road, you need to focus on pushing from the ground, and the track is pulled back by your legs due to the constantly moving belt, reducing your physical exertion.
In addition, the treadmill significantly shortens the stride length and hinders movement.
Why don't you believe the calorie loss shown on the display of the machine? It takes into account the speed and duration of the exercise, as well as the average data of the runners, which usually have little to do with reality. In addition, machines tend to overestimate the numbers to motivate them to continue exercising.
You can lose 550-750 calories by working on a treadmill at a speed of 10-12 km/h for an hour. It all depends on the slope, running speed, heart rate, body temperature, etc.
1 kg of fat = approximately 7, 500-8250 calories
There are many indicators to consider when running outdoors. For example, a report from Harvard University pointed out that 30 minutes of exercise for people of different intensities and different weights will produce different results:
- A person weighing 70 kg. Running at a speed of 6: 12/km can burn 370 calories in half an hour. There is also a man weighing 56 kg. At the same time and at the same rate, he lost 300 calories.
- A person weighing 70 kg. Running for half an hour at 4: 20/km can burn 539 calories. There is also a man weighing 56 kg. At the same time and at the same speed, it will reduce 435 calories.
When you are jogging, calories are mainly consumed from fat. At an intense speed, muscle and liver glycogen stores become a source of calories. By the way, they are still "exhausted" after training (EPOC effect, about it-below).
Compared with other sports, the average indicators are as follows:
| Activity | Burn calories in 30 minutes |
| Swimming at an active speed (freestyle) | 370 |
| Run at a speed of 8 km/h (6: 12/km) | 300 |
| Beach Volleyball | 297 |
| Cycling at a speed of 20 km/h | 295 |
| Roller skating | 260 |
| Aerobic exercise | 240 |
| basketball | 220 |
| play badminton | 167 |
How many days do I need to run per week to lose weight?
If you are just starting your running road, then you must not set yourself a goal of running or running for an hour a day.
Your training plan should be gradual. Start alternately between brisk walking and jogging. A normal running pace is a pace at which you can talk. It will be difficult at first, so you can proceed to the next step as needed.
Start with the fact that exercise should be done at least 3 times in 7 days. There should be enough time for the body to dump the excess material and recover.
Once you get the hang of it, you can perform different types of running exercises to make your body more flexible and burn calories more efficiently. However, remember that basic training will keep your body running smoothly and minimize the chance of injury.
High-intensity running training
A meta-study found that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) burns 30% more fat on average than other types of exercise.
Therefore, HIIT training is a more effective way to reduce body fat. High-intensity running exercises include interval running and fartlek.
Strenuous exercise will produce excessive oxygen consumption after exercise, the so-called oxygen debt effect.EPOC (Excessive oxygen consumption after exercise). . . This promotes the oxidation of fat in a shorter period of time and triggers the so-called "afterburn effect". In addition, the body produces more adrenaline and growth hormone (up to 450% according to one study) within 24 hours after the end of HIIT.
In addition to weight loss, this type of aerobic exercise has many other benefits:
- Improve endurance
- Blood sugar control
- Strengthen muscles
- Strengthen the immune system
- Relieve stress and anxiety, etc.
However, despite all the advantages, interval training also has many contraindications because the cardiovascular system is subject to active loads. (CCC). Before starting this type of running, you need to make sure that you have no contraindications to CCC.
When is it better to train to lose weight during the day?
According to recent research, people who exercise in the morning perform better than those who exercise at night. During the experiment, the scientists divided the 48 women into two groups: one group performed aerobic exercise in the morning for six weeks, and the other group preferred to exercise at night. Within the specified time, they recorded each meal. The results concluded that morning exercises helped to reduce the intake of high-calorie foods during the day, thereby allowing them to lose more weight.
Other studies have shown that exercising on an empty stomach before breakfast burns more fat than exercising after a meal.However, if you are running on an empty stomach, it is worthwhile to take a shorter, simpler route, because your body may not be ready yet.
There are many disputes about which time is most effective. It is believed that when the body reaches the highest temperature of the day, our bodily functions will increase. For most people, this is between 4: 00 pm and 5: 00 pm, although some experts extend this time to 7: 00 pm.
A possible monthly beginner running exercise program
Before showing the results, especially if you have been sitting still for a long time, you need to prepare your body and speed up your metabolism.
Please noteOnly a personal trainer can choose the best training plan for you, Because when choosing a plan, you will consider your goals and physical condition.
The plan is designed to allow you to immerse yourself in the exercise as smoothly as possible; this is achieved by alternating walking and running:
Week 1 |
Monday-20 minutes walk Tuesday-take a break or do aerobic exercise for 20 minutes (swimming, cycling) Wednesday-20 minutes brisk walk Thursday-closed Friday-brisk walking (4 minutes) and running (1 minute) alternately 4 times Saturday-closed Sunday-brisk walking 20 minutes |
Two weeks |
Monday-Alternate 5 quick steps (4 minutes) and running (1 minute) Tuesday-closed Wednesday-Brisk walking (3 minutes) and vigorous jogging (1 minute) alternately 6 times Thursday-closed Friday-Repeat 7 times alternately brisk walking (3 minutes) and running (1 minute) Saturday-20 minutes for brisk walking or up to 30 minutes by bike Sunday-closed |
3 weeks |
Monday-Repeat 7 times alternately brisk walking (3 minutes) and running (1 minute) Tuesday-closed Wednesday-alternate 9 times of fast walking (1 minute) and jogging (2 minutes) Thursday-rest or bike for 30 minutes Friday-Repeat 7 times alternately brisk walking (3 minutes) and running (1 minute) Saturday-Actively walk for 25 minutes Sunday-closed |
4 weeks |
Monday-alternate 6 times of brisk walking for 1 minute and jogging for 4 minutes Tuesday-rest or swimming/biking (30 minutes) Wednesday-alternate 5 minutes of brisk walking, jog for 20 minutes, and then complete 5 minutes of brisk walking Thursday-closed Friday-Run for 25 minutes Saturday-30 minutes by bike or brisk walk Sunday-closed |
A multifunctional exercise program suitable for beginners. There are hundreds of similar programs online
When you enter the second month of your training program, gradually increase your jogging time and minimize the interval between walking. When 30 minutes of running is normal for you, you can add 4 days of full running load.
It is important to monitor your heart rate.
The fat-burning heart rate zone is considered to be 50-70% of the maximum heart rate. It is calculated based on the person's age.Very averageThis is about 115-130 times for 30 years old or 110-125 times for 40 years old. You can use the special diagnostic function to measure the accurate heart rate zone. This will help you train more effectively.
When you run in the fat burning zone, your body learns to burn fat as efficiently as possible. However, you should not expect that running in this particular area will result in more weight loss: due to low intensity, fewer calories are burned than when running in a high-intensity area.
What helps to maintain results?
In order to track your progress and understand your heart rate during training, you cannot do without assistive devices:
- Fitness bracelet.They are paired with your phone to help you track steps, kilometers, speed and time. In most fitness bracelets, the heart rate monitor can only work accurately in quiet and low-stress areas. I can't say that this absolutely applies to all fitness bracelets, some bracelets can do this task well.
- sports watch.Since most sports watches have built-in GPS sensors, you don’t need to use your phone to run. Sports brand watches (and Apple Watch) tend to have a relatively accurate heart rate monitor, but it is still not as accurate as a chest strap. The accuracy of the heart rate monitor depends on the model and technology used to implement it, so it’s best to check the reviews of specific gadgets in advance.
- Chest heart rate monitor.The most accurate heart rate measurement.
Why am I running but not losing weight?
There may be many reasons:
- Wrong motivation.Many times you will hear people running around saying that they are making a burger they have eaten, or going around in a stadium to get a piece of chocolate at night. This weight loss option is utopian; food should not be a goal or reward. Learn to associate calories burned with calories burned and eat well. If you run for an hour a day but consume 500 extra calories a day, you should not expect to lose weight.
- Weight control.A safe and reasonable weight loss rate is up to 1 kg per week. If you often run and strength training at the same time, then please remember that while losing weight, muscles are also growing. In this case, it is best not to look at the arrows on the scale, but to measure your body (waist circumference, hip circumference, leg circumference, arms, etc. ) regularly. This method of tracking progress will be more enlightening.
- Habitual load. . . In the first few weeks, you can see the results, but then it becomes less obvious. Why? Because the body is initially stressed and actively uses protein and carbohydrates to replenish energy reserves and building materials for muscle recovery. Over time, the body adapts to stress and no longer sees them as irritants. In this case, it is sufficient to alternate between different types of training: running on rough terrain, finding other routes, combining pace, increasing power load, etc.
- Difficult diet.It seems that the less you eat, the more you lose weight. In fact, the situation is somewhat different. Severe malnutrition will put the body under stress, it will begin to accumulate reserves as much as possible, and retain water to repair damaged muscle fibers and transport glycogen to working muscles. As a result, this often leads to emotional breakdown and overeating.
5 misunderstandings about running
Stretching before running
Of course, each of us has heard that you need to stretch and warm up your muscles before running. You will be surprised, but scientists have not reached a consensus on this score. Instead, they agree that they can only benefit from dynamic stretching (lunges, bending, swinging legs and arms, etc. ).
What's wrong with the stretched static shape?
- A 2013 study found that it reduces productivity, not increases productivity.
- Another study by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons found that stretching before running did not prevent injuries.
Another recent study found that static stretching can impair muscle performance for up to 24 hours.
Static stretching refers to movement like folding or butterfly, which needs to freeze in a position for 15-60 seconds during the peak period of muscle elongation.
But warming up the joints will never hurt you.
The more exercise the better
Beginner runners have a common mistake-hoping to increase running speed and load as soon as possible. In the early days, the enthusiasm and motivation were overwhelming. Running 2-3 kilometers seemed too little and too embarrassing. Preferably only 10 and uphill. As a result, the body is under stress and there is no time to recover, and athletic performance declines before it appears.
This requires prolonged suspension of training, general loss of strength and exhaustion. Muscle swelling or weakness can sometimes be observed, which in most cases is a symptom of overtraining. As a result, this can lead to "emotional" binge eating and sometimes injury, which completely defeats the desire to run again.
Be patient, think long-term, and don't exhaust your body. Even with the most intense exercise, you will still not lose weight within 2 weeks. The process must be handled systematically, and the load must be divided into multiple stages.
Runners do not need strength training
There are many studies looking at the impact of strength training on running performance. One of them is dedicated to sprinting. It points out that force, power, and speed are essentially interrelated because they are the result of the same functional system.
Strength training significantly improves endurance and running performance. For example, the gluteus maximus is considered to be the most important contributor to maximum speed when running. Needless to say, do you have to not miss it? Running alone cannot do this.
In addition, the stronger the muscles become, the more elastic and elastic the body will be when running.
Dress warmer and lose more
For novice runners who want to lose excess weight, this is a big misunderstanding. Some girls even wrap themselves in clothes with plastic wrap to achieve the greatest effect they think.
Why is this method invalid? Because sweating has nothing to do with weight loss. With the help of sweat, the body cools down, expelling body fluids and toxins. Extra clothes can interfere with cooling, which can cause overheating and even loss of consciousness.
Weight-bearing running can definitely help you lose weight
For beginners, this is not the best method. If there is a sedentary lifestyle before this, running itself is a powerful burden on the body. Excess weight is already an aggravating agent.
Usually, experienced athletes use this method to develop speed-strength capabilities. For inexperienced runners, long-distance heavy weight training will increase the risk of injury.
Increased running and appetite
As your body learns to adapt to new regimens and exercises, the calories you burn will decrease. In addition, when weight is lost, the body needs less energy to function. Therefore, the basal metabolism (the energy that the body burns at rest) actually begins to decrease.
It is believed that running at a moderate speed will increase appetite, especially for beginner runners. The body wants to restore its previous quality and produce more intensively the hormones that make you feel hungry. However, several studies have found that high-intensity running has the opposite effect-suppressing the level of hunger hormone (hunger hormone) and reducing appetite.
As far as I am concerned, I can say that I have never gained as much as I did when preparing for a marathon. I run more than 200 kilometers a month at most. I eat too much, and I can't believe I can finish it. There is no goal to lose weight, but the appetite is very strong.
Can I lose weight just by running?
This is possible, but several conditions must be met for this: proper nutrition, alternating load, and gradual increase. If you want to lose weight by doing regular but short-term exercise at the same pace (for example, 20 minutes a day), then this is unlikely to bring you closer to your desired goal. Much depends on the initial parameters.
You can achieve the effect by running for a long time or intensively. Ideally, to lose weight, you should alternate interval training with jogging and long-distance running. This will prevent the body from adapting to the stress level. Why is it so important? Because you may face a phenomenon called plateau states by physiologists, it becomes very difficult to move them off the ground when the physical condition and weight are stabilized. We must "surprise" the body and try unusual loads that will stimulate it. The new method also helps avoid burnout caused by similar routines.
By combining aerobic and anaerobic loads (aerobic and strength), you can achieve your desired goals faster. But don't forget the side effects of running (actually the main ones). With the loss of extra calories, you will bring huge benefits to your entire body.