Running is one of the best activities you can do to lose weight because it burns a high number of calories. Even running in place or running at a moderate pace of 5 mph will burn 472 calories for 130 lb. person, 563 calories for a 155 lb., and 690 calories for a 190 lb. person in one hour. Running a 5 1/2-minute mile at a pace of 10.9 mph will utilize approximately 1,062 to 1,553 calories depending on your weight.
Step 1
Warm up by walking for five minutes. Run at a comfortable pace for 10 minutes. Cool down by walking for five minutes. Stretch your leg muscles after running, focusing on the hamstrings, calves, quads and abductors, or inner thighs. Hold each stretch for 15 seconds. The quads are the primary leg muscles used for running, so be sure to stretch these. Stand up straight and hold onto a chair or put your hand against a wall for balance. Lift your left leg up toward your buttocks while standing on your right leg. Grab your left ankle with your left hand and pull your leg gently to increase the stretch.
Step 2
Repeat your 10-minute runs two more times throughout the day, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for someone beginning a new physical activity.
Step 3
Work up to five days a week of running for 30 minutes, as advised by the CDC. Increase your running time slowly, as advised by John Hopple of Runners Guide. Hopple was a post-collegiate athlete and coached track at the high school and college level. Add one to two minutes per week, or increase your distance by 10 to 20 percent.
Step 4
Continue to increase your distance, time or intensity of running after three weeks of doing a straight 30 minutes, as recommended by John Hopple and The National Academy of Sports Medicine. Varying your routine will keep you losing weight by preventing your body from adapting. NASM says that people adapt to their exercise routine within three to four weeks, which is called the General Adaptation Syndrome. You can also trying running stairs. Running stairs will use up 885 to 1,294 calories in an hour.
Tips and Warnings
- Eat a runner's diet consisting of 40 percent of calories from carbohydrates, 30 percent from protein, and the remaining 30 percent from fat, as recommended by John Hopple to ensure that you are receiving enough carbs to fuel your body for running. If you cannot run for 10 minutes straight, follow the walking program with some running set out by "Women's Health" magazine to prepare you for a straight running program.
Things You'll Need
- Running shoes
References
- The Runners Guide: How to Lose Weight Running
- “NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training: Course Manual;” National Academy of Sports Medicine; 2008
- CDC: Physical Activity for Everyone
Member Comments