How to Use Running to Lose Weight
shared by: caroll r. paunat
Have you ever tried running to lose weight? Are you looking for an effective and safe way to shed some pounds that will keep them off for good? Running or fast walking combined with a proper diet can help you lose weight. By following some of the basic steps below, you can slowly lose weight over time that is one of the healthiest options available.
Things You'll Need:
Running shoes
Scale
Athletic clothing
Step 1. Purchase a good pair of running shoes. This is one of the most important steps when starting a running fitness program to help you lose weight. Without the proper footwear, you can risk injuries to your feet and other areas of your body. I would even suggest researching different shoes that are available for your desired workout. There are different types of shoes available for various types of training programs.
Step 2. Begin slowly if you are planning to start running to lose weight. Overdoing your workouts at the beginning burns out many people who eventually don’t last. Goals may vary depending on your fitness level at the start, but beginners should not run every day initially. In addition, you should only run 3 to 4 times per week for 20 – 30 minutes if you are a beginner. You can even start your exercises by jogging for a few minutes and then switching to a fast pace walk. Overtime you will build your endurance up and should increase your workouts appropriately.
Step 3. Eat well-balanced and healthy meals. If you are running to lose weight, you want to make sure you have eaten enough calories so that you can finish your workout. If you take in too few calories, you could potentially pass out during or after your workout, which could have harmful effects to your body. Remember, combining your running workouts with a healthy diet will help you lose weight over time. It is very hard to maintain your weight loss by doing only one of these activities.
Step 4. Ask co-workers, family members, or neighbors to start working out with you. Often times, it is very helpful to have another person to motivate you when running to lose weight. Running is one of the most mentally challenging activities there is. Trying to continuously motivate yourself to run and workout is very hard without a support network around you – which is where the partner comes into play. For added motivation, think about listening to music while running or try to keep your mind thinking about different things, which really helps.
Step 5. Break up your running workouts with other activities like swimming, biking, hiking, etc. to help tone other areas of your body. If you decide to choose running as an activity to lose weight, you may want to consider alternating your workout a day or two per week to change things up. This will help you stay motivated as well as help to work other areas of your body.