Running is an excellent form exercise to help with weight loss. We can burn up many calories by running, resulting in the creation of a calorie deficit. Running is not necessarily the best form of exercise for some of us, as it is quite intense.
We cannot just assume that running is going to suit us all, for many it would be more advisable to embark on a less intense, low impact form of exercise such as swimming, walking or cycling. If we are extremely overweight or not physically fit, have joint or back problems, or suffer respiratory difficulties, then running is not an advisable option.
Even if we feel fit and healthy enough to begin running as an addition to our fitness programme, it is advisable to consult our doctor first, just in case we have any underlying health issues we may not be aware of.
As beginners, once our doctor has given us the go ahead, it may be a good idea to start slowly. Perhaps we should start by walking a certain distance daily, gradually increasing speed as we become more confident and our muscles and respiration adapts to our new regime. By gradually intensifying our walking programme, we will increase our endurance before we are confident enough to begin running, enabling us to do so without risking injury. Of course some of us may be sufficiently fit to begin running without this warm up period.
Once we have established that walking briskly for a mile causes no problem to us, we can progress to slow, intermittent jogging. Try briskly walking for 5 minutes followed by 5 minutes of slow jogging, more if we feel we can manage it. By alternating between brisk walking and jogging in this way for a couple of weeks, we will gradually find that our jogging sessions become much easier.
Gradually we will be capable of running at a faster pace, over a longer period of time and distance. It is important to begin our run with a brisk walk first, this will increase the blood flow to our muscles, warming them up and reducing the risk of damage or injury as we are running. By gradually increasing our speed and distance we will soon be comfortable enough to run a mile, building up to as far as we feel comfortable with.
It is important to increase the speed, distance and intensity of our running if we are expecting to benefit our weight loss programme. We need to focus on working harder each time, pushing ourselves so that our body weight does not stagnate. We need to try to push that little bit harder with each workout, although care should be taken not to cause injury. By realising how far our capabilities can be stretched, we can reach a compromising balance between caution and achievement.
If, during our initial running sessions, we experience pain or cramp, our body is telling us that we are pushing it too hard and we need to slow down a little. As our body becomes accustomed to our running regime, we will be able to endure longer, harder workout sessions.
As running is a high intensity exercise, we need to be sure to eat foods which will boost our energy levels to fuel our workout. Foods such as pasta, rice, wholegrain are a good diet option before a running workout, also fruits such as pears, grapefruit, berry fruits, peaches or melon. Of course another important component is water. We need to be sure to keep well hydrated during our running workout, not only to help burn fat but also to replace water loss as we run
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