Incorporating a running program does not mean you have to lose your curves. Bodily curves are constructed from stored body fat and muscle. Depending on whether you like your curves wiggly or firm, you can modify the effect of running on your curves by controlling your food intake and by adding resistance training to your overall exercise plan.
Balanced Caloric Intake
Running is an excellent activity for improving your cardiovascular fitness and losing body fat. However, if you consume as many calories as you expend every day, you will not lose fat. To improve your fitness performance without losing body fat so you can maintain your curves, keep track of your caloric intake and weigh yourself every morning. Do this for a month to find the average number of calories you must eat every day so you do not lose weight or your curves.
Increased Muscle, Decreased Fat
Another way to maintain your curves with a running program is to lift weights. If you find that you are losing your curves from running, eat more food and incorporate a weight training program at least two days per week. By incorporating flat dumbbell presses, dumbbell rows, squats, lunges, biceps curls, triceps extensions and weighted crunches, you can maintain your curves by building muscle while losing a little bit of fat. Your curves will become firm curves instead of wiggly curves.
The Same Old Routine
If you are doing the same runs around the same route every week, your body will adapt quickly and you will barely notice any changes in your bodily curves. You may actually see that your body is becoming smaller, but is still just as curvy. Consider eating more calories than you normally would, but change your running program so you can add a little bit of tone to your curves. By changing your routine and raising your caloric intake, you tremendously improve your fitness and your running performance without losing much of your curvy appearance.
Hills and Sprints
Incorporating hills and sprints into your program will firm your curves. These types of runs engage almost all of your muscles, especially your glutes, hamstrings, inner thighs, quadriceps and calves. You will lose wiggly fat, but gain bigger, firmer muscles, maintaining your curves. Run up a hill then walk down 10 to 15 times. Sprint all out for 30 seconds then walk for 90 seconds totaling 20 minutes.
References
- "Personal Trainer Manual"; American Council on Exercise; 1997
- "Exercise Physiology, Energy, Nutrition & Human Performance"; William McArdle, Frank Katch and Victor Katch; 2007
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