Why Should I Run?
Running has so many benefits that we could actually write another book about it. However, the points listed below are some of the most common benefits that you will gain by running.
Do take note that you should always consult your doctor before you embark on any exercise program. Running can be strenuous and if you’re not used to it and try to progress too fast by cutting corners, you may injure yourself.
Pace yourself and progress a little daily. There is no rush. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
So, let’s take a look at what you stand to gain by running.
Weight loss
Definitely the most important point since you picked up this book. Running is a fantastic way of burning calories, raising your metabolism and shedding those stubborn fat stores.
Running creates an “after burn” effect. That means you will continue burning calories for hours after your workout ends. It is known as EPOC, which stands for excess post oxygen consumption. All that matters is that this makes you lose weight much faster than other forms of exercise such as brisk walking or even swimming.
Running improves your health and prevents disease
Running is an excellent exercise for those who are in the beginning stages of diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis and high blood pressure. Your overall health will improve over time when you run.
Your good cholesterol levels will go up and your immune system will get a boost. Studies have also shown that running reduces the risk of stroke and certain types of cancer.
Running is not expensive
Your wallet or purse is not going to take a punch if you decide to take up running. Just get a pair of good sports shoes and wear whatever you are comfortable in. That’s it. You’ll save money and still lose weight.
Unlike cycling which requires you to buy a bicycle and maintain it or weight training that requires a gym membership, running is relatively inexpensive.
No other cardio exercise burns as many calories as running
Research done on the effects of cardio machines such as cross country machines, stationary bikes, cross country ski machines, elliptical machines and stair steppers showed that none could match a fast run when it came to burning calories within the same time period.
Running is good for your mental health
We live in a fast paced, frantic, stressful society. The daily pressures can take a toll on your mind and mood. Running is fantastic for relieving stress and preventing depression. Millions of people suffering from these two conditions would benefit by running.
Running also strengthens your knees and other associated joints
Contrary to popular belief, running does not “wear out” your knees. In fact, it strengthens it by conditioning the muscles around your knee joints. If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it applies here.
Most people who complain of knee pains are often overweight or lead sedentary lives. Once they shed the excess pounds through running or start getting more active, the pains will slowly disappear.
Running keeps you mentally sharp
As people age, they experience a decline in mental functions. Running will improve your memory and thinking by keeping you alert and fit.
Running will boost your self-confidence
Unlike weight training, the improvements in your running ability will come much sooner. It takes ages to build muscle and there are many different factors involved.
Stamina however, can improve within 2 to 3 weeks. You will notice the weight on the scales dropping. You will feel stronger and less breathless when you run. Your timing will improve.
All these will motivate you to run harder and faster to meet higher goals and targets in regards to your fitness.
You cannot go wrong with running.
The Most Important Thing You Must Do!
Before even reading further, you must do this. Get a pen and paper and write down why you wish to run. What is your motivation?
Your motivation is always an emotional reason. Never factual.
You must find your WHY. Why do you want to run?
It’s not about losing 20 pounds. It’s about fitting into that sexy dress to impress your hubby.
It’s not about getting fit. It’s about being able to run after your toddler without feeling breathless.
It’s about becoming attractive.
It’s about proving to others that you can do it. To get bragging rights.
It’s about achieving something so that you feel good inside.
Sit down and self-reflect and discover for yourself why you wish to run. Why?
There is no right or wrong answer. Once you have your “why”, you will have a goal to strive for. There may be days when you are really not in the mood for a run. Days when something went wrong at the office or a quarrel with the spouse... and you’re just not in the mood.
That’s when you will look at the “why” that you wrote and realise that skipping your run is not an option. Better days at the office will come, better days with your spouse will come... but... if you skip on that run, the why you wrote will never come.
Lace up, get up and start running.
Setting Goals
Most people will sigh the moment they hear anything about setting goals and targets.
This is usually due to unfulfilled New Year resolutions and because the majority of people never meet the goals they set for themselves.
The reason for this is that their goals are unrealistic and they lose motivation along the way.
In this guide you will be taught to set small incremental goals that you can reach. You can’t become the next, Roger Bannister, and run a mile in under 4 minutes with just 2 weeks of training.
It takes time.
Once you have defined your why, you need to track your progress.
It is highly recommended that you get a journal.
Keeping a Journal
In this journal you need to record down 1 thing weekly
• Your weight
Every week, on one specific day that you choose, you will measure your weight on the scale and record it down.
Do NOT take your weight daily. Your weight fluctuates on a daily basis and it can be really demotivating to see no progress. A watched pot never boils.
Do not obsess over the numbers. The weekly weighing session is just to see if you’re making progress. If, for example, you stop losing weight for 2 weeks in a row, then you know that you have hit a plateau.
You will then have to change things up. Either take a 4 day break from running or change your diet or your training programme.
You will need to record down 3 things daily.
• What you ate for the whole day
• What did you do during your training (e.g. Distance you ran, timing, route)
• How you felt after your training
That’s it. You only need to record these three things daily.
When you’re first embarking on a weight loss program, it will be a good idea to measure your weight on a scale and write it down in a journal.
Next, you may wish to do a body fat composition analysis. Ask your doctor about this. Or you may go to a gym and get a free consultation with a personal trainer and they may do this for you. You don’t have to feel obligated to sign up with their gym.
You can also use this at body fat monitor from Omron.
http://ilivehealthy.xyz/ormonbodyfatmonitor
Record down the numbers in your journal.
Alternatively, if you can’t or don’t want to get a body composition analysis done, you may just use a measuring tape and measure the different parts of your body as stated below.
• Your biceps
• The middle of your thigh
• Your belly
• Your hip
• Your butt
The reason for measuring is that we do not want to rely solely on the numbers the weighing scales show.
As you run and train, you will lose fat and gain lean muscle at the same time. Basically, that means that the weight on the scales may not change yet your body composition has.
Since a pound of fat is much larger in size than a pound of muscle, you may have gotten smaller without any change in the numbers. Many people may notice that their friends say they have lost weight but the scale doesn’t say so. Now you know why.
Setting Realistic Goals
Do not aim to shed unrealistic amounts of weight. You may have seen the infomercials, ads, supplement claims and all the other weight loss marketing hype that make claims to shed pounds of fat without exercise and in no time at all.
It’s all hype and not healthy. Losing 4 pounds in 2 days is ridiculous and mostly water weight. You’ve not lost fat. You’re just dehydrated.
Realistically, you should aim for a 1 percent decrease in body weight per week till you reach your ideal weight.
Let’s assume you are 210 pounds. So, a 1% decrease would mean about 2 pounds a week.
If you’re aiming to reach 180 pounds, that would mean a drop of 30 pounds which will take about 15 weeks roughly.
These are just general numbers. You may lose a lot more weight initially and the results will gradually taper down. The point to note is that it takes time to lose weight. It took you time to gain weight... It will take time to lose it.
So, do not expect miracles. Set realistic goals.
Set goals such as...
• I will run for 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week
• I will aim for a daily caloric deficit of 500 calories
• I will avoid sodas and chocolates for 6 days this week
• I will rest less during my runs and push myself a little harder
• I will reduce my timing by 20 seconds
These are examples of attainable goals. You can achieve these with some will power. You can aim for 5 runs a week. It can be done.
Don’t set a goal like, “I will lose 5 pounds by the end of this week”. You do not know how your body is going to work. It may only shed 3 pounds and you’re going to end up feeling disappointed.
Set goals that you can control. Then you will be motivated to stay the course and finally get the body you desire.
Should I Count My Calories?
Many people make the mistake of obsessing over their calories. If you’re wondering whether you should count your calories, the answer will depend on your goals.
Are you losing weight to get a set of ripped abs? Are you obese and need to lose a huge amount of weight to become healthy? Or are you just mildly overweight and want to shed a few pounds?
If you’re trying to get a six pack, then yes, you’ll need to count your calories and monitor them closely because you’re trying to achieve a body fat percentage below 10% and every calorie counts. If you’re obese, as long as you exercise and eat slightly less than you normally do, you’ll shed weight gradually and in a healthy manner. Slow and steady is the way to go.
If you’re mildly overweight, you’ll need to have a general idea of how many calories you need and roughly target that number. As long as you are running, your metabolic rate will be high and you will be burning the fat. There is no need to watch the calories too closely unless you do not see any change in your body fat percentage.
There are several excellent guides on eating for fat loss. These guides will show you how to eat in a manner that will force your body to burn fat. One of the best guides online is known as “Eat Stop Eat”. It will guide you on an eating method that is so revolutionary that the body has no choice but to lose the fat. Implement the info in the guide and start running. It’s an awesome combination that will make you a fat burning furnace.
The key is to keep it simple. Eat wisely and moderately and run. Your body will automatically get stronger and healthier. The mistake most people make is that they try to do too much too soon. They start running daily, restrict their calories ridiculously, start eating healthy food that they are not used to, etc. They are setting themselves up for failure without even realising it.
The first step is to know how many calories you need to consume to lose weight steadily. You can find this out at http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
Now, once you are aware of the numbers, you should eat moderately throughout the day to meet the number. Never cut your calories too drastically and hope to lose more weight. Your body will go into starvation mode and hold on to its ‘precious’ fats. It’ll become more difficult to burn the fats.
So, just follow the number provided by the calorie calculator and you will drop the pounds steadily. Initially, you may need to check the calories of the food you eat to know roughly how many calories you are consuming. You can always Google this and know. After some time, you’ll roughly know how much to consume.
A quality diet and fitness regime can greatly help your efforts. You can try this effective method.