Run and shed the lbs!

Why running?

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Sometimes it seems impossible to fit in all the exercises that are recommended for helping to lose weight and tone up in different parts of the body.

Sit-ups for wobbly tums, squats for chunky thighs, tricep curls for bingo wings, buttock clenches for saggy bums; the list is endless and after a while gets really quite depressing! Surely there's an exercise that will work on all these problem areas at once?

Well, not quite. No single exercise will shift fat from such specific parts of the body all at once, but the good news is that there is an exercise which is extremely good for all-round fat burning as well as cardio activity. What's more, it's free and easy to get started, requires minimal kit and can be enjoyed by pretty much anyone anywhere. What is it?

Why is running so good for shifting fat?

To burn fat your body needs to be using most major muscles groups for a long duration at a moderate intensity. During these moderate intensity cardio activities your body uses up more calories from fat, whereas exercises involving brief spurts of movement (such as tennis or badminton) tend to burn calories from carbohydrates. While burning carbohydrates is beneficial to your overall fitness and uses up calories (always a good thing!) high intensity short duration exercises will not burn as much fat as running.

This is because running is the best moderate intensity activity for using all muscle groups, and the more muscle groups you use the more fat you'll burn. An aerobic exercise such as running also increases your metabolism, which means you'll carry on burning calories after you have finished exercising. By exercising regularly, even if it's just half an hour three times a week, you will develop more fat burning enzymes.

How hard should I be working when I run?

Ideally, you should be exercising aerobically in order to maximise fat burning. Once you push yourself too hard your body switches to anaerobic respiration which means that your body is relying on carbohydrate fuel in order to keep going. As a result lactic acid accumulates which inhibits the fat burning enzymes and slows down your body's metabolism. So it's probably better to run a little too slow than too fast.