One of the more easy ways to shed weight is by running. A time-tested technique, running has helped millions shed excess body weight naturally without having to subject oneself to harmful medicines or stressful exercises at the local gymnasium. As a result, running and weight loss have come to share a positive correlation. There are, however, some facts to remember before one starts running in the effort to shed weight.

First, it is absolutely necessary to ensure that one is in a perfectly healthy condition and fit enough to undertake regular running exercises. This is best ascertained with the help of a qualified doctor who can certify if a person is fit enough to do regular running exercises. One must remember that like any other exercise, running involves the burning of calories and one would need to ensure that he or she does not end up putting undue stress on the body. Second, a common mistake many people who aim to lose weight by running make is overeating. Since running leads to the burning of hundreds of calories, lots of people tend to overeat in an effort to make up for the energy loss. However, this has a counterproductive effect since the overeating tends to negate any benefit gained by running.

The key to ensuring that running and fitness go hand in hand is by undertaking a strict regime. There are some key elements of this regime one needs to follow religiously. These elements include:
Controlled Nutrition Intake: One of the most basic rules of losing weight through running is to remember that one loses weight only when the amount of calories burnt is more than that gained by eating. Therefore, the calories lost by running must exceed the calories acquired by eating. As a result, one has to carefully note down the amount of calories that the food intake results in. next, one must calculate the amount of calories that can be burnt through running, and choose a duration that helps exceed the calories gained through food intake. For example, if one’s nutritional intake is 3000 calories per day, he must run for a distance that helps burn more than 3000 calories. Only then will it help in losing weight.

Consistency: Another pillar of losing weight by running is to bring in consistency in the running efforts. So, if one finds that to lose 5000 calories, he needs to run for 5 hours in a week, the key is to run regularly, say an hour everyday, instead of running 5 hours in a single day. This will ensure that the body is not put to an unusually high activity level on one day, while there’s almost no activity on the other days. It requires dedication to maintain a consistent running schedule, and one must beware that it is easy to fall off a set pattern unless one has a lot of will power.

Flexibility: One issue that many runners face is that they need to constantly adjust their bodily routine for best results. The human body is made such that it can adjust to changes very fast. So, if someone runs for 1 mile everyday in an effort to lose weight, the body adjusts such that in a few weeks’ time, the body can easily run a mile without losing sufficient calories. Accordingly, one has to incorporate a degree of flexibility in his routine so as to constantly push himself harder than before.