In the journey toward weight loss, exercise is a key component. To lose 1 pound, you need to burn 3,500 more calories than you take in. Cardiovascular exercise, like running, burns substantial calories and promotes fat loss, according to the Hospital for Special Surgery Women's Sports Medicine Center. But even runners hit diet plateaus, when the scale just won't budge. That's when a new running plan can be just what you need.
Interval Training
To break through a weight loss plateau, challenge your body with interval training, which burns more calories and boosts your metabolism higher than a steady-pace running workout. Interval training involves short bursts of intense activity alternated with periods of slower, recovery activity. For running, this means sprinting for a set time or distance, then walking or jogging slowly for a time and repeating these intervals for the duration of your workout. You can time yourself during each fast and slow episode or take a more casual approach, such as telling yourself to sprint to the next tree, then walk to the one after that and repeat. Replace one or two of your weekly runs with an interval workout, keeping your other runs as-is, and you'll notice the scale moving downward again.
Hill Running
Hill running -- or "hill repeats" -- are another running variation that's bound to break through any diet plateau. Essentially a form of interval training, hill repeats involve alternately running up a slope -- the high-intensity interval -- with jogging down the other side or along a flat at the top of the hill -- the low-intensity interval. This exercise is then repeated for the duration of your workout. More challenging than a steady-pace run, running hills burns more calories than you usually do, to promote continued weight loss. As with interval training, use hill repeats judiciously, perhaps replacing one regular run per week with hill running, and working up to additional hilly runs as you get stronger.
Distance Running
Of course, to burn more calories -- a generally necessary step in breaking through a weight loss plateau -- adding mileage works as well. The more miles you run, the more calories you burn. However, when beginning to run longer distances, use a gradual approach to avoid injury. The Hospital for Special Surgery recommends increasing your mileage by no more than 10 to 20 percent per week. For example, if you're starting with 10 miles of running per week, add no more than 1 to 2 additional miles each week. A common way to do this is by designating one run per week as your "long run"; tack an extra mile onto that run each week, keeping your other runs short. Over time, you will burn substantially more calories and notice an accompanying drop in weight.
Considerations
Several things contribute to a diet plateau; ingesting too many calories, not exercising enough, retaining water and even taking certain medications can slow or halt your weight loss progress. If you're struggling with your weight, consult your doctor for medical approval before changing your diet or fitness routine, or before trying a new running plan. Your physician may have additional recommendations to help you get past your current obstacle. In addition, be careful not to begin all the different running workouts at the same time; if you add intervals, hill repeats and longer distances during the same week, you're likely to become injured. If you have additional questions or concerns, consult a personal trainer or other fitness professional.
References
- American Council on Exercise: Physical Activity Calorie Calculator
- Hospital for Special Surgery Women's Sports Medicine Center; Exercise Tips for Fat Loss; August 2004
- American Council on Exercise: Interval Training
- Hospital for Special Surgery; Marathon Training Tips; Robert Maschi, P.T., D.P.T., C.S.C.S.; August 2004
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