The best fat-loss running routine includes high-intensity sprints and hill running. High-intensity exercise is an effective way to reduce overall body fat. Incorporating high-intensity interval training into your running routine two or three days a week will help you burn fat quicker and build up your aerobic endurance.
High-Intensity
High-intensity workouts are performed at about 75 to 80 percent of your maximum aerobic power. The high intensity forces your body to burn more calories than exercising at a lower intensity for the same amount of time. By replacing three out of five low-intensity workouts with high-intensity workouts a week, you can dramatically increase overall fat loss. A study in 2008 found the high-intensity group reduced total abdominal fat, subcutaneous abdominal fat, and visceral abdominal fat during the 16-week exercise period, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.
High-Intensity Interval Training
High-Intensity Interval Training alternates short, high-intensity bursts with low-intensity recovery intervals. Including HIIT into your running routine is the best method for burning extra calories and improving aerobic endurance. A HIIT running workout is shorter than a traditional steady-state run. Begin by warming up at your normal pace for 5 to 10 minutes, then sprint for 1 minute as fast as you can, followed by 1 minute of recovery walking. Repeat the sprinting/walking intervals at least five times. Then run for another 5 to 10 minutes at your normal pace before cooling down.
Hills
Running hills or incline training can help burn extra calories during your runs. Normally, 100 calories are burned per 1 mile walked or run. However, when there is an incline the intensity increases, thus requiring more energy and more calories burned. For every degree of incline, you will burn about 10 percent more calories than you would on a flat surface.
Weekly Routine
Runners who run five days a week should replace HIIT with two or three of their normal runs. HIIT workouts should not be performed back-to-back, so if you run Monday through Friday, perform HIIT on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Additionally, increasing the incline on the treadmill or adding some hills into your normal running routine will increase the intensity and help you lose more fat.
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