Will Running Shrink My Butt?

Will Running Shrink My Butt?
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Excess fat in the butt is known as subcutaneous fat. This lies right under the skin and does not contribute to disease risk elevation. That being said, excess pounds in the derriere can still cause feelings of self-consciousness and frustration. Losing this weight not only takes discipline but the right type of exercise. Running is a high-impact form of exercise that has a high impact on your butt fat reduction plan.

Aerobic Training

To lose weight in one area, you need to promote weight loss through your entire body. The best way to do this is by performing aerobic, or cardiovascular, exercise. Cardio is performed when you move your limbs in a repetitive motion for an extended period of time. This causes you to break a sweat and, more importantly, burn calories. When you burn calories, you burn fat. Running is a form of cardio so it will help shrink your butt.

Time Frame to Run

Running is helpful for burning butt fat, but you have to take time into consideration. If you do not train often enough, or long enough, you will compromise your results. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity performed five days a week for the best weight-loss results. Running multiple times during the day to accumulate your time is just as effective as long bouts.

High-Intensity Running

Sprinting is a fast-paced form of running that can boost your weight-loss efforts. When you do sprints, you not only burn a higher amount of calories during your workouts, but you also give your metabolism a boost in the hours after training. This leads to more overall calories being burned. Start your workouts with a light warm-up jog for five to 10 minutes, then run as fast as you can for 20 seconds. Slow your pace down to a light jog for 40 seconds, then break into another sprint. Repeat this pattern for the rest of your workout and finish with a light cool-down jog for five to 10 minutes.

Effect of Muscle

Multiple joint motions take place when you run, such as hip extension, hip flexion, knee extension and knee flexion. This causes you to work your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes. The faster you run, the more intense the contraction will be. By adding even a small amount of muscle, you will keep your resting metabolic rate revving for 24 hours. This will in turn further contribute to butt fat reduction. Running up hills will increase the emphasis on your glutes. If you run on a treadmill, turn the incline up.

Diet and Weight Loss

Failing to watch your diet can compromise your progress. Bad eating habits commonly cause butt fat in the first place. You will be able to boost your progress by cutting back on your caloric intake and basing your diet around nutrient-dense foods. A daily reduction of 500 calories will promote about 1 lb. of weight loss a week.

References

Article reviewed by Contributing Writer Last updated on: Jun 2, 2011

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