Is jogging really effective for losing weight?

Losing weight is not really "my" topic because of my propensity to lose weight and I, rather, constantly try to build shape than lose extra pounds.

However, a large number of people come on the run through the desire to lose weight. Someone is enough for a month, others run a marathon, and still others have been running all their lives, once wanting to lose weight. This is great because running wellness also improves metabolism and cardiovascular function.

It became interesting to me:

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

And since I have been running for several years now and have noticed some changes in weight and my appearance, I will share my experience.

Running as a way to lose weight is shrouded in a lot of myths. The fact is that not everyone loses weight from running. 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 advantages (involving large muscle groups, improving the 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 took part in it for 15 years.

What conclusion did the authors of the study come to?

• the risk of dying from any cause in people who regularly run 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 running does not need additional equipment, expensive equipment and high costs makes it one of the most popular sports in the world. If you can afford even an inexpensive pair of running shoes, you're in business.

Weight loss factors

It doesn't matter what sport you play, there are factors that directly affect how quickly and intensely you lose weight.

Among them:

• Age. . . The older the person is, the less work is recommended and, therefore, the result will be less significant. In addition, muscles shrink and become weaker with age;
• Body composition. . . If you have more muscle mass than fat, you will burn more calories while running;
• Training intensity. . . Literally everything matters: activity, frequency, pace, distance, etc . ;
• Floor.Men 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. Staying in exactly the same conditions, men have lost more extra pounds than women;
• General daily activity. . . Even a 10-minute charge is effective if you are sedentary;
• The weight. . . The more weight, the more calories will be burned at first.

The main and unshakable formula for losing weight is to spend more calories than you consume.

How much can you reset in one run?

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

It may seem that there are no differences, but it is not. Functionally, the load changes little, but the mechanics are completely different. When running on asphalt, it is necessary to push off intensively from the surface, while the track, due to the continuously moving belt, pulls your leg back and you spend less physical effort.

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

Why not trust the lost calories displayed on the machine's display? It takes into account the speed and duration of the workout, as well as the average data about the runner, which often have little to do with reality. In addition, the machine tends to overestimate the numbers in order to motivate them to continue exercising.

For an hour on a treadmill, working at a pace of 10-12 km / h, you can lose 550-750 calories. It all depends on the incline, running pace, heart rate, body temperature, etc.

1 kilogram of fat = approximately 7, 500-8250 calories

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

• A man weighing 70 kg. can burn 370 calories in half an hour running at a pace of 6: 12 / km. And a man weighing 56 kg. in 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 running at a pace of 4: 20 / km. And a man weighing 56 kg. in the same time and at the same rate, it loses 435 calories.

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

When compared with other sports, the indicators are on average as follows:

Activity	Calorie burn 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 20 km / h	295
Roller skating	260
Aerobics	240
Basketball	220
Playing badminton	167

How many days per 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 jogging. A normal running pace is one at which you can talk. It will be difficult at first, so you can move to a step if necessary.

Start from the fact that workouts should be at least 3 in 7 days. There should be enough time for the body to have time to shed excess and recover.

Once you get a little "comfortable", you can do different types of running workouts to more versatile "pump" your body and burn calories more efficiently. However, keep in mind that basic training will keep your body running smoothly and minimize the likelihood of injury.

High-intensity running workouts

One 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 workouts include interval running and fartlek.

Intense exercise creates excess oxygen consumption after exercise, the so-called oxygen debt effect.EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption). . . This promotes the oxidation of fats in a shorter period of time and provokes the so-called "afterburning 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 weight loss, this type of cardio has a number of other benefits:

• improved endurance
• blood sugar control
• strengthening muscles
• boosting the immune system
• relieving stress and feelings of anxiety, etc.

However, with all the advantages, interval training has a number of contraindications, since there is an active load on the cardiovascular system.(CCC). Before starting this type of running, you need to make sure that you have no contraindications from the CCC.

What time of day is it better 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, scientists divided 48 women into two groups: the first engaged in aerobic exercise in the morning for six weeks, the other preferred to do exercises in the evenings. During the specified period, they recorded each meal. As a result, it was concluded that morning exercise helped to reduce the amount of high-calorie food intake 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 eating.However, if you are running on an empty stomach, it is worth taking a shorter and easier route as your body may not be ready for it.

There is a lot of controversy about 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 4: 00 pm and 5: 00 pm, although some experts extend this time until 7: 00 pm.

One possible monthly beginner running workout plan

Before you can show results, especially if you were previously sedentary, 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 state of the body will be taken into account.

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

Week 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 - rest Friday - alternation of brisk step (4 minutes) and running (1 minute) 4 times Saturday - rest Sunday - Walk at a brisk pace for 20 minutes
2 week	Monday - alternate 5 times fast step (4 minutes) and run (1 minute) Tuesday - rest Wednesday - alternating brisk stride (3 minutes) and intense jogging (1 minute) 6 times Thursday - rest Friday - repeat 7 times alternating brisk stride (3 minutes) and running (1 minute) Saturday - 20 minute brisk walk or bike ride up to 30 minutes Sunday - rest
3 week	Monday - repeat 7 times alternating brisk stride (3 minutes) and running (1 minute) Tuesday - rest Wednesday - alternate 9 times brisk step (1 minute) and jog (2 minutes) Thursday - rest or bike for 30 minutes Friday - repeat 7 times alternating brisk stride (3 minutes) and running (1 minute) Saturday - active walk for 25 minutes Sunday - rest
4 week	Monday - alternate 6 times brisk strides for 1 minute and jogging for 4 minutes Tuesday - rest or swim / bike (30 minutes) Wednesday - alternate 5 minutes of brisk stride, jogging for 20 minutes and complete with 5 more minutes of brisk stride Thursday - rest Friday - continuous run for 25 minutes Saturday - cycling or walking at a brisk pace of 30 minutes Sunday - rest

A versatile workout plan for beginners. There are hundreds of similar plans on the Internet

As you move on to the second month of your training plan, gradually increase your jogging time, keeping your walking intervals to a minimum. When 30 minutes of running is normal for you, you can add 4 days for a 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 depending on the age of the person.Very averagethis is about 115-130 beats for the age of 30 or 110-125 beats for the age of 40. You can measure the exact heart rate zones using special functional diagnostics. 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 zone will result in more weight loss: because of the low intensity, less calories are burned than when running in the high-intensity zone.

What helps to maintain the result?

In order to track your progress and have an idea of the heart rate during training, you cannot do without assistive devices:

• 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 works accurately only in quiet zones and in low stress zones. I cannot say that this is true for absolutely all fitness bracelets, some do a good job with this task.
• Sports watch.Since most sports watches have a built-in GPS sensor, you don't need to run with your phone as well. Sportswear brands' 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's best to look at the reviews of a particular gadget in advance.
• Chest heart rate monitors.The most accurate heart rate measurements.

Why am I running but not losing weight?

There can be many reasons:

1. Wrong motivation.Very often you can hear from people running about that they are working off a burger they have eaten or cutting circles in the stadium to earn a bar of chocolate in the evening. This weight loss option is utopian; food should not be a goal or a reward. Learn to correlate calories consumed and consumed and eat a balanced diet. If you run for an hour a day, but eat 500 more calories per day, you should not count on losing weight.
2. Weight control.A safe and reasonable rate of weight loss is up to 1 kilogram per week. If you regularly run and do strength training at the same time, then keep in mind that simultaneously with losing weight, muscles are building. In this case, it is more advisable to look not at the arrows of the scales, but to regularly measure your body (waist, hips, girth of legs, arms, etc. ). This method for tracking progress would be more revealing.
3. Getting used to loads. . . In the first few weeks, you could 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 an irritant. In this case, it is enough to alternate between different types of training: run over rough terrain, find other routes, combine the pace, add strength loads, etc.
4. A tough diet.It would seem 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 working muscles. As a result, this often leads to emotional breakdowns and overeating.

5 myths about running

Stretch before running

Surely, each of us has heard that before running you need to stretch and warm up your muscles. You will be surprised, but scientists do not have a consensus on this score. Rather, they agree that the benefits can only be from dynamic stretching (lunges, bends, swinging legs and arms, etc. ).

What's wrong with the static shape of the stretch?

• 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 a butterfly, when it is necessary to freeze in one position for 15-60 seconds at the time of peak muscle lengthening.

But articular warm-up will definitely not hurt you.

The more workouts the better

There is a common mistake among novice runners - the desire to increase the running pace and volume of loads as quickly as possible. In the early days, enthusiasm and motivation overwhelm, and it seems that running 2-3 km is too little and embarrassing. Better just 10 and up the hill. As a result, the body is exposed to stress, does not have time to recover and sports performance falls before it appears.

This entails prolonged discontinuation of training, general loss of strength and exhaustion. Sometimes muscle swelling or weakness can be observed, which in most cases is a symptom of overtraining. As a result, this leads to "emotional" overeating, and sometimes injuries, which completely discourage the desire to run again.

Be patient and think long term, don't drain your body. Even with the most intense workouts, you still won't lose weight in 2 weeks. The process must be approached systematically and the load must be divided into stages.

Runners don't need strength training

There are many studies looking at the effects of strength training on running performance. One of them is dedicated to sprints. It states that force, power and speed are inherently related to each other, since 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 reaching maximum speed while running. Needless to say that it must be pumped without fail? Running alone cannot do this.

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 misconception for novice runners looking to shed those extra pounds. Some girls even wrap themselves under clothes with cling film in order to achieve the maximum result 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, 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 for the body, if before that there was a sedentary lifestyle. And excess weight is already a weighting agent.

As a rule, this method is used by athletes with experience to develop speed-strength capabilities. Heavy over long distances can increase the risk of injury for an inexperienced runner.

Running and increased appetite

As your body learns to adjust to the new regimen and exercise, you burn fewer calories. Plus, when weight is lost, the body needs less energy to function. Thus, the basic metabolism (the 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 more intensively produces hormones that make you feel hungry. But several studies have found that running at high intensity has the opposite effect - suppressing levels of ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and decreasing appetite.

From myself, I can say that I have never gained as much as when I was preparing for a marathon. My maximum monthly run was just over 200 kilometers and I ate so much that I couldn't believe I was capable of it. There was no goal to lose weight, but the appetite was powerful.

Can you lose weight just by running?

It is possible, but for this several 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 jogging. This will prevent the body from adapting to the level of stress. Why is it important? Because you can face a phenomenon that physiologists call a plateau state, when physical condition and weight are stabilized and it becomes very difficult to move them off the ground. We have to "surprise" the body and try unusual loads that become an irritant for it. New approaches also help avoid burnout 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 (and in fact - the main) effect of running. Along with the loss of extra calories, you will bring tremendous benefits to the body as a whole.