Personalized Running Success: AI Plans for Every Fitness [3ac4]

1. Focus on Low to Moderate Exercise Intensity

The principle of fat loss is the calorie deficit: as long as the total calories burned exceed the total calories consumed. The ultimate goal is to burn excess body fat, not to reduce valuable components like muscle and water. High-intensity exercise tends to be shorter in duration and primarily burns sugar, with a lower capacity for fat oxidation. In contrast, low to moderate-intensity exercise can be sustained for longer periods, resulting in better fat burning and higher total calorie consumption. Each workout should include at least 30 minutes of low to moderate-intensity aerobic exercise.

2. Increase Training Frequency and Control Training Time

Research shows that with the same total exercise time, multiple sessions of exercise burn significantly more fat than fewer sessions. Therefore, try to break up your exercise into segments for better weight loss results. For example, if the total exercise time is 2 hours, you could break it into three 40-minute sessions or four 30-minute sessions.

3. Prioritize Aerobic Exercise, Supplement with Anaerobic Exercise, and Try High-Intensity Interval Training

First, it's important to understand that the fat loss effect of combining aerobic and anaerobic exercise is better than either alone. Each workout should start with a 10-15 minute warm-up (dynamic stretching or low-intensity aerobic exercise) until you start to sweat slightly. Then, perform 10-30 minutes of anaerobic training, followed by aerobic training for the remaining time. The initial anaerobic exercise will deplete most of the glycogen, allowing the subsequent aerobic exercise to reach the fat-burning peak earlier.

What is High-Intensity Interval Training?

High-Intensity Interval Training, also known asHIIT, stands for High-Intensity Interval Training. As the name suggests, HIIT must meet two criteria: high intensity and minimal rest periods during training. Note that HIIT is a training method, not a specific exercise.HIIT can be performed in various ways: running, cycling, swimming, stair climbing, jump rope, bodyweight exercises (squats, push-ups, jumping jacks, etc.), with training sessions usually lasting 15-30 minutes.

HIIT sessions are short but can significantly increase fat burning during and after exercise, keeping fat burning for up to 24 hours. The fat loss rate is much higher than low-intensity steady-state aerobic exercise and fasted aerobic exercise.

4. Do Not Neglect Strength Training

While losing fat, muscle loss can also occur. Without incorporating any strength training during the fat loss process, you may lose too much muscle, resulting in poor body composition despite weight loss. Proper strength training can effectively slow down muscle loss, and sufficient muscle mass can burn more calories, further promoting fat loss.

II. Fat Loss Training Process

Before doing anything, you need a standard or process to achieve the final goal, and weight loss is no different. Weight loss should be scientific and purposeful, not blind.

Recommended Training Process:Warm-up(5-10 minutes) → Strength Training (20 minutes) → Aerobic Training (30 minutes) → Cool Down (5-10 minutes). The specific time can be adjusted according to the actual situation, but each workout is recommended to last around 1 hour, and no more than one and a half hours.

Warm-up:Warm-up is an essential part of fitness and should not be ignored during fat loss. It quickly awakens the body, prepares it for exercise, and significantly reduces the risk of injury.

Strength Training:Focus on major muscle groups such as the chest, back, shoulders, core, and legs. Different training plans can be made for different muscle groups, and the same muscle group should not be trained again within 48 hours to allow for adequate rest and recovery.

Aerobic Training:After strength training, some blood sugar has already been consumed, making aerobic training more effective for fat loss. However, the duration should not be too long to avoid muscle loss. In the gym, you can do 20-30 minutes of slow running after strength training, with the speed as fast as you can handle. The elliptical machine is also a good choice as it has less impact on the knees and feet. Other forms of aerobic exercise, such as spinning classes or aerobics, can also be chosen based on personal interest. You can also try the HIIT interval training mode.

Cool Down and Stretching:Static stretching is recommended after training to help muscles recover faster and reduce post-exercise soreness.

III. Fat Loss Exercises Suitable for Slightly Overweight Individuals

Jogging

Jogging is an aerobic exercise suitable for most people. It engages all muscles, promotes fat burning, and continuously delivers oxygen to all parts of the body, achieving weight loss. Note that fat burning starts after 30 minutes of continuous exercise, so jogging should last at least half an hour.

Swimming

Swimming is a time-efficient fat-burning exercise. Freestyle swimming, in particular, burns a lot of calories in just 12 minutes. Exercise physiologists have found that swimming 100 meters burns 100 kilocalories, equivalent to running 400 meters on land, cycling 1000 meters, or skating 1500 meters, which explains why you feel hungry quickly after swimming.

Brisk Walking

Brisk walking for 30 minutes burns ten times more calories than regular walking for the same duration. Walking at a pace that makes you sweat slightly for 30 minutes a day, covering 10,000 steps, can help you lose 1 kilogram in a month.

Jump Rope

Tests show that jumping rope for 5 minutes at 140 jumps per minute is equivalent to jogging for half an hour (jogging for half an hour = 300 calories). If you can maintain a speed of 120-140 jumps per minute, you can burn 600-1000 calories in an hour. Besides the calories burned during jumping, the 'afterburn effect' helps you burn more calories post-exercise, reducing excess fat in the legs and buttocks while strengthening overall muscle tone.

Cycling

For beginners, it is recommended to cycle at a speed of 15-20 km/h and gradually increase the resistance. Cycling may seem simple, but it actually works out all the muscles. To achieve weight loss, the most important thing is the cycling posture. Keep your back straight, lean slightly forward, relax your shoulders, extend your arms naturally, hold the handlebars, and adjust the saddle height appropriately.

Stair Climbing

Climbing stairs for 30 minutes can burn 260 kilocalories, ten times more than sitting, four times more than walking, and 2.5 times more than swimming, equivalent to jogging 800-1500 meters. Regular stair climbing can effectively enhance cardiovascular function, promote blood circulation, and boost metabolism.

IV. Break Bad Habits

Why can't you lose weight despite exercising and eating less? Weight loss is a systematic project, and some bad habits in daily life can undermine all your efforts. Therefore, we must quickly break these bad habits:

Staying Up Late

Lack of sleep is another major cause of weight gain for office workers. Insufficient sleep disrupts the body's biological clock, causes hormonal imbalances, and lowers metabolic rate. It also affects the secretion of leptin, a hormone crucial for maintaining a healthy weight. Additionally, when people are sleep-deprived, they tend to be less active, which can lead to weight gain.

Develop a good habit of going to bed and waking up on time. Turn off electronic devices before sleeping to create a comfortable and quiet environment. Avoid working late at night. To ensure good sleep, you can massage your head or soak your feet in warm water before bed.

Sitting for Long Periods

Office workers and students often sit for long periods, leading to fat accumulation in the waist and legs, which can cause obesity and a protruding belly. Commuting by car, subway, or elevator also reduces physical activity, leading to weight gain over time.

It's recommended to avoid sitting for long periods. Stand up and move around every hour, get a drink of water, or go to the restroom. Students can use break times to move around, climb stairs, and seize every opportunity to exercise.

Irregular Eating Habits

Always eating out or ordering takeout? Restaurant food is often greasy, high in calories, and may not be safe. Eating quickly to save time can lead to indigestion. Office workers who frequently attend social events may overeat, consuming too many calories and burdening the stomach, leading to discomfort.

It's best to cook and bring your own meals. Don't skip any of the three daily meals. If you need to eat out, choose light dishes and eat more vegetables. Chew slowly and avoid high-calorie snacks like chips, cakes, and fried foods.

Not Drinking Enough Water

Many people avoid drinking water, fearing it will cause bloating. However, adequate water intake is crucial for weight loss. Without water, fat breakdown cannot occur, and metabolism slows down.

Remember to drink water regularly and proactively to promote blood circulation. Avoid beverages and drink plain water, preferably warm. Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink water. Drinking a glass of water before meals can increase satiety and reduce food intake.

Eating Too Much Fruit

Some people replace meals with fruit to lose weight, which is unhealthy and ineffective. Some fruits are high in sugar and can lead to weight gain if consumed in excess.

It's recommended to eat some fruit daily, but choose wisely. Do not replace dinner with fruit. Opt for low-calorie, low-fat foods for dinner, and whole grains are a good choice.