Running for Weight Loss
Medically reviewed by Josephine Hessert, DO
Running has been shown to be effective for weight loss. It's a good physical activity for people who want to lose weight. Running is easily accessible and can have a positive effect on body composition and overall health.
Regular physical activity, such as running, can prevent obesity, lower body fat percentage, and prevent diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
This article will discuss how running can be good for weight loss, balancing food and activity levels, choosing a running plan, and safety concerns.
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Is Running Good for Weight Loss?
Although regular physical activity has been shown to improve health and lower weight, many people remain inactive.
Often, cost and time prohibit people from engaging in physical activity. Running is a good physical activity for weight loss because it is easily accessible. It is low-cost, has few equipment needs, can be done solo, and doesn’t require a gym, team, or trainer to get started.
Running is a vigorous-intensity physical activity that can assist in weight loss. Running burns calories. In conjunction with a reduced-calorie diet, running can help a person achieve weight loss by creating a calorie deficit (burning more calories than they consume).
Engaging in a physical activity like running has other benefits as well, such as:
A lower body fat percentage
Decreased risk of type 2 diabetes
Better mobility
Reduced belly fat, lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease
How Much Do You Need to Run to Lose Weight?
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults engage in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity a week and two weekly strength training sessions to maintain good health.
Most people need about 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity weekly to maintain their current weight.
Running 5 miles per hour (mph) or faster (12 minutes per mile or less) is generally classified as vigorous-intensity physical activity. An easy jog (less than 4 miles per hour or more than 15 minutes per mile) may be a moderate-intensity activity, similar to a brisk walk.
To lose weight, the time and intensity of weekly activity must increase. This means you may need to exercise more a week or perform some of your activities more vigorously, such as increasing the pace of runs, to lose weight.
One factor in weight loss is thought to be a calorie deficit, when you consume fewer calories than you burn. This can be achieved through activity, diet, or both.
Although the amount of activity needed to lose weight varies among individuals, if you are new to running, working up to 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity or 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week is a great place to start.
You can use an activity tracker, app, or online calculator to determine how many calories your body burns during a running session. These take into consideration your weight, the intensity of the exercise session, and the time you run to determine how many calories are burned.
Once calories burned is determined, you can decide whether to run longer or more intensely or adjust your diet.
Weight Loss Expectations
One target for weight loss is to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week through increased activity and decreased food intake. This may produce steady weight loss, which is more likely to result in maintaining weight loss than losing weight quickly.
A safe daily food calorie target for weight loss is 1,200 to 1,500 calories for women and 1,500 to 1,800 calories for men. Do not go below 800 food calories per day without medical supervision.
A Running Plan for Weight Loss
Whether you are a beginning runner or you have been running for a long time, you can add running to your weekly physical activity in different ways to aid in weight loss.
While the recommendations are to get at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity a week, not everyone will be able to run for that amount of time every week.
If you are just starting to run, you may need to build your strength and endurance before you can run for longer periods of time. Some people find that alternating walking with running can help increase running time.
You may also add running into your routine of other activities that you already enjoy to intensify your weekly physical activity.
As you become accustomed to running, you will be able to run farther, longer, and at a higher intensity, all of which will help with weight loss.
Beginners Plan
When beginning a running plan, it’s best to start small and build running time incrementally.
After warming up with a brisk walk, try running for five to 10 minutes, then return to walking. If you can manage more in your first session, try another session of running for five to 10 minutes.
Repeat this until you reach your activity goal for the day. If a second or third attempt isn’t doable that day, continue walking as briskly as you can until you reach your goal.
After a week, increase running time by five to 10 minutes. Alternatively, if you did one running session each day in the first week, try adding a second daily session in the second week.
Continue the pattern of either adding time to your running or increasing the number of running sessions until you have built up to running for 30 minutes a day, five or more days a week.
Intermediate to Advanced Plan
For people already running, increasing the time running, intensity, and the number of days per week running can all help with weight loss. Varying your workouts throughout the week can be a great way to advance your runs.
To add time to your existing running routine, slowly add five or 10 minutes to each session, or add an extra session of running to your week.
To increase the intensity and the number of calories burned, try running on a hill or a treadmill incline, or add intervals of fast pace alternating with a moderate pace.
Another way to intensify activity level is to add muscle-strengthening exercises to your running routine. Muscle strengthening can improve endurance and running abilities, increasing speed and allowing you to run for longer periods.
Is running better than walking for weight loss?
One activity is not necessarily better than the other. Instead, the best weight loss activity for you is the one you can stick with for longer periods of time and at higher intensity. This may mean a combination of walking and running or only doing one or the other.
You might find you enjoy a brisk 30-minute walk each day, while running isn't as appealing. You won't get benefits from exercise you avoid, so maximize the activities you like best.
Safety and Preventing Injury
Safety and injury prevention measures are important factors to consider for any exercise you choose. No program can help with weight loss if you’re injured.
People who have existing conditions should check with a healthcare provider before starting a running program. A healthcare provider can help you determine the right activities for your age, health, and fitness level.
To run safely and help prevent injury, consider the following:
Warm up: A proper warm-up helps prepare the body for running. This can include dynamic stretching or a brisk walk.
Build time and intensity incrementally: Don’t try to increase the intensity of your runs all at once. Forcing your body to do something before it’s ready can lead to injury.
Listen to your body: You know your body best. Pay attention to the signals it sends. Pain or exhaustion are signs that you might be overdoing it.
Alternate activity levels each day: By switching up the activity levels each day you give your body a chance to recover and prevent overuse injuries.
Cross-train: Other activities such as weight-lifting, Pilates, or yoga can complement your running program by increasing strength and flexibility. Increased strength and flexibility can improve running form and endurance.
Remain hydrated: Drinking plenty of water is key to good performance and can prevent muscle cramps, dizziness, and dehydration when running sprints or long distances.
Find proper shoes: Having the proper athletic shoes can prevent injuries to the joints like the ankles and knees and prevent blisters.
Be aware of your surroundings: If running outdoors, be conscious of holes on trails, traffic on streets, or others around you. Wear reflective gear at night. Run in a group or with a partner if you’re in an unknown area.
Balancing Physical Activity and Food
While running can be good for weight loss, if food isn’t considered in the equation weight loss can be slow or nonexistent. It’s important to balance calories in and calories out to create a calorie deficit while still getting the healthy nutrients your body needs.
If you are getting the recommended physical activity but not seeing the scale move, you may need to track the food you are eating to determine what adjustments are needed.
While it may not be necessary to track every calorie you eat, getting a baseline understanding of what you consume daily can help you identify whether you are consuming more than you burn or the same amount as you burn.
Once you determine this, you can plan to reduce the calories consumed. Often, this can be as simple as cutting a few hundred calories a day, which may be just one snack.
To lose weight, it is not necessary to cut out entire food groups but to be conscious of your overall consumption in conjunction with your daily activity levels.
Summary
Running can be a great activity for weight loss and overall health. To lose weight running, people need at least 75 minutes of running a week, though this varies by individual.
An activity tracker, app, or online calculator can help determine how many calories you burn while running to determine how much you need to run to lose weight. Overall, people need to consume fewer calories than they burn to lose weight.
To get started running, it’s best to begin slowly and gradually increase time and intensity. For people who are intermediate or advanced runners, adding time and intensity can increase calorie burn and support weight loss.
Safety and injury prevention are important factors to consider while running. These include getting a proper warm-up, cross-training, increasing intensity incrementally, and being aware of your surroundings.
Balancing physical activity and food can also help with weight loss.
Read the original article on Verywell Health.
