Body Shape Tips: Running

If you can remember ever having to run stairs during high school football or track practice, you know that it’s no joke. It’s a tough, intense workout that exercises nearly every muscle in your body. Even though it doesn’t directly target the abdominal muscles, running stairs can help you burn belly fat, and fast. It’s a type of high intensity interval training, or HIIT, which studies have shown is effective at helping to burn away belly fat more efficiently than traditional steady-state exercise, such as jogging.

HIIT Blasts Away Belly Fat

Several studies have shown HIIT is effective at burning subcutaneous and visceral fat – the fat just below your skin and the stuff deep within your abdomen, respectively. A review published in the Journal of Obesity in 2011 investigated several of these. The evidence showed that abdominal fat was reduced by as much as 48% after eight weeks of HIIT. Other studies found participants lost anywhere from six percent to 44 percent belly fat doing a similar type of HIIT regimen. So results can vary, but the moral of the story is that yes, you can lose belly fat by running stairs.

How to Do it Effectively

To maximize your fat loss results, it’s important to design your stair workout around the general guidelines of HIIT. First off, it’s best if you can use a large set of stairs, 30 or more works well. If not, try to at least find a set of 10 or more stairs. After warming up for about five minutes by doing some light jogging and stretching, prepare to work hard. Sprint up the stairs at near maximal speed and then walk back down the stairs. It’s about a 3:1 ratio between recovery and sprinting. For example, you sprint for 10 seconds up the stairs and walk back down for 30 seconds before sprinting back up. Do this recover-and-sprint cycle at least 10 times per workout. If it seems too intense, walk the stairs as fast as possible instead of sprinting.

Calories Burned

A 200-pound person burns about 550 calories per 30 minutes of running stairs at a fast pace. This can vary depending upon your intensity level and number of stairs you’re running. Just in terms of calories burned, this example would lead to nearly a one pound loss of weight every two weeks assuming three 30-minute workouts per week. But looking exclusively at the number of calories burned with this workout would be selling it short. The other benefits of HIIT include improved insulin sensitivity, hormonal response and increased fat oxidation. These are all beneficial when it comes to burning excess belly fat.

Beginner Tips

Before tackling a huge set of stairs like you’re Rocky training for his next fight, it’s important to get a little practice running stairs at a smaller scale. One way to do so is by using a stair stepper machine at the gym. It simulates running stairs, and you can get a good workout doing so at a more moderate pace. You can also try running stairs in your home or at your apartment if they’re between 10 and 15 steps. Start slow and work your way up to a near dead sprint over a period of weeks. If you experience knee pain, you should stop and consult your physician. Running stairs isn’t a low-impact exercise, so it’s not right for everyone. If it is right for you, have fun trimming your waistline one step at a time.

Beginner's Running Schedule

If you are new to running, don't hit the streets and push yourself to run a seven-minute mile. As with all exercise, running requires practice and patience as you increase your level of difficulty. For the first week, walk for 30 minutes, three to four times per week, or about every other day. On the second week, or once you feel comfortable walking for 30 minutes, alternate walking for four minutes and running for one minute for a total of five sets and cool down with five minutes of walking every other day. On the third week, or after you feel healthy enough to complete the previous week's set, walk for four minutes and run for two minutes for a total of five sets and cool down with three minutes of running every other day. Gradually replace one minute of walking with one minute of running each week until you are able to run consecutively for 30 minutes.

Runner's Weight-Loss Schedule

Losing additional weight after you've already started a running plan can be tricky due to your body readjusting its calorie burn to accommodate your active lifestyle. Gradually increasing the length of your runs will assist in burning off extra calories and pounds. Amby Burfoot of "Runner's World" warns that when you are extending the length of your run, do not exceed 10 percent of the previous week's mileage to avoid overuse injuries. If you already run 5 miles, four times a week for a total of 20 miles, add 1/2 mile to your runs to add an additional 2 miles to your weekly total. During week two, or once you have adjusted to the 22-mile week, add an additional 1/2 mile to your runs to up your weekly total to 24 miles. Continue adding 10-percent mileage increments to your runs each week for five weeks. Maintain this increased mileage for 10 weeks to burn extra calories.

Running Intervals

Whether you are a beginning runner or an expert, adding interval-training to your running experience will rev up your calorie burn by working out your cardiovascular system. Add 10, 60-second bursts to your daily runs to increase the number of calories burned during each run. These bursts should use 80 to 90 percent of your maximum effort. After 60 seconds, return to your previous running pace.

Fundamentals of Losing Weight

Understanding the role that calories play in your diet and weight maintenance is vital when attempting to lose weight. Calories can refer to the energy that you obtain from food or units of heat or energy. To lose 1 pound of fat, you must burn 3,500 calories. All physical activity burns some calories, though by eliminating calories from your daily diet and adding regular cardiovascular exercise -- such as running -- to your daily routine, you can gradually reduce your weight. Losing weight while running will take several weeks or months, depending on your goal weight. If you are overweight, it is also common to see a higher reduction in weight as you begin to exercise that will taper off as your body becomes accustomed to your active lifestyle. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends an average diet of 2,000 calories per day to maintain optimum health. If you have not begun dieting, try limiting yourself to the 2,000-calorie-per-day limit. Once you have maintained a 2,000-calorie diet, try cutting 225 calories per day from your daily calorie intake. The reduction of 1,750 calories per week will reduce your weight by 1/2 pound per week.

Nutrition

How you eat before a run can mean the difference between a successful run and a serious injury. Aerobic exercise requires available food energy and proper hydration. Drink eight to 10 glasses of water daily and bring water with you during you runs. During aerobic exercise, your body will burn carbohydrates, fat and muscle protein to provide fuel for your workout. Depending on the duration and intensity of your workout, you may use a combination of all three. To prevent injury and loss of muscle mass, include several sources of complex carbohydrates in your diet, especially on running days. Complex carbohydrates can include whole-grain foods, such as oatmeal, fruits and vegetables. Although you are trying to lose weight, fats are essential for running fuel and are used to process some essential vitamins and nutrients. When choosing fats to include in your diet, choose from foods that are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, including avocados, olive oil and dark chocolate.

Body Shape Tips

Does Running Up & Down Stairs Help Lose Belly Fat?