Does Running Help You Lose Weight?

I'm often asked, "Do you think running helps you lose weight?". The truth is, any exercise can help you lose weight. But the type and amount of exercise you do will determine your calorie deficit. This is the difference between what you weigh and how much you need to be a weight for your height and age. In order to figure out what your calorie deficit is, you need to know how many calories you are burning per minute on average.

If you are a beginner, you should probably stick with walking or slow jogging until you build up your endurance. Then you can add more intense workouts like speed or interval running. The great thing about interval training is, it can work both the aerobic and anaerobic systems. This results in more energy during your workout, which burns more calories. The result is a quick weight loss.

Interval training includes running, jogging, walking, cycling and swimming. You can do this in a natural pace or as fast as you can. The first two types of interval running are known as steady state and dynamic pacing. Steady-state cardio is done for only a certain distance at a time. You alternate foot and heart for five miles per hour.

Dynamic pacing is done for a specific amount of time, usually an hour. It is done by gradually increasing your speed over a specific distance. You burn more calories and increase your chance of reaching your target weight by choosing a longer distance to increase your calorie deficit.

The third type of interval program is called a "stonehouse" session. A stone house session is exactly what it sounds like. You climb a mountain, run on a road, bike on a trail or swim for an hour. All these activities are done over a specific period of time with pauses in between.

This is the best type of program for beginners to weight loss programs. It is a gradual increase in speed. It is a good idea to always keep your heart rate within ten beats per minute of your target heart rate during interval sessions. If you do not do so, you will be doing more harm than good to your chances of losing weight. Also, if you are new to interval running, it is wise to take a class to learn how to properly evaluate your heart rate and your exertion in and out of each interval session.

Your diet plays a big role in how much you lose and how fast you lose it. If you eat more calories than you burn during interval running, you will lose weight. If you eat less than you burn during the period of high-intensity interval training, you will remain lean and retain all of the weight that you have lost. Therefore, it is important to learn how to properly balance the amount of calories you eat and the amount of calories you burn.

In conclusion, the answer to the question does running help you lose weight depends upon whether you follow a healthy, gradual exercise program and you choose the right training schedule for your level of fitness. For people who are very fit and healthy, running may be enough to help them achieve their weight loss goals. For those who are not fit and healthy, running can provide a nice jumpstart to an intense fitness routine that will help them reach their goals. For those with heart disease or diabetes, however, it is advisable to seek the advice of your doctor before beginning any exercise program and make sure that you do not become dehydrated or over-exhausted by any of the exercises that you might choose to do.