There are a lot of articles and posts about the rules for losing weight by running and how to do it properly.
It’s not a coincidence, it’s a really important topic and it’s very easy to get it wrong. There’s one thing that none of the articles talk about (I couldn’t find it, but maybe there is), and that’s the step count.
So I thought I would summarize the basic rules and add the number of steps. Everything I write about is based on my own experience as well as scientific backing.
1, Are you sure you want to run?
If you run regularly, there’s no question that running is a good choice for weight loss, but if you don’t then it’s worth pondering. Even if it’s just an occasional thing because you want to drop a few pounds right now, and even if it’s not just an occasional thing but you want to become a runner, start walking instead. It will be less stressful and more effective in terms of weight loss. Yes it is more effective! I too fell into the mistake of feeling that if I didn’t push myself hard, sweating myself to death, then I couldn’t lose weight. The opposite is true, and I’ll explain why in more detail in the next section.
Start by walking hard, which you can sometimes, sometimes run into. E.g. 15 minutes of walking, then 4 times 5 minutes of running, with 5 minutes of walking in between and a 10 minute walk at the end. Once this is easy, start increasing the length of your runs by 1 minute to 1 minute, so that you end up running for 25 minutes at a time.
2, Pay close attention to your intensity!
Not going too deep into it, just highlighting the point, your body “gets” energy from different places at different intensities. There are no sharp boundaries, so energy is coming from multiple places all the time, but within each intensity zone you can tell which one dominates. Using body fat for energy is most dominant at 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. If you’re not aware of your maximum heart rate and don’t want to go for a power assessment (although I highly recommend it if you want to run a lot), use the general formula of 220 minus your age.
If you’re 30, you have a max heart rate of 190 (220-30), 60% of that is 114 and 70% of that is 133. This means you’ll mostly use body fat to move in the 114-133 heart rate range (but experience is you’d rather be at the bottom, so in the example, around 114).
Ennen the heart rate range has another benefit, it develops core endurance, which is much needed for running. You will notice that you can go faster and faster (running, walking) without your heart rate getting higher, i.e. you can stay in this heart rate zone.
If you’re really bored of this low intensity and still want to maximise your weight loss, you can add interval training. The idea is to include high intensity intervals in your run, with lower intensity rest intervals in between. However, this type of training requires some prior training, so as a beginner, try it with caution.
3, Pace counts matter!
Not many people write about the importance of step count when it comes to weight loss and running, but it is a very important criterion for effectiveness. The bottom line is that while maintaining speed and intensity, if you can increase your cadence, you will burn more calories. Since intensity doesn’t increase, you stay in the same fat burning heart rate zone, you just burn more calories from fat.
It’s very easy to achieve a higher cadence. Start running or walking at your usual pace where you’re still in the fat-burning heart rate zone. Count how many steps you take. The goal is to increase that step count by 10%, but not all at once. If you count 160 steps, the goal is to reach 176. For your next run, download a metronome app on your phone, set it to 161 and run at that pace. For the next one, make it 162 and increase to 176. It’s important not to increase your pace or intensity. You can achieve this by stepping up to smaller steps.
The number of strides is covered separately in this article.
4, The fine print
In addition to the 3 main rules above, there are of course many little things to keep in mind for weight loss:
- Drink more! Not just during exercise, all day long. Only during training, not just during exercise. If you have drunk 4 litres in 1 day, drink 5 litres now, if you have drunk 3, drink 4 litres.
- Warm up before running or walking and stretch afterwards. If you don’t do these, chances are you’ll get injured and then you won’t lose weight. Plus, you’ll lose weight while you’re warming up and stretching.
- After your run walk, eat and drink some fast absorbing carbohydrates. I know this is sacrilege for a dieter, but it’s very important for your muscle recovery. 1 dl of orange juice after a run will go a long way to helping you recover so you can get moving the next day.
- After and/or during a run, replenish the salt you sweat out
- Increase your protein intake so you don’t lose weight from your muscles. This will help you lose weight even without exercise.
- At least 40 minutes in the heart rate zone outlined above, and every day if you can. If you really want to lose weight you need to dedicate 1 hour a day to this every day, no way. You don’t have to run every day, but alternating it with walking can be very effective. If you run 3 times a week and walk 4 times a week it doesn’t stress you as much and after 2-3 weeks the pounds will start to melt off. You can do it!
- Have a good pair of running shoes! You can get injured quickly if you run or walk in the wrong shoes. Don’t start running and walking in your 3-4-5 year old trainers, because the foam in the sole, which helps absorb shock, will no longer be able to perform this function.
