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Is running enough to lose weight if you don’t go to the gym?
From avoiding your mental health from deteriorating to reducing your chances of developing a serious health disease, there are a gazillion reasons why you might want to get rid of the stubborn fat. In other words, maintaining a healthy weight can help manage blood sugar, improve heart health, reduce stress, anxiety and depression. But most people trying to lose weight often find themselves stuck in the dilemma of picking the best way to lose weight. And one of the most popular ways to shed extra kilos is running, but does it work?
When you don't have access to other forms of exercise, running comes in handy when your normal workout routine goes out of the window. And why wouldn't you? It offers a plethora of health benefits, including:
For starters, weight loss is all about the number of calories you eat and burn throughout the day. It is about burning more calories than you have consumed to effectively lose weight. Studies suggest that running can help you burn calories, but the number of calories depends on your strength, pace, and how long you run. To understand it better, let's break it down.
To lose weight effectively, you need to create a calorie deficit, meaning you should either eat fewer calories or burn more calorie with physical activity, such as running. Running is an effective way to burn calories and keep it off. As mentioned, the number of calories your burn with running depends on your body weight, pace, and the running duration.
For instance, your body responds to a lower level of stress when you are new to exercise, and you may have to run longer and cover more distance to see results. An average runner is believed to burn around 100 calories per mile. If running is your only form of exercise for weight loss, it is possible to lose weight, but it might take time. You have to be consistent with your running schedule. It also depends on the intensity level.
With running, you have to be constant and give it time to let it work its magic. In order to burn more calories, strength training along with running is better. Not only will it burn more calories, but help increase muscle mass, which will improve your overall performance. So, it will also help you burn more calories while running. Plus, strength training will mitigate your risk of an injury. But if you have to choose, running helps you burn more calories in a day than weightlifting, as studies suggest.
Over the years, research has shown that moderate-intensity exercise alone isn't enough to lose weight. But pairing it with healthy eating can make all the difference. Experts always recommend combining a nutritious diet with increased physical activity to lose weight effectively. The best way is to consume an appropriate number of calories to reach your desired goal.