Running used to be one of my favorite ways to get rid of stress. When I was in high school I would run for 6 miles each day. I did so with ease. Now, as I have gotten older, it is one of my least favorite things to do. At this point I am running for life.
When I wanted to drop some fat I started to look at my schedule and realized it was going to be hard to fit too much cardio into my already tight schedule. At the same time my son's soccer coach asked that all the boys run 2 miles when not practicing soccer. I put the two together and began going for runs with my son. It lasted for a couple months and was very rewarding on many levels. It is still not something I love, but when I do it with my son I enjoy it for some reason.
Running is a great way to drop the fat. If you have not run for some time it is best to start out slowly. I began with 20 minute run only. My goal was to increase how far I ran in that 20 minutes. I pushed myself and got to the point where I could do 2 miles in that 20 minute period. I enjoyed the benefit of losing the fat due to the running.
When you incorporate running into your fat loss routine you have to be careful not to get hurt. Just like with weight training, it is important to slowly build up to longer distances. Going too far too fast is a recipe for disaster. There is no point in doing that because an injury will have you back on your couch for many weeks.
The 3 things I learned while doing my running:
- It is only hard if you forget that you are only competing against yourself and nobody else.
- It burns fat fast.
- It helps to increase your physical endurance.
Give running a try. You won't be disappointed.
