There is a common assumption that whatever is good for your health and fitness must also be good for weight loss. Often that is true, but not always, and running is a good example of where the two do not line up as neatly as people expect. So, is running good for fat loss? The honest answer is: less than you might think, but that does not mean it is not worth doing.
Why running is not the fat-loss shortcut it seems
Running is excellent for cardiovascular fitness, but exercise physiologists generally agree it is a relatively inefficient tool for fat loss when you weigh results against time invested. Compared to resistance training or higher-intensity interval work, running burns a modest number of calories for the time it takes.
Part of the problem is that your body adapts quickly. As you lose weight and your fitness improves, running becomes more efficient, which means the same session burns fewer calories than it used to. To keep the fat-loss effect going, you need to keep increasing your distance or your pace, and running offers fewer easy ways to keep piling on that progressive overload compared with, say, adding weight to a barbell.
But fat loss is not the only reason to run
None of this means running is a waste of time, because not all the benefit of any form of exercise is wrapped up in fat loss. A large study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, following more than 55,000 people over several years, found that people who ran regularly for leisure had a notably lower risk of death from heart disease and from any cause compared with non-runners, along with better mood and sleep quality.
So if you are running purely for weight loss and your results start to plateau, that is not a reason to give up on running altogether. Stopping would cost you the cardiovascular and mental health benefits that have nothing to do with the number on the scale.
What this means for your training
If body composition is your main goal, running alone is unlikely to be your fastest route there. A combination of resistance training, sensible nutrition and some form of interval-style conditioning tends to deliver better fat-loss results for the time invested. But if running is something you genuinely enjoy, that matters more than optimal efficiency. The best fat-loss plan is the one you will actually stick to.
Ultimately, weight loss as a single goal is fine, but long-term behavioural change and finding training you enjoy will get you further than chasing the theoretically “optimal” method. If all you want to do is lace up and run, despite the equipment, classes and training areas on offer, the only thing that really matters is that you keep doing it.
Combine your running with the right support
If you want to get more out of your running, or add strength and conditioning work to round out your fat-loss results, Hammers Gym in Nunawading can help. Our personal trainers can build a program that complements your running, and our group fitness classes offer a change of pace when you want it. We are open 24/7, minutes from Mitcham, Blackburn, Box Hill and Doncaster. Try us with a free trial or see our membership options.
Reference: Lee et al. (2014), “Leisure-Time Running Reduces All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality Risk”, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Vol. 64, Issue 5.