Running is a great form of
exercise and consumes a large amount of calories. But when consideringrunning for weight
loss it's
important to understand that the weight is not going to start dropping off
overnight. Too many people try to do too much too quickly, get injured and give
up.
When starting out it is
important to be realistic regarding your current level of fitness and general well being. Initially it
may be advisable to start walking and slowly include short periods of jogging
into these sessions.
A good starting point is 30
minutes every second day.
The golden rule is don't
increase either speed or distance by more than 10% per week. When ignoring this
rule even experienced athletes find that they are more susceptible to injuries.
Running is not easy but can
be one of the most liberating and enjoyable forms of exercise. It can be done
anywhere, at any time and all that is required is a pair of running shoes.
Although today even this may be questionable with the growing 'minimalistic
running' movement who claim that running barefoot is best.
Barefoot running has a fast
growing group of supporters. Believing that many running injuries have been
caused by inappropriate shoes and running styles people are going
"primitive". If you live in a place where this can be done then, try
it. It requires some toughening up but makes one feel like a kid again.
Before deciding that you
want to take up running
for weight loss prepare
a plan. I would also recommend buying a heart rate monitor and keeping a record
of your exercise. Also consider setting a longer term objective of running in a
race and if possible find a training partner or group.
The following is a very
rough estimate of the calories consumed in running. On average running burns an
additional 350 calories an hour while walking at a brisk pace burns about 200
calories an hour. It requires about 3 500 calories to burn a pound of fat. So
you can easily calculate that to lose a pound of fat you will have to jog for
at least 10 hours or walk for about 18 hours. So prepare your slow and steady
weight loss plan based on these factors.
It's a great motivation
having a friend as an exercise partner. This will ensure that you don't miss
sessions as often the cycles of motivation are different - when you want to
miss a session they don't and when they want to miss a session you don't. The
other excellent motivation is to set an objective like participating in a race
sometime in the future. If you think your resolve might dissolve then tell
everybody that you're going to do it. Then make an additional commitment by
taking a few bets!.
Running to lose weight can
be fun, easy and enjoyable. It is something the whole family can do and always
remember we were 'born to run.'
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