Exercises and training: running is not always ideal for losing fat

It is true; exercise is good for you. Physical activity will lower blood sugar and is good for your heart. But what do you think is the best way to lose body fat? Is it to go on a long run? Many people hold this notion. Also, it is quite understandable considering that many know how to lose weight; you have to burn more calories. What better way to burn calories than to go for a run?

However, there are some factors that you may be overlooking that could be preventing you from seeing the results you expect. Let’s take a look at what they are so you can see why it may be time for you to reconsider the long-term benefits…

1. Running and Loss of Muscle Mass. The first point to keep in mind is this: running is not especially good for preserving lean muscle tissue. Because there is no resistance involved, this will mean that your body sees no reason to maintain lean muscle and will therefore burn a combination of fat and muscle.

Whereas if your main goal is to become lighter and leaner, this may seem like a good thing. However, think again. The problem here is that when you lose lean muscle tissue, your resting metabolic rate slows, making it difficult to maintain any future fat loss.

The slower your metabolic rate, the less food you can eat on a daily basis and maintain or lose weight. If you like to eat, this is an impractical situation.

2. Running and Metabolic Rate. Another problem with running is that it doesn’t do much to increase your resting metabolic rate. With high-intensity interval training or weight lifting, for example, your metabolism will be higher for hours after completing your workout. You’ll find that fat continues to burn long after your workout is over.

However, when running, when you stop running, you stop burning calories. Then you are back to square one. You will only continue to lose fat if you keep going.

3. Running and Food Consumption. Last but not least, running tends to make people hungry. It’s not unusual to find people feasting on bagels, pasta, or other carbohydrate-rich foods after a run because they can’t control themselves and feel like they’ve “earned” it. If you do that, you will be dealing with weight gain, not weight loss.

You don’t want to spend too much of your time running and then use up all the benefits it gave you. Keep these tips in mind and rethink the long term. There are much better ways to burn fat.