Sunday, March 8, 2015
Running For Weight Loss WHY RUNNING FOR WEIGHT LOSS MAY NOT BE THE BEST IDEA
People want to know what the best form of exercises are for weight loss. The default exercise for most people is, running.
But is running for weight loss the best idea?
I think the title say’s something about that, but there is a clear explanation why.
In this article I will share my thoughts on running for weight loss, and why I think it’s not the best method of approach for someone who is looking for satisfactory results.
I’m going to include exercise alternatives that will give you better results than running.
So bin the sweatbands. Let’s start making real progress.
Running For Weight Loss Is Not The Worst Approach, It’s Just Not The Most Effective
I don’t think running for weight loss is the worst idea in the world, I just believe there is a more effective way to get results.
I admire anyone who is putting in the effort and wants to lose weight, but unfortunately for most people, running for weight loss is just doesn’t cut it.
Here are some reasons why:
Reason 1: Running for weight loss – especially for those who are obese – can be quite dangerous.
The amount of weight carried by the average obese individual can cause injury and major discomfort.
Injury or intense feelings of discomfort is enough to put people off exercise for good – something that we don’t want.
Reason 2: Running for weight loss can be embarrassing. For anyone who has shunned themselves from the outside world because of low confidence, showing the outside what you look like during a run is not good.
I write from experience: I certainly didn’t find running outdoors an incentive to lose weight.
And even if running is done at the gym, it’s something about those running machines that attract unwanted eyes.
Reason 3: The calories burnt in a 30 minute run will barely make up for the average health meal.
Your intention for running is to burn calories. A basic 20-30 minute run doesn’t burn that many calories.
Reason 4: Running for weight loss reserves very little muscle mass, which is no good for any sensible fat loss program.
Running is simply cardio, and cardio is not great for working your overall muscles.
Reason 5: Running for weight loss is a cliche. You see it in movies; you watch it on television. It’s just so damn typical.
Not that cliche entirely matters, but can’t we strive to be more original and actually find an exercise that we can enjoy, instead of sticking to the norm?
The answer is yes, which brings me to the next part of this article…
Stop Running For Weight Loss And Instead, Choose Resistance Training
Instead of running for weight loss, let’s try something else; something doesn’t cause embarrassment; something that doesn’t involve judgement and feeling like you wanna collapse afterwards.
One of the things I’ve always recommended to any new client of mine is to start lifting heavy things.
Lifting heavy weights and doing some form of resistance training pays off.
Resistance training is good for both fat loss and health. Not to mention it helps reserve muscle – key for any fat loss program.
Working the muscles is good for metabolic health, and therefore helping you to burn calories more efficiently.
40 minutes of resistance training may burn around 300-400 calories. But that’s not really important.
What’s important is what happens to you as a result of resistance training.
You only have to look at someone who trains well and eats right, to know just how beneficial resistance training is.
But just incase you don’t know, here are some benefits of resistance training:
· improved muscle strength and tone – to protect your joints from injury. It also helps you maintain flexibility and balance and helps you remain independent as you age
· weight management and increased muscle-to-fat ratio – as you gain muscle, your body burns more kilojoules when at rest
· greater stamina – as you grow stronger, you won’t get tired as easily
· prevention or control of chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, back pain, depression and obesity
· pain management
· improved mobility and balance
· improved posture
· decreased risk of injury
· increased bone density and strength and reduced risk of osteoporosis
· improved sense of wellbeing – resistance training may boost your self-confidence, improve your body image and your mood
· a better night’s sleep and avoidance of insomnia
· increased self-esteem
· enhanced performance of everyday tasks.
Do you see why running for weight loss is not the best idea out there? I understand that for most people it’s just a cheap and easy way to exercise, but so can resistance training.
Resistance can be done at home. I haven’t stepped foot in a gym for over 14 months, simply because I have all my gear in the garage at home.
If you choose to use running for weight loss as your method of approach, that’s entirely up to you.
Personally, I’ve lost 150 pounds though the use of resistance training, good nutrition and just regular activity – walking.
- Nathan Hewitt
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