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Running to lose weight: good or bad choice?

The running is often the first reflex of people who want to lose weight. It is true that running, and more generally cardio, has many health benefits. But is it really effective to run to lose weight ? Let's take stock of this subject which is the subject of debate among athletes.

Does running make you lose weight?

Running can actually help you to lose weight. At least at the beginning.

If you are starting or returning to sport after a long period of time off, any physical activity will help you lose a few pounds.

Whether it is jogging, fitness or weight training, resuming a sporting activity allows you toincrease the metabolism. In other words, your body will consume more calories than before, which will help you lose weight.

However, it is impossible to target weight loss. If you aspire to walk or run for lose bellyYou will also most certainly lose fat on your buttocks or arms, for example.

Running to lose weight can be effective at first. But after a few weeks of training, your weight loss will stagnate. Worse, if you don't adopt a diet If you are not satisfied with the results of your work, you will probably gain back the few pounds you lost.

Indeed, the human body has the formidable capacity to adapt to new constraints that you impose on it. This is the case with running. It will thus do everything possible to consume as little energy as possible, which will slow down your weight loss.

Running is still a physical activity that is beneficial for your health. It promotes muscle strengthening of the lower body and abdominal muscles, while developing the cardiovascular system over the long term.

What is the caloric expenditure of running?

How many calories do you lose by running?

To answer this question, several criteria must be considered:

  • gender: as a general rule, the energy expenditure of men is greater than that of women;
  • weight: the heavier the runner, the more the calorie count consumed will be important (but the duration of the effort will certainly be less long);
  • muscle mass: a muscle mass well developed will lead to an increase in caloric expenditure;
  • the intensity of the effort: the speed and duration of your run have a significant impact on the amount of calories burned;
  • metabolism: every athlete has a metabolism which is specific to it and which determines the amount of energy consumed to produce an effort.

Energy expenditure during a physical activity is therefore specific to each individual.

running to lose weight
The caloric expenditure during a sport activity depends on several criteria.

In the case of a man weighing 70 kilograms, the caloric expenditure during a one-hour outing on a brisk walk (6 km/h) is estimated at 340 calories. It is 730 calories for a more intense activity such as running at a pace of 10 km/h.

A 90 kilogram man making these same efforts will expend 440 and 935 calories respectively.

Tips for losing weight with running

For experienced runners, running alone will be very limited in terms of weight loss.

A split training at high intensity can however optimize fat burning.

Unlike a classic running session, the split consists of alternating between phases ofbasic endurance and acceleration phases (usually 30 seconds per phase).

If you want to do a split run to lose weight, simply incorporate this method into your training plan, but not at every session. If you do 3 workouts a week, organizing a split session (fartlek, 30/30, etc.) between two basic endurance sessions is, for example, a good way to reach your goals.

Finally, contrary to some preconceived ideas, the fact of run on an empty stomach has no particular effect on fat loss. If you like to do your workouts in the morning before you eat your breakfast, of course there is nothing to stop you. But it won't help you lose belly or thighs.

Remember that the best way to lose weight is to take good care of yourself. eating habits.

The secret to losing weight: your diet

If you want to slim down, keep in mind that your diet represents 70 % of the effort.

diet weight loss
Your diet is the secret to your weight loss success.

When you run, your body naturally eliminates water and mineral salts through perspiration. This loss is then compensated byhydrationThis is why you don't lose weight. Sweating does not, in any way, mean that you are consuming more calories.

It is in fact essential to create a caloric deficit. In other words, you need to burn more calories than you consume. You can use my free calculator to find out your daily caloric requirement, as well as your macronutrients ideal.

In addition, your plan must be composed of a majority ofhealthy foods and unprocessed. For example, choose fruits and vegetables over industrial products that can be bought in a supermarket.

To perform a food rebalancingThe ideal is to call upon a sports coach who will be able to accompany you in this process.

Rest assured, eating a balanced diet doesn't mean you have to deprive yourself of all your favourite foods. Frustration is the best way to get you to give up on your goal. Fortunately, it is possible to set up a low-calorie diet by continuing to eat what you like.

As well as the diet, hydration and sleep are two fundamental aspects that should not be neglected.

Conclusion

As you can see, there is no point in running every day to lose weight. It is better to use a hybrid approach, based on more or less intense cardio and muscle strengtheningwhile adopting a healthy and balanced diet. Your health practices is the key to your success.

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