Hi runners! I'm considering starting to run..?

Question

I'm in pretty good shape, and the reason I want to start is to lose the last bit of fat on my abs...and improve my stamina and endurance. So I have a BUNCH of questions..so really..thank you in advance.

Should I run everyday? If not how often should I run?

If my main goal is to lose the fat around my abs, should I jog for a long time, or sprint for a short time?

I have ran for a hobby before, and I dont enjoy it, but I want to do it to improve my fitness, its worth it to me and important. Any tips on how you guys just keep on going and going and going without hating it?

Is running really going to make me lose the fat around my abs fairly quickly?

Thanks a ton everyone.

Answer 1

you should run six days and rest one. it's important to recouporate. you should jog/run for about one hour daily plus the warming-up/exercises. sprinting has a higher rate of injury and has result of muscle buildup. if you build up your confidence and see improvements, then you'll start to like it. to get faster and more efficient results, eat healthier avoiding fats [don't eliminate, just serve smaller servings]. in addition you can do crunches and other ab workouts, to boost up the results. good luck. if you have any other questions or comments, feel free to e-mail me, i'll be glad to help.

Answer 2

You probably shouldn't run every day, as at least one rest day is always good per week. Since you are just starting off, go every other day, and as your running fitness increases, start going four, five, then six days a week.
To lose fat, I'll say go long because fat is basically the back-up energy cell, and when the body goes for a while, it starts to feed off of the stored fat. However, I would do other things (sit ups, etc) along with running.
To enjoy running, you have to find something that makes it enjoyable for you. The only thing that kept me running for several years was hanging out with the running group, then as of late, my reason to run is to go out on the trails and just go easy. Try different things and see what works for you.
It won't shape your abs quickly, and again, you will need to do more than just run.

Answer 3

Hello,

Running can be a really fun hobby and great fat-burner...but ease into it. I'd try the 10-week schedule on the link below and then add more intensity after that as you go. Walking and running both burn around 100 calories per mile (approx.). The fat around your abs will go away as you overall body fat percentage goes down. Running is a great way to burn those calories...but make sure that you're not eating more than you're burning. The site below has some good info on that, too (check out the Site Map). Best of luck!

- Mike

Answer 4

Running will help stregthen your abs, but will not completely get rid of the fat on your abs unless you use running in combination with other exercises.

But first off, DO NOT run everyday. Even elite athletes take a day off so their body can rejuvinate. In fact if you ever start training hard for a long period of time, you will want to take an entire WEEK off to help your body recover. Rest periods allow your body to recover, rejuvinate and rebuild the muscles that you have been putting to work.

I recommend running 3-4 days a week to start. Be sure to start off gradually or you will find yourself injury prone and burnt out. Start by jogging as much as you can at a comfortable pace and walking to recover. Make your goal to get out there for 30 minutes at a time. After you are able to run solid for 30 minutes, 3 days a week, start increasing your running activity by adding short sprints to your workout.

We just keep going and going without hating it by changing it up, creating new goals for ourselves and running with other people. Find what gets you motivated, this could be signing up for a 5k, a 10k or even a half marathon or marathon. You might be a social runner and need to find a running partner to keep you motivated. Post an ad on craigslist for a running partner, but don't let lack of a partner keep you from pounding the pavement.

Once you get past the initial aches and pains of running, you will be addicted!

Answer 5

To start, run every other day until you feel like doing more. Problem is you don't want to injure yourself by starting too fast.

Long, slow distance. The body burns glycogen for the first half hour, and slowly switches to fat after that.

After a week or so, you'll develop a sense of accomplishment, enjoy the feeling and increased energy.

Not necessarily. 6 packs are a function of muscle tone and super-low body fat percentage. In fact, it ain't a great idea to try to lower body fat to that level.

Answer 6

Start for like every other day and then increase the running distance a little each day and then continue running every day. Drink lots of water!