What Is A Good Beginning Running Routine For Losing Weight?

Weight loss occurs when the calories you burn are more than what is ingested from food. Physical activity, such as running, is an effective cardiovascular exercise to burn calories. If you are new to running, a structured routine can help you maximize your time, burn more calories and avoid injury through gradually increasing your workouts. Consult with a health professional before starting a new exercise routine. Seeking the expertise of a trained fitness professional can also help you personalize a running routine that will help you meet your weight-loss goals. Furthermore, an exercise program should be combined with a well-balanced diet for long-term weight-loss success.

Exercise Recommendations

The key to a successful exercise routine for fitness and weight-loss benefits is consistency. The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention recommends that healthy adults engage in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, or approximately 30 minutes five days a week. Moderate-intensity exercise is defined as activity that increases your heart rate and allows you to talk but not sing. People who want to lose weight and achieve greater health benefits, such as reducing the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke and obesity, may need to exercise daily or increase exercise duration to 60 minutes five times per week.

Beginning Routine

For people starting a running routine with little aerobic fitness, running for 30 to 60 minutes five times per week is not ideal, expected or recommended. Rather, a good beginning running routine will have you start slowly to gradually increase workout times, intensities and frequency to achieve recommended guidelines. Aim to workout five days per week with three days designated for running and walking, and the other two days for cross-training. Staying active on days you are not running will help increase calories burned for weight loss and increase your fitness level.

Run/Walk Method

A run/walk program is an ideal way to start a running routine. Running coach Jeff Galloway, author of "Galloway's Book on Running" and a member of the 1972 Olympic team, has developed the Galloway RUN-WALK-RUN Method to help average, everyday people achieve their fitness goals. This method focuses on a three-day training period that consists of low mileage to reduce the risk of injury, and gradually progress endurance and fitness levels. Beginners can start by jogging for 30 seconds to one minute and then walking two to three minutes for a total of 30 consecutive minutes. As your fitness improves, you can gradually increase the time spent jogging to approximately five to 10 minutes, followed by one to two minutes of walking.

Increasing Running Time

As the weeks progress, gradually work up to jogging continuously for 30 minutes three days a week. At this point, you should be comfortably able to complete a running workout without excessive soreness or fatigue. It may take four to six weeks to reach this level depending on your initial fitness abilities. Start increasing your running distance by no more than 10 percent each week to avoid the risk of injury. Increasing one workout to 45 minutes or adding a fourth day of running for 30 minutes can help you increase your running endurance and burn more calories for weight loss. Run every second day and alternate running workouts with a brisk walk, cycling and strength training to keep active and increase fitness gains. Always take one to two days of complete rest to allow your muscles time to repair and recover for performance gains.