Losing weight is not really "my" topic because of my tendency to lose weight and I, on the contrary, constantly try to build shape rather than lose extra pounds.
However, a large number of people run through the desire to lose weight. Some are enough for a month, others run a marathon, and others have run all their lives, once wanting to lose weight. This is great because running Wellness also improves metabolism and cardiovascular function.
It became interesting for me:
- How effective is running for weight loss?
- Which running exercises burn the most calories?
- What physiological processes are hidden behind this?
- What does the research say about this?
And since I have been running for a few years now and have noticed some changes in my weight and appearance, I will share my experience.
Running as a way to lose weight is shrouded in myth. The fact is that not everyone loses weight by running. Or lose weight, but not just by running. The issue of weight loss is more complex than it seems at first glance.
Needless to say, the benefits of running?
In addition to the obvious advantages (involvement of large muscle groups, improved functioning of the cardiovascular system, metabolism; there is a separate article on the benefits of running), it is worth mentioning at least one study. More than 55 thousand people participated in it for 15 years.
What conclusion did the authors of the study reach?
- risk of death from any cause in people who run regularly is reduced by 30%
- risk of death from cardiovascular disease reduced by 45%
- life expectancy increases on average by 3 years
And the fact that running does not require additional equipment, expensive equipment and high costs makes it one of the most popular sports in the world. If you can afford even a pair of cheap shoes, you are in business.
Weight loss factors
No matter what sport you do, there are factors that directly affect how quickly and intensively you lose weight.
Among them:
- Age. . . The older the person, the less work is recommended and, consequently, the result will be less important. In addition, muscles contract and become weaker with age;
- Body composition. . . If you have more muscle mass than fat, you will burn more calories while running;
- Exercise intensity. . . Literally everything matters: activity, frequency, rhythm, distance, etc. ;
- floorMen burn calories faster than women. The University of Copenhagen, along with eight other institutes, conducted a study in which 2, 500 people with diabetes and obesity received a strict eight-week calorie-controlled diet. By staying in the same conditions, men have lost more pounds than women;
- General daily activity. . . Even a 10 minute payment is effective if you are sitting;
- Weight. . . The more weight, the more calories will be burned in the beginning.
The basic and unwavering formula for losing weight is to burn more calories than you consume.
How much can you reset on a run?
First, it is worth clarifying: is it about running on a treadmill or, for example, on a road or stadium?
There may seem to be no differences, but it is not. Functionally, the load varies slightly, but the mechanics are completely different. When running on asphalt, it is necessary to push intensely from the surface, while the track, due to the constantly moving belt, pulls your foot back and you spend less physical effort.
In addition, the treadmill significantly shortens the stride and impedes movement.
Why not trust the lost calories displayed on the car screen? It takes into account the speed and duration of training, as well as the average data for the runner, which often have nothing to do with reality. Moreover, the machine tends to overestimate the numbers in order to motivate them to continue training.
For an hour on a treadmill, working at a rate of 10-12 km / h, you can lose 550-750 calories. It all depends on the slope, running pace, heart rate, body temperature, etc.
1 kilogram of fat = approximately 7, 500-8250 calories
There are many metrics to consider when running outside. For example, a report from Harvard University showed that a 30-minute workout for people of different intensities and weights gives different results:
- A man weighing 70 kg. can burn 370 calories in half an hour while running at a rate of 6: 12 / km. And a man weighing 56 kg. at the same time and at the same rate, he loses 300 calories.
- A man weighing 70 kg. can burn 539 calories in half an hour by running at a rate of 4: 20 / km. And a man weighing 56 kg. at the same time and at the same rate, 435 calories are lost.
When you run slowly, calories are mostly consumed by fat. At an intense rate, glycogen stores in the muscles and liver become a source of calories. By the way, after exercise they still "burn" (EPOC effect, for that - below).
When compared to other sports, the indicators are averaged as follows:
| activity | Calories are burned in 30 minutes |
| Swimming (freestyle) at an active pace | 370 |
| Running at a speed of 8 km / h (6: 12 / km) | 300 |
| beach volleyball | 297 |
| Cycling at a speed of 20 km / h | 295 |
| Wheel skating | 260 |
| Gymnastics | 240 |
| Basketball | 220 |
| Playing badminton | 167 |
How many days a week do you need to run to lose weight?
If you are just starting your running path, then you should not set yourself the goal of running every day or running for an hour by all means.
Your training plan should be gradual. Start by alternating between brisk walking and slow running. A normal running pace is one you can talk about. It will be difficult at first, so you can move in one step if necessary.
Start with the fact that the workouts should be at least 3 in 7 days. There should be enough time for the body to have time to shed the excess and heal.
Once you have learned it, you can do different types of exercises to pump up your body more versatile and burn calories more efficiently. However, remember that basic training will keep your body functioning smoothly and minimize the chances of injury.
High-intensity running exercises
A meta-study found that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) burns an average of 30% more fat than other types of exercise.
Thus, HIIT training is a more effective way to reduce body fat. High-intensity running exercises include interval running and fartlek.
Intense exercise creates excessive oxygen consumption after exercise, the so-called oxygen debt effect.EPOC (Excess Oxygen Consumption After Exercise). . . This promotes the oxidation of fats in a shorter period of time and provokes the so-called "post-combustion effect". In addition, the body produces more adrenaline and growth hormone (according to one study, up to 450%) within 24 hours after the end of HIIT.
In addition to losing weight, this type of cardio has a number of other benefits:
- improved durability
- blood sugar control
- muscle strengthening
- boosting the immune system
- relieving stress and anxiety, etc.
However, with all the advantages, interval training has a number of contraindications, as it has an active load on the cardiovascular system.(KKK). Before starting this type of running, you should make sure that you have no contraindications from CCC.
At what time of the day is it best to train to lose weight?
According to recent studies, people who exercise in the morning perform better than those who exercise in the evening. During the experiment, the scientists divided 48 women into two groups: the first engaged in morning aerobic exercise for six weeks, the second preferred to do exercise in the evening. During the allotted period, they recorded each meal. As a result, it was concluded that morning exercise helped reduce the amount of high-calorie food during the day, which allowed them to lose more weight.
Other studies have shown that exercising on an empty stomach before breakfast burns more fat than exercising after meals.However, if you run on an empty stomach, it is worth taking a shorter and easier route as your body may not be ready for it.
There is much controversy as to which time is most effective. It is believed that our physical performance increases when the body reaches its maximum temperature for the day. For most people, this is between 4pm and 5pm, although some experts extend this time until 7pm.
A Possible Initial Exercise Monthly Plan
Before you show results, especially if you have been sitting before, you need to prepare your body and speed up your metabolism.
Please note thatonly a personal trainer can choose the optimal training regime for you, since when choosing a plan, your goals and body condition will be taken into account.
The plan is designed to immerse you in your workouts as best you can; this is achieved by alternating walking and running:
Java 1 |
Monday - Walk for 20 minutes Tuesday - rest or do cardio for 20 minutes (swimming, cycling) Wednesday - walk at a brisk pace of 20 minutes Thursday - break Friday - alternating brisk walking (4 minutes) and running (1 minute) 4 times Saturday - rest Sunday - Walk at a brisk pace for 20 minutes |
2 weeks |
Monday - alternate 5 fast steps (4 minutes) and run (1 minute) Tuesday - rest Wednesday - alternating a quick step (3 minutes) and intense running (1 minute) 6 times Thursday - break Friday - repeat 7 times alternating brisk steps (3 minutes) and jogging (1 minute) Saturday - 20 minutes brisk walking or cycling up to 30 minutes Sunday - rest |
3 weeks |
Monday - repeat 7 times alternating brisk steps (3 minutes) and jogging (1 minute) Tuesday - rest Wednesday - alternate 9 times brisk (1 minute) and run (2 minutes) Thursday - rest or bike for 30 minutes Friday - repeat 7 times alternating brisk steps (3 minutes) and jogging (1 minute) Saturday - active walking for 25 minutes Sunday - rest |
4 weeks |
Monday - alternate 6 times brisk steps for 1 minute and jogging for 4 minutes Tuesday - rest or swim / bike (30 minutes) Wednesday - Alternate 5 minutes brisk walking, jogging for 20 minutes and finish with another 5 minutes brisk walking Thursday - break Friday - continuous running for 25 minutes Saturday - cycling or brisk walking for 30 minutes Sunday - rest |
A comprehensive workout plan for beginners. There are hundreds of similar plans online
As you move into the second month of your workout plan, gradually increase your running time, keeping your walking intervals to a minimum. When 30 minutes of running is normal for you, you can add 4 days to a full running load.
It is important to monitor your heart rate.
The fat heart rate zone is considered to be 50-70% of the maximum heart rate. It is calculated depending on the age of the person.Very averagethis is about 115-130 beats for 30 year olds or 110-125 beats for 40 year olds. You can measure the exact areas of the heartbeat using special functional diagnostics. This will help you train more effectively.
When you run in the fat burning area, 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 the low intensity, fewer calories are burned than when running in the high intensity area.
What helps to maintain the result?
In order to track your progress and have an idea of your heart rate during exercise, you can not do without assistive devices:
- Fitness bracelets.Connected to your phone, they help you keep track of steps, kilometers and track your speed and time. In most fitness circles, the heart rate monitor works accurately only in quiet areas and in low stress areas. I can not say that this is true for absolutely all fitness bracelets, some do a good job with this task.
- Sports hours.Since most sports watches have a built-in GPS sensor, you do not need to work with your phone either. Sportswear brand watches (and Apple Watch) tend to have a relatively accurate heart rate monitor, but still not as accurate as chest straps. The accuracy of the heart rate monitor depends on the model and technology used to implement it, so it is best to look at reviews of a particular tool in advance.
- Heart rate monitors.More accurate heart rate measurements.
Why am I running but not losing weight?
There can be many reasons:
- Wrong motivation.Too often you can hear from people running that they are working with a hamburger they have eaten or waiting for rings in the stadium to win a chocolate in the evening. This weight loss option is utopian; food should not be a goal or a reward. Learn to relate calories consumed and consumed and eat well. If you run for an hour a day but eat 500 more calories a day, you should not rely on weight loss.
- Weight control.A safe and reasonable rate of weight loss is up to 1 kilogram per week. If you run regularly and do strenuous exercise at the same time, then keep in mind that at the same time as losing weight, muscles are building. In this case, it is more advisable not to look at the scales arrows, but to regularly measure your body (waist, hips, leg circumference, arms, etc. ). This method of tracking progress would be more revealing.
- Getting used to the loads. . . In the first few weeks, you can see the result, but then it became less pronounced. Why? Because the body was initially stressed and actively used proteins and carbohydrates to replenish energy reserves and building materials for muscle recovery. Over time, the body adapted to the stress and stopped perceiving them as a stimulus. In this case, it is enough to alternate between different types of training: run on rough terrain, find other ways, combine rhythm, add loads of forces, etc.
- A strict diet.It seems that the less you eat, the more you lose weight. In reality, things are a little different. Severe malnutrition puts the body under stress, it begins to accumulate reserves whenever possible, as well as retain water to repair damaged muscle fibers and deliver glycogen to the working muscles. As a result, it often leads to emotional breakdown and overeating.
5 myths about running
Lie down before you run
Surely, each of us has heard that before you run you need to stretch and warm up your muscles. You will be surprised, but scientists do not have a consensus on this result. Rather, they agree that the benefit can only be from dynamic stretching (kicks, bends, swinging legs and arms, etc. ).
What's wrong with the static shape of the alignment?
- A 2013 study found that it can reduce productivity, not increase it.
- Another study by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons found that stretching before running did not prevent injury.
And another recent study found that static stretching can impair muscle performance for up to 24 hours.
Static stretching refers to exercises like a fold or butterfly, when it is necessary to lift in one position for 15-60 seconds at the time of muscle extension.
But joint warming will definitely not hurt you.
The more exercise the better
There is a common mistake among novice runners - the desire to increase the pace of running and the volume of loads as quickly as possible. In the early days, enthusiasm and motivation prevail, and it seems that running 2-3 km is too little and shame. Better just 10 and up the hill. As a result, the body is exposed to stress, has no time to heal, and athletic performance declines before it appears.
This includes prolonged cessation of exercise, general loss of strength, and exhaustion. Swelling or weakness of the muscles can sometimes be noticed, which in most cases is a symptom of excessive exercise. As a result, it leads to "emotional" eating, and sometimes injuries, which completely discourage the desire to run again.
Be patient and think for a long time, do not strain your body. Even with the most intense workouts, you still will not lose weight in 2 weeks. The process should be approached systematically and the load should be divided into stages.
Runners do not need strength training
There are many studies looking at the effects of strength training on running performance. One of them is dedicated to sprints. He says that strength, power and speed are naturally related to each other, as they are all the result of the same functional systems.
Strength training significantly improves endurance and running performance. For example, the gluteus maximus is believed to be the most important contributor to maximum speed while running. Is it unnecessary to say that it should be pumped without fail? Running alone can not do that.
In addition, the stronger the muscles become, the more elastic and resilient the body will be as you run.
Dress warmly to lose more
A big misunderstanding for novice runners looking to lose those extra pounds. Some girls even wrap themselves under clothes with adhesive film to achieve the maximum result in their opinion.
Why is this method ineffective? Because sweating is not about losing weight. With the help of sweat, the body cools, removes fluid and toxins. Extra clothing interferes with cooling, which can lead to overheating and even loss of consciousness.
Running with weights will definitely help you lose weight
This is not the best method for beginners. Running in itself is a powerful load on the body, if you previously had a sedentary lifestyle. And excess weight is already a weighing agent.
As a rule, this method is used by experienced athletes to develop speed skills. Being heavy over long distances can increase the risk of injury for an inexperienced runner.
Running and increased appetite
As your body learns to adapt to the new diet and exercise, you burn fewer calories. Also, when you lose weight, the body needs less energy to function. Thus, the basal metabolism (energy that the body burns at rest) actually begins to decrease.
It is believed that running at a moderate pace increases appetite, especially for beginner runners. The body wants to return to its previous mass and produce more intensively hormones that make you feel hungry. But some studies have found that high-intensity running has the opposite effect - suppressing ghrelin (hunger hormone) levels and reducing appetite.
By myself, I can say that I have never won as much as when I was preparing for a marathon. My maximum monthly run was a little over 200 miles and I ate so much I couldn’t believe I was fit for it. There was no intention to lose weight, but the appetite was strong.
Can you lose weight just by running?
It is possible, but for this some conditions must be met: proper nutrition, alternation of loads, their gradual increase. If you want to lose weight by doing regular but short workouts (for example, 20 minutes a day) at the same pace, then this is unlikely to bring you closer to your desired goal. Much depends on the initial parameters.
You can achieve the result by running either for a long time or intensively. Ideally, for weight loss, you should alternate interval training with slow and long running. This will prevent the body from adapting to the stress level. Why is it important? Because you can face a phenomenon that physiologists call the plateau state, when physical condition and weight stabilize and it becomes very difficult for them to move off the ground. We need to "surprise" the body and experience unusual loads that become irritating to it. The new approaches also help avoid the burn that can arise from a similar routine.
You can achieve what you want faster by combining aerobic and anaerobic loads (cardio and strength). But do not forget about the side effect (and in fact - the main) of running. Along with losing extra calories, you will bring tremendous benefits to the body as a whole.