Friday, May 6, 2011

Are You Running to Lose Weight?

When I started running about 7 years ago, it was simply a matter of health. I was slightly overweight and was in pretty bad shape. In general, obesity is a major global problem at present. Running to lose weight has become an effective method, recommended strongly by physicians and fitness trainers. If you ask whether running will help you in your goal to lose weight, then the answer is a definite yes. Here are some of the tips that helped me out, way back.


Be Consistent in your Running
You should be consistent in your running habit to lose weight and maintain the weight loss. If you run for a week and lose a few pounds, you can gain that back easily if you do not run the following week. If you have difficulty in running every day, you should run at least every alternate day, if you are intent on losing weight.
Do not settle down to a Routine
Even though running makes you lose weight effectively, when your running practice becomes a standard routine without any variation, the body metabolism becomes accustomed to that routine. This results in lower rate of weight loss. If you wish to maintain the weight loss rate, you should vary the running procedure on a regular basis to challenge the body. You can do this by increasing the distance that you run everyday.
Burn More Calories
You lose weight through running only if you are really burning more calories than what you consume. You need to burn about 3,500 calories to lose body weight of one pound. If you run at a steady speed of 4 to 5 miles an hour, you will be losing only about 100 calories for every mile that you run. Physical trainers mention that you should burn around 30% of your daily calorie intake either through running or other physical exercises to maintain a toned body. Hence, you should also keep track of your calorie intake to make running an effective tool to lose weight.
Important Tips to Make Running a Priority Regimen
  • Morning running is the most effective method to lose weight and it should be done on a regular basis. Running for a minimum of 30 minutes should become a routine.
  • Strive to get adequate sleep, so that you do not feel reluctant to get up in the morning and practice running.
  • Consider going to sleep with our jogging clothes or tracksuit on and keep the track shoes near the bed so that you will be motivated to run the moment you get up from bed.
  • If possible, create a group of runners. It is fun and extra motivation when you have company to run along with you than running alone.

With the above guidelines, you should be able to achieve a toned body within a short period.

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