cant lose weight by running? because you didnt follow these 10 rules

To all the 'chubby' and 'pseudo-chubby' runners struggling on the road, have you really lost weight through running? What? It's too painful to persist! Knee pain is unbearable! The biggest pain point for chubby runners is the inability to sustain their efforts. But have you ever wondered why you can't keep going? It's because you haven't followed these 10 tips.

1. Start your weight loss plan with low-impact walking

Chubby individuals who start running right away to lose weight are likely to fail. Compared to people with normal weight, obese individuals are more prone to lower back and lower limb joint problems. Once they start running, the high impact of running often exacerbates joint pain. Moreover, chubby individuals generally have poorer cardiopulmonary function, and they quickly become out of breath, which greatly diminishes their enthusiasm for exercise. Poor experience combined with muscle and joint pain means that failure is almost certain on the road to weight loss!

For those determined to lose weight, the initial exercise should be low-impact activities like cycling, walking, or swimming. This is a safe and good start.

2. Establishing a healthy lifestyle is more important than how much weight you lose or how far you run

Many chubby individuals set ambitious goals to lose weight through running, aiming to lose a certain number of pounds in weeks or months, or to complete distances from 5 kilometers to a marathon. However, such goals are often unrealistic.

For chubby individuals, the initial goal should be to prevent exercise-related injuries and to establish a more active lifestyle, laying the foundation for long-term weight control. Therefore, the initial goals should not be overly specific but should focus on avoiding injuries and enjoying the process of walking and running.

3. Alternating between walking and running is better than continuous running

In fact, the commonly used LSD (Long Slow Distance) run, which involves low intensity and low heart rate continuous running, is not suitable for chubby individuals. This type of running requires high cardiopulmonary endurance and involves continuous joint impact. The best approach is to start with walking and gradually transition to alternating between walking and running. This method is safer, more sustainable, and more enjoyable, as continuous running can be too monotonous.

4. Try brisk walking with shorter strides

How can you burn calories while reducing joint pressure? Reducing your stride length is a good method, which means brisk walking with shorter strides. Research shows that shortening your stride length by 15% can increase energy expenditure by 4.6% while reducing joint impact.

5. Don't believe the one-sided claim that hiking damages your knees

The claim that hiking damages your knees is one of the most common 'myths' heard by chubby individuals. This is true under certain conditions, such as climbing stairs or hiking at a fast pace. However, not all forms of hiking necessarily mean knee damage.

Research shows that walking at a slower pace on gentle slopes can actually reduce joint load. Climbing slopes with a gradient of less than 6 degrees is safe, meaning that walking at a slower pace on gentle slopes won't harm your knees and can help with weight loss. Don't believe the one-sided claim that hiking damages your knees, but remember not to hike too fast or on steep slopes!

6. Learn to jog lightly

The term 'jogging' in English refers to running at a light and slow pace, which is different from 'running.' This pace should feel comfortable and sustainable. Remember, feeling comfortable is very important. Generally, the pace should be around 7:00 or slower.

7. Don't run every day; run every other day

Running is a double-edged sword. While running can increase energy expenditure compared to walking, it also increases joint load. Research shows that obesity increases ground impact load by 33%.

A safe way to increase exercise volume is to increase your weekly running distance by no more than 10%. Increasing it more can put your joints at risk of injury. Additionally, running every other day allows muscles and tissues more time to repair and rest, which is also meaningful for injury prevention.

8. Strengthen muscle strength training

Simply running is not the best way to lose weight. Combining running with appropriate strength training is considered one of the most scientific, effective, and safe ways to lose weight. Strength training can increase basal metabolic rate, helping to burn calories even at rest. Additionally, strengthening the muscles of the feet, calves, hip abductors, front thighs, and torso can help muscles absorb impact, effectively reducing lower limb joint load.

9. Incorporate interval running to more effectively burn fat

Interval running involves running for a while and then resting for a while. The benefit of interval running is that you can run faster during the running segments due to the rest periods, which helps improve oxygen uptake and burn fat. Research shows that interval running is superior to continuous running in terms of weight control and fat burning.

10. Persisting through pain while running is wrong

The success of a running plan lies in avoiding injuries and enjoying the process. Pain can destroy all of this. If you experience pain while running, you should stop immediately and seek treatment and rehabilitation. Otherwise, failure is inevitable.