There is no doubt about the effectiveness of running with the proper running shoes when it comes to losing weight, especially coupled with a nutritious diet. We’ve seen many motivating transformation photos of people who have committed themselves to run for their weight loss journey.
The difference can be felt and seen faster with running, too. This is because you are losing so much water weight the moment you start running, so you’ll see weight loss sooner than any other exercise. Here are more reasons why running is a good choice for losing weight:
Improved V02 Max
VO2 Max refers to your maximum energy consumption while exercising. This is one of the measurements for your aerobic endurance. And when it comes to endurance exercises, nothing beats long runs. Good levels of VO2 max reflect on your cardiovascular health, and this is why you’ve seen many claims about running being good for the heart. In terms of weight loss, higher VO2 max means that you can perform an exercise longer and therefore burn more calories.
Increase basal metabolic rate
We all know that losing weight is largely just maintaining caloric deficiency. And merely running for 30 minutes can already burn around 300 calories, depending on your weight and the duration and intensity of your run. But, apart from the calories, you burn while active, running also increases your basal metabolic rate. This is the advantage that you want if you want fast yet safe weight loss. Even while you sleep, you burn calories after a good run. Now, that’s convenient!
Burn most calories
Still on the topic of calories, running tops all exercises when it comes to most calories that you burn in an hour. The best part is, you can easily change the intensity of your run compared to other forms of exercises. For instance, in weight training, you can progress with the weight within the same exercise routine. With running, you can always extend for a few meters and that would also already translate to additional burned calories.
Gives you a great excuse to eat carbs
How does carbo-loading sound? Carbo loading and weight loss can go together with running. Before any long runs like marathons and ultramarathons, it is important to properly fuel your body with the right nutrients for better endurance. One of the ways to do this is to carbo-load at least three days before your marathon. Of course, it is still crucial to mind the quality of carbohydrates that you consume. “Junk carb” can be more damaging than filling.
All these benefits are complemented by the nature of running as an exercise. It is something that anyone can do. In fact, when you apply for a gym membership one of the initial exercises that you will be asked to do is to walk or jog lightly for thirty minutes. Regardless of your fitness level, running can be an ideal exercise. This also works when running on a treadmill.
It is important to know your fitness goals before committing to any exercise. Any exercise will lead to weight loss if coupled with a proper diet, but they will each have a different effect on your body. If your goal is to merely lose weight, running is no doubt a great choice. However, it should also be noted that when you lose weight, you are also losing some of your muscle mass along with it. This is something that needs to be avoided by those who want to build strength and muscles, apart from losing weight. Running interval instead of endurance runs is also a good option to burn calories and fat, without compromising your muscle gains.
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