Is jogging really effective for losing weight?

Weight loss isn’t really my "theme" because I’m prone to losing weight and I’m constantly trying to build figure rather than lose weight.

However, many flee because of the desire to lose weight. Someone had enough for a month, others ran a marathon, still others ran their entire lives, once they wanted to lose weight. This is great because running wellness also improves metabolism and cardiovascular function.

It became interesting for me:

• How effective is running to lose weight?
• Which running workouts burn the most calories?
• What physiological processes are behind this?
• What does the research say about this?

And since I’ve been running for several years and I’ve noticed some changes in my weight and appearance, I’m sharing my experiences.

Running as a weight loss method is covered in many myths. The fact is that not everyone runs out of runs. Or lose weight, but not just from 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 benefits (involving large muscle groups, improving cardiovascular function, metabolism; there is a separate article on the benefits of running) it is worth mentioning at least one study. More than 55, 000 people attended it for 15 years.

What was the conclusion of the study authors?

• the risk of death for people who run regularly for any reason is reduced by 30%
• the risk of death from cardiovascular disease is reduced by 45%
• life expectancy increases by an average of 3 years

And the fact that you don’t need additional equipment, expensive equipment, and high costs to run makes it one of the most popular sports in the world. If you can even afford a cheap running shoe, you’re in store.

Weight loss factors

No matter what sport you play, there are factors that directly affect the speed and intensity of weight loss.

Among them:

• Disease. . . The older a person is, the less work he or she is proposing, and therefore the result will be less significant. In addition, muscles shrink and weaken with age;
• Body structure. . . If you have more muscle mass than fat, you will burn more calories while running;
• Training intensity. . . Literally everything matters: activity, frequency, pace, distance, and so on.
• Floor.Men burn calories faster than women. The University of Copenhagen, along with eight other institutes, conducted a study in which 2, 500 diabetics and obese people received a strict, eight-week calorie-controlled diet. Staying in exactly the same conditions, men lost more extra pounds than women;
• General daily activity. . . Even a 10-minute charge is effective when in a sitting position;
• The weight. . . The more weight you have, the more calories you burn first.

The main and unwavering formula for weight loss is that you need to spend more calories than you consume.

How much can be restored during a run?

First of all, is it worth clarifying: is it about running on a treadmill, or on a street or stadium, for example?

There may seem to be no difference, but it is not. Functionally, the load hardly changes, but the mechanics are completely different. When running on asphalt, you have to bounce off the surface intensively, while the track retracts your feet due to the constantly moving belt and spends less physical effort.

In addition, the treadmill significantly shortens the stride and impedes movement.

Why don't you trust the lost calories on your device display? It takes into account the speed and duration of training, as well as average data about the runner, which often has little to do with reality. In addition, the machine tends to overestimate the numbers to motivate them to practice.

You can lose 550-750 calories working on a treadmill for an hour at a speed of 10-12 km / h. It all depends on the slope, running pace, heart rate, body temperature, and so on.

1 kilogram of fat = about 7500-8250 calories

There are many metrics to consider when running outdoors. For example, a Harvard University report showed that a 30-minute workout gives different results for people of different intensities and weights:

• A man weighing 70 kg. It can burn 370 calories in half an hour while running at a 6: 12 / km pace. And a 56kg man. you lose 300 calories at the same time and at the same rate.
• A man weighing 70 kg. It can burn 539 calories in half an hour at a rate of 4: 20 / km. And a 56kg man. you lose 435 calories at the same time and at the same rate.

When you run slowly, calories are consumed primarily from fat. At an intense rate, muscle and liver glycogen stores are becoming a source of calories. By the way, they still "burn out" after training (EPOC effect, about this - below).

Compared to other sports, the indicators are on average as follows:

Activity	Burn calories in 30 minutes
Swimming (freestyle) at an active pace	370
Running at 8 km / h (6: 12 / km)	300
Beach volleyball	297
Cycling at a speed of 20 km / h	295
Roller skating	260
Aerobics	240
Basketball	220
He plays badminton	167

How many days a week do you have to run to lose weight?

If you’re just starting your run, don’t set a goal of running every day or definitely running for an hour.

The workout plan should be gradual. Start by alternating between fast walking and slow jogging. The normal running pace is what you can talk to. It will be difficult at first, so you can take a step if necessary.

Start by saying that your workouts should be at least 3 within 7 days. There should be enough time for the body to have time to put down the excess and recover.

Once you’ve figured out, you can do different types of running workouts to make your body more versatile and burn calories more efficiently. Keep in mind, however, that with basic workouts, the body works smoothly and the chances of injury are minimized.

High intensity running workouts

A meta-study found that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) burns an average of 30% more fat than other types of exercises.

Thus, HIIT training is a more effective way to reduce body fat. High-intensity running workouts include interval running and fartlek.

Intense training results in excessive oxygen consumption after training, the so-called oxygen debt effect.EPOC (excessive oxygen consumption after training). . . This promotes the oxidation of fats in a shorter time and provokes the so-called "afterburning effect". In addition, the body produces more adrenaline and growth hormone (up to 450% according to one study) within 24 hours of completing HIIT.

In addition to weight loss, this type of cardio has several other benefits:

• better endurance
• blood glucose control
• muscle strengthening
• strengthening the immune system
• relieving stress and anxiety, etc.

However, along with all the benefits, interval training has several contraindications as there is an active load on the cardiovascular system.(CCC). Before starting this type of run, you should make sure that you have no contraindications from CCC.

At what time of day is it better to train for weight loss?

Recent studies show that people who exercise in the morning perform better than those who exercise in the evening. In the experiment, the researchers divided 48 women into two groups: doing aerobic exercises in the morning for the first six weeks, and the other more in the evening. All meals were recorded during the specified period. As a result, it was concluded that morning exercise helped reduce the amount of high-calorie meals during the day, which allowed them to perform more weight loss.

Other studies have shown that exercising on an empty stomach before breakfast burns more fat than after eating.However, if you are running on an empty stomach, you may want to take a shorter and easier route as your body is not ready for it.

There is a lot of debate about which time is most effective. It is believed that our physical performance increases when the body reaches its maximum daily temperature. For most people, this is between 4pm and 5pm, although some experts extend this time to 7pm.

A possible monthly beginner running workout plan

Before you can 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 system for you, because your goals and the condition of your body are taken into account when choosing a plan.

The plan is to immerse yourself in your workouts as smoothly as possible; this is achieved by alternating walking and running:

1 week	Monday - 20 minutes walk Tuesday - relax or cardio for 20 minutes (swimming, cycling) Wednesday - walk fast at a 20 minute pace Thursday - rest Friday - alternating fast steps (4 minutes) and running (1 minute) 4 times Saturday - rest Sunday - Walk at a fast pace for 20 minutes
2 weeks	Monday - alternate five times with fast steps (4 minutes) and runs (1 minute) Tuesday - rest Wednesday - alternating fast pace (3 minutes) and intense jogging (1 minute) 6 times Thursday - rest Friday - Repeat fast-paced (3 minutes) and run (1 minute) alternating 7 times Saturday - 20 minutes of quick walking or cycling, up to 30 minutes Sunday - rest
Three weeks	Monday - repeat fast step (3 minutes) and run (1 minute) alternating 7 times Tuesday - rest Wednesday - alternating 9 times fast steps (1 minute) and jogging (2 minutes) Thursday - rest or cycling for 30 minutes Friday - Repeat fast-paced (3 minutes) and run (1 minute) alternating 7 times Saturday - active walk for 25 minutes Sunday - rest
4 weeks	Monday - alternate six times with quick steps for 1 minute and jogging for 4 minutes Tuesday - rest or swimming / cycling (30 minutes) Wednesday - Alternative 5 minute fast move, 20 minute jog and another 5 minute fast move Thursday - rest Friday - continuous running for 25 minutes Saturday - cycling or walking at a 30-minute pace Sunday - rest

Versatile training plan for beginners. There are hundreds of similar plans on the internet

As you move on to the second month of your workout plan, gradually increase your jogging time, minimizing your walking intervals. If a 30-minute run is normal for you, you can add 4 days to your total running load.

It is important to monitor your heart rate.

The fat burning heart rate zone is 50-70% of the maximum heart rate. This is calculated depending on the age of the person.Very averageit is about 115-130 strokes until the age of 30 or 110-125 strokes until the age of 40. You can measure accurate heart rate zones using special functional diagnostics. This will help you train more effectively.

When you run in a fat burning zone, your body learns to burn fat as efficiently as possible. However, don’t expect that running in this particular zone will result in greater weight loss: less calories will be burned due to low intensity than in the high intensity zone.

What helps maintain the result?

In order to be able to track your progress and get an idea of your heart rate during your workout, you can’t do without the aids:

• Fitness bracelets.Paired with your phone, they help you keep track of your steps, kilometers, and track your speed and time. In most fitness bracelets, the heart rate monitor only works accurately in quiet and low voltage zones. I can’t say this is true for all fitness bracelets, some do the job well.
• Sports watch.Since most sports watches have a built-in GPS sensor, you don’t have to run it with your phone. Watches from sportswear brands (and the Apple Watch) usually have a relatively accurate heart rate monitor, but are still not as accurate as chest straps. The accuracy of the heart rate monitor depends on the model and the technology used to implement it, so it is a good idea to look in advance for a particular device.
• Chest heart rate monitors.The most accurate heart rate measurement.

Why am I running but not running out?

There are several reasons for this:

1. Incorrect motivation.It is very common to hear people rushing to work a hamburger they have eaten or cut circles in the stadium to look for a chocolate in the evening. This weight loss option is utopian; food cannot be a goal or a reward. Learn to correlate between calories consumed and calories consumed and eat well. If you run an hour a day but eat 500 more calories a day, don’t expect to lose weight.
2. Weight control.Safe and reasonable weight loss is 1 kilogram per week. If you run regularly and do strength training at the same time, keep in mind that muscles build as you lose weight. In this case, it is better not to look at the arrows on the scales, but to measure your body regularly (waist, hips, legs, arms, etc. ). This method of tracking progress would be much more exploratory.
3. Habit for loads. . . The results could be seen in the first few weeks, but then it was less pronounced. Why? Because the body was initially stressed and actively used proteins and carbohydrates to replenish energy reserves and building materials to restore muscles. Over time, the body adapted to the stress and did not perceive them as irritating. In this case, it is enough to switch between different types of workouts: run on rough terrain, find other routes, combine pace, add strength, and so on.
4. Hard diet.It seems that the less you eat, the more you lose. In reality, things turn out a little differently. Severe malnutrition puts stress on the body whenever possible, begins to build up reserves, and retains water to restore damaged muscle fibers and transport glycogen to the working muscles. As a result, it often leads to emotional collapse and overeating.

5 myths about running

Tighten it before running

Surely we have all heard that muscles need to be stretched and warmed up before running. You’ll be surprised, but scientists disagree on this score. Rather, they agree that the benefit can only come from dynamic stretching (jumps, bends, swinging legs and arms, etc. ).

What is wrong with the static shape of the section?

• A 2013 study found that it can reduce productivity rather than increase it.
• Another study from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery found that stretching before running did not prevent injury.

And another recent study found that static stretching can degrade muscle performance for up to 24 hours.

Static stretching involves exercises such as folding or butterflying when you need to freeze in one place for 15 to 60 seconds at the peak of a muscle peak.

But joint warm-up will definitely not hurt.

The more workouts, the better

There is a common mistake among novice runners - the desire to increase their running speed and load as quickly as possible. In the early days, enthusiasm and motivation prevail, and running a 2-3km run seems too little and a pity. I prefer only 10 and up the hill. As a result, the body is exposed to stress, has no time to recover, and athletic performance decreases before it appears.

This includes long-term cessation of training, general weight loss, and exhaustion. Sometimes muscle swelling or weakness is observed, which in most cases is a symptom of overtraining. As a result, it leads to "emotional" overconsumption and sometimes injuries that completely deter the desire to run again.

Be patient and think long term, don’t drain your body. Even with the most intense workouts, you won’t 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

Many studies deal with the effects of strength training on running performance. One is dedicated to the sprint. It states that power, power, and speed are inherently interrelated because they are all the result of the same functional systems.

Fitness training significantly improves endurance and running performance. For example, gluteus maximus is believed to be the most important contribution to maximum speed while running. Needless to say, it needs to be pumped flawlessly? Running alone cannot do that.

In addition, the stronger your muscles, the more flexible and resilient your body will be while running.

Dress warmly to lose more

A big misconception for novice runners who want to lose those extra pounds. Some girls even wrap themselves in foil under clothes to get the maximum results in their opinion.

Why is this method ineffective? Because sweating has nothing to do with weight loss. With the help of sweat, the body cools down, removing 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 alone is a powerful load on the body if it was a sedentary lifestyle in front of it. And being overweight is already weighting.

Generally, this method is used by experienced athletes to develop speed-strength skills. Difficulties over long distances can increase the risk of injury to an inexperienced runner.

Running and increased appetite

As your body learns to adapt to the new diet and exercise, it burns fewer calories. In addition, during weight loss, the body needs less energy to function. Thus, the basic metabolism (the energy that the body burns at rest) actually begins to decrease.

Running at a moderate pace is believed to increase appetite, especially for novice runners. The body wants to return to its former mass and produces hormones more intensely that cause hunger. But several studies have shown that high-intensity running has the opposite effect - it suppresses ghrelin (a hormone of hunger) levels and reduces appetite.

I can say for myself that I never won as much as when I was preparing for a marathon. My maximum monthly run was just over 200 miles and I ate so much that I couldn’t even believe I was capable of it. Weight loss was not a goal, but the appetite was strong.

Can you lose weight just by running?

It is possible, but several conditions must be met: proper nutrition, alternation of loads, gradual increase. If you want to lose weight at the same pace with regular but short workouts (such as 20 minutes a day), this is unlikely to bring you closer to your desired goal. Much depends on the initial parameters.

You can achieve the result by running for a long time or intensively. Ideally, if you want to lose weight, switch between interval workouts with slow and long jogs. This prevents the body from adapting to the level of stress. Why is it important? Because you may face a phenomenon that physiologists call a plateau state when the physical state and weight stabilize and it will be very difficult to remove them from the ground. We need to surprise the body and try out unusual loads that become irritating to it. New approaches help avoid burnout from a similar routine.

By combining aerobic and anaerobic exercise (cardio and strength), you can achieve what you want faster. But let’s not forget the side effect of running (and actually - the main one). Along with losing extra calories, it has huge benefits for the whole body.