You burn roughly 118 calories for every mile you jog, if you maintain a speed of 5 mph. Since it takes 3,500 calories to burn off a pound of fat, you could lose half a pound a week if you work up to jogging a total of 15 miles weekly. Your body weight and the intensity of your workout are variables that affect how many calories you burn during jogging. You need to check with your doctor before starting if you have a history of heart problems or risk factors for heart disease.
Factors
The amount of weight you can lose through exercise alone is generally modest. However, you will lose weight jogging as long as you burn more calories than you consume. Multiply your weight in pounds by 1.92 to estimate how many calories you burn during a 30-minute jog at 5 mph. For example, if you weigh 175 lbs., you'll burn approximately 336 calories for every 30 minutes of jogging. If you jog this long four times a week, that translates to a total calorie deficit of roughly 1,344.
Getting Started
If you're new to jogging, start with combined walking and jogging workouts. A good first workout might include intervals of walking for three minutes and jogging for 30 to 60 seconds, for example. The Mayo Clinic suggests alternating between 45-second walks and 15-second runs when you're starting a running program. There's not an ideal ratio of walking to jogging; experiment with interval patterns until you find one that works well for you. As you build your cardiovascular fitness, you'll be able to shorten your walking intervals while lengthening your jogging intervals, until you're able to jog for the duration of the workout. Aim to jog three to four days per week, designating one workout for your longest run, adding 5 percent to your mileage every week to two weeks.
Effects
Expect to lose around 1 to 2 lbs. per month as you build your jogging program. When you're able to add intensity and duration to your workouts, your weight-loss potential will increase. However, as you lose weight, you may need to make further adjustments to your exercise regimen to account for changes in your calorie needs. This is because the less you weigh, the fewer calories you need for weight maintenance and weight loss.
Considerations
To boost your weight-loss potential and improve your health, make small changes in your eating habits Cut your portion sizes by 10 percent, limit saturated fat in your diet to 7 percent of total calories and limit foods and beverages with added sugar, for example. Stretch your muscles after each jogging session. Stretching and flexibility exercises lengthen muscles tightened by running and help to keep your joints agile, both of which reduce your chances of injury.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Physical Activity for a Healthy Weight
- MayoClinic.com: 5K Run: 7-Week Training Schedule for Beginners
- MayoClinic.com: Getting Past a Weight-Loss Plateau
- American Council on Exericse: Trimming Off the Fat
- American Council on Exercise: Flexible Benefits
- Road Runners Club of America: Getting Started
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