A slow run, or jog, burns a lot of calories. That's good news if you are trying to lose weight. How much you should jog depends on how fast you want to burn away excess fat. Your current physical condition is also a factor. You can jog farther when you are in good physical condition and so burn more calories.
Jogging and Fitness
Jogging is a form of aerobic exercise, meaning you engage in sustained physical activity over a period of time. This makes jogging a way to burn a lot of fat. MayoClinic.com says the average adult should get 2 ½ hours of aerobic exercise per week to be in good physical condition, but that you might need more while you are trying to lose weight. For complete physical fitness, you need strength training twice a week as well. However, this extra activity means burning even more fat.
Calories Burned
The calories, and therefore fat, you burn jogging depends on how far you jog and on your weight. Running faster will increase the number of calories you burn per mile only slightly. For most people, it's much better to jog slowly and cover a lot of distance. For example, a 180-lb. individual jogging at 5 mph burns about 131 calories per mile. At 8 mph, the same jobber burns 138 calories per mile. Jogging or running faster isn't a plus for fat burning if you tire and run fewer miles.
Time to Jog
When you first start jogging, putting in even the minimum 2 1/2 hours a week may be a strain. Don't hesitate to take things slowly at first by walking if you need to and by breaking up your jogs into short segments of a few minutes each. If you weigh 180 lbs. and jog at 5 mph, you'll burn 654 calories per hour. That works out to 1,635 calories in 2 1/2 hours of jogging. If you build up to 5 hours a week you increase the calories burned to 3,275 per week. That's almost 1 lb. of fat. Your calories used exercising will be more if you weigh more, less if you weigh less.
Jogging and Diet
Jogging to burn fat is only part of the story when it comes to losing weight. You must use more calories than you eat or you will not lose any weight, no matter how much you exercise. To reduce your calorie intake, start by including plenty of fruit and vegetables in your diet. Eat moderate amounts of whole grains such as pasta and bread as well as low fat meat and dairy products. Keep your consumption of candy, soft drinks and other calorie-rich foods to a minimum.
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