By TallBaby (Caroline Nyamer)

May 4, 2025

Losing weight through running: 5 hacks for starters

Photo: During a training session 

Well, all types of exercises can help you to lose weight if that is your goal from swimming to cycling to skiing but if ease, flexibility and accessibility are high on your priority list, then running is an excellent option for you.

 

Running and jogging have been found to reduce risk of depression and cancer; one study of more than 55,000 adults from age 18 to 100 showed that runners at all levels of speed and expertise had a greatly reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and added roughly three years to their life expectancy.

 

1.Watch your diet and don’t use running as an excuse to eat sugary foods.

While you need calories to fuel your runs and workouts, it’s important to know what you’re putting into your body. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you can eat whatever you want when you’re running throughout the week. “Ah, don’t worry, I’ll burn this off tomorrow morning,” is a common perception in response to a poor food choice. Instead, plan pre- and post-workout meals ahead of time. That way you are less likely to grab the nearest (and fastest) food available. Remember that running is only half the equation when it comes to weight loss. You need to pay attention to the calories that are going in as well and studies have shown that when people exercise, they tend to overcompensate by consuming more food especially sweets.

 

2.Set a goal.

Of course your goal is to lose weight, but if you add on an even more tangible goal like running a mile in less than 10 minutes or raising money for charity by completing a 5 km run, you are more likely to stick with your routine, you’ll probably start eating healthier because you want to run better in that 5km. So you’re not thinking about losing weight, you’re just thinking about running faster and you’re losing weight as a result of that which is awesome

 

3.Start slowly, then speed it up

If you try to go all out on your first day of running after months, years, or even a lifetime of couch-sitting, you not only risk getting injured, you’ll probably be so nauseous and miserable and you’ll want to throw those new shoes in a burning pile of trash. Instead, start slow and easy knowing that every day you'll do a little better. Here’s what Mackey suggests:

 

Week 1-2: Start by running or jogging for 1 minute; then walking for 1 minute. Alternate 8 times for a total of 16 minutes. Increase reps as you feel more comfortable, trying to fit in at least 3 runs per week.
Week 3: Bump up your running time to 2 minutes, alternating with 1 to 2 minutes of walking for a total of 30 minutes.
Week 4: Try 3 minutes running or jogging, followed by 1 minute walking.
Continue to extend your running time, adding in 1-minute walking breaks as needed, says Mackey. “Humans are actually really good at running, so in about a month you can start setting goals for time or distance, like running for 25 minutes or for 2 miles.”

 

4.Don’t run every day

Even experienced runners need to give their bodies time to adapt and recover from their workouts. As a beginner, choose to run every second day. Giving your body a day’s rest between runs helps you to become better conditioned, which enables more intense workouts in the future.

 

5.Stay Hydrated

Your body needs anywhere from 7-10 ounces of water for every 10-20 minutes of a workout. It's easy to forget during a workout, but it's borderline criminal to forget after. So if you take on a running sweat session, you have to replenish those lost fluids. Add an extra glass or two throughout the day if you have any concerns, it will go a long way to keeping you adequately hydrated