Is Running 10 Miles A Week Good For You? Benefits & Risks Explained

If you choose to start running 10 miles a week, what will happen to your body? Would this routine be sustainable, and is it a safe and viable, long-term weight loss plan?

Running has been a popular form of exercise for centuries, with numerous benefits to both physical and mental health. But when it comes to running 10 miles a week, there are benefits and risks that need to be taken into consideration.

We’ve put together an in-depth guide to help you understand the potential impacts of running 10 miles a week on your body and overall well-being.

Benefits of Running 10 Miles a Week: How Running Improves Your Health

The positive side effects that may come from this type of workout are as follows:

Build Stronger Bones

According to a study by the University of Missouri, researchers found that high-impact activities, such as running, can increase and prevent loss of bone mineral density (3). A more recent study in the Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation revealed that long-distance runners have a higher percentage of serum osteocalcin (15). Serum osteocalcin is a valid marker of bone turnover when the resorption and formation are coupled, and it’s also a specific marker of bone formation when the formation and resorption are uncoupled (14).

Good for the Heart

Running is a form of cardio/aerobic exercise. These types of workout use the repetitive contraction of large muscle groups to get your heart beating faster and are arguably the most beneficial type of exercise for your cardiovascular system. A stronger heart can pump blood and oxygen throughout your body efficiently.

A review in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology showed that people who run regularly are less likely to die from cardiovascular disease than those who lead more sedentary lifestyles (7).

Good for Mental Health

While many people may link the benefits of running 10 miles a week to physical benefits such as a trimmer figure or bigger leg muscles, very few are aware that running has incredible benefits for your mental health. According to WebMD, the hormones endorphins and serotonin are released into the body (18).

Endorphins are said to act on the opiate receptors in our brains, reducing pain and boosting pleasure, which results in a feeling of well-being. At the same time, serotonin, which is also known as the “happy hormone”, plays a key role in staving off anxiety and depression as it helps stabilize your mood and boost feelings of well-being and happiness (18).

Prevent Osteoarthritis (Especially in the Joints and Knees)

A study published in 2017 in the Arthritis Care & Research Journal debunked this myth by stating that running poses no increased risk of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (6). An older study in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise journal involving over 74,000 participants found that people who run often and for longer distances are half as likely to suffer from knee osteoarthritis than those who do not (4).

Running is also a great way to lose weight as it burns a lot of calories in a very short amount of time. It’s a great way to meet people and make friends, it’s a great stress reliever (13, 1), and it may even reduce your risk of certain types of cancer (11).

Why Am I Running 10 Miles and Not Losing Weight?

We all know it, and everyone swears by it. When you work out, you lose weight. Running is one of the most commonly known (and used) exercises and has incredible results regarding losing weight. But how come you’re not seeing any results after doing your best and dedicating yourself to running 10 miles a week? What could be the problem?

Although this may seem like a unique problem to you, you may be surprised to learn that many people face the confounding problem of not losing weight when working out. 

Here are some reasons for this:

Eating Too Much

The one cardinal rule of weight loss is to eat on a calorie deficit. Remember, you cannot outrun a bad diet. Whether you run three miles a week, 10 miles a week, or as much as 20 miles a week, as long as you’re eating more calories than you’re burning on your run, you won’t lose weight.

To counter this, get a calorie tracker to help you keep track of how much food energy intake you consume and burn in a day. This helps keep you in a deficit, which when combined with working out should lead to fat and weight loss.

Eating Too Little

As mentioned above, a calorie deficit is a surefire way to help you lose weight. However, if your deficit is too high, this will counteract your weight loss efforts. This is because a calorie deficit is a meal/eating plan where you give your body fewer calories than it burns in a day. Basically, you’re giving it less fuel than it needs to run in a day.

Once this happens, your body turns to the stored fat in your body and burns that as fuel to keep you going and all your organs functioning in tip-top shape. However, when you cut your calories too much, your body can “freak out” and think that you’re in danger of dying. This then makes your body hold on to all the fat in order to keep itself alive.

This is better known as starvation mode, aka metabolic damage, and is your body’s natural physiological response to long-term calorie restriction. It’s your body responding to low energy availability (reduced calorie intake) by reducing its energy expenditure (slowing down its metabolism (2).

Remember that the optimal calorie deficit for weight loss is 500 to 1,000 calories a day, or 3,500 to 7,000 calories a week (16). A person’s daily food energy intake is determined by their age, sex, height, weight, and level of physical activity, and if you’re running 10 miles a week, make sure to account for this too as you calculate your perfect deficit for weight loss.

BetterMe is your fast-track ticket to a long-lasting weight loss! Tailor your fitness journey and maximize your results with just a couple of swipes!

Eating All the Wrong Foods

A healthy weight loss diet consists of all five main food groups, which are:

• Whole-grain foods and products
• Different vegetables and legumes
• Lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, and seeds
• Fruits
• Dairy and dairy products (or plant-based for lactose-intolerant people and vegans)

If your diet lacks such foods and is filled with overly-processed foods, sugary drinks, and other unhealthy food options, the chances are that you’ll be running 10 miles a week and not losing weight.

Not Cross-Training/Running Too Much

The fact that you’re already running is a great nod to your fitness and general health. However, running 10 miles a week may be too much for your body, particularly if you’re a beginner. Doing too much cardio puts your body in a catabolic state, where instead of using glucose to fuel you, it turns to your tissues and muscles and burns them.

If you’ve just been doing cardio without lifting weights, you could have even less muscle once your body goes into this state. Remember that:

• Muscle mass burns more calories than fat mass and weightlifting helps you burn calories for long periods, even when at rest (19).
• Catabolism triggers hormones, such as cortisol and glucagon, which raise levels of glucose and fatty acids in the body (8), making it harder for you to lose weight or even trigger weight gain.

To counter these issues, make sure you dedicate some days in your running 10 miles a week workout plan to cross-train and do a workout that isn’t running, such as yoga, weightlifting, cycling, or swimming.

Other factors that could be contributing to your lack of weight loss even while running 10 miles a week could include:

1. Lacking enough sleep
2. Hitting a weight loss plateau (particularly if you’ve been on this 10 miles a week plan for a while)
3. Being under too much stress
4. Lacking rest days on your running 10 miles a week workout plan
5. Inaccurate bathroom scales. Bathroom scales only measure total weight without taking into consideration that weight doesn’t only come from fat but also internal organs, bone mass, water weight, blood and tissue, muscle mass, etc. So this could be a reason why the scale isn’t changing, even though you’ve been consistent with a calorie deficit and exercise. You could be gaining muscle mass while losing fat at the same time but the scale will only reflect the weight you’ve gained.

Read more: Intermittent Fasting and Running: A Winning Combination or a Terrible Mistake?

Is Running 10 Miles a Week Good? Risks of Running Too Much

When compared to elite and ultrarunners, who cover respective distances of 120 and 150 miles a week, running 10 miles a week can seem like child’s play, and you may be tempted to give it your all week after week. While this dedication is commendable, as a beginner, this constant effort may be a little much for your body, particularly during the first few weeks.

The biggest risk that comes from running too much or overdoing it with any form of exercise is overtraining. Also known as overtraining syndrome, this is a problem that occurs when an athlete (or any other regular person) trains too much without rest. Those who end up overtraining are people who insist on working out even when they’re completely burned out, which has been found to lead to fatigue, a decline in performance, and other undesirable symptoms.

Some overtraining signs to look out for while running 10 miles a week include (9, 10):

• Decreased Performance. If you’re constantly unable to cover your usual distance, it may be time to take a step back and evaluate your exercise practices.
• Plateaued Progress. You no longer see any gain signs or no longer lose weight even if you’re keeping up with your rigorous schedule.
• Unusual Post-Workout Muscle Soreness. Especially if the pain/soreness lasts long after your run.
• Loss of Appetite. Mostly because of overtraining, which causes a hormonal imbalance that affects your hunger and satiety hormones.
• Insomnia or an Inability to Stay Asleep
• Lethargy, Decreased Motivation, and Moodiness

Some experts also claim that running too much can be bad for your heart, as it may lead to the thickening of the heart tissue, resulting in fibrosis or scarring, which can further cause atrial fibrillation or an irregular heartbeat. They further state that it may lead to oxidative stress, which can cause the hardening of plaque in the arteries, a condition that is known to lead to heart attacks. However, this warning was given to people who run 20 miles or more per week (5).

To avoid the risk of overtraining, make sure your running plan/schedule has at least one or two rest days per week. You should also pace yourself. If running 10 miles a week leaves you feeling too tired, try reducing the miles, then gradually increasing the distance you cover by no more than 5 to 10 percent per week. Going any faster than this will most likely result in an injury (12).

How Much Weight Will You Lose Running 10 Miles a Week?

If you’re wondering, “will running just 10 miles a week lead to weight loss?” the answer is most likely yes. However, we cannot say exactly how much weight you can lose while on this plan. Remember, because all people and bodies are unique, we all lose weight at different speeds and rates.

How Long Will it Take Me to Lose 10 Pounds Running 9 Miles a Week?

If you’re running and eating at a healthy calorie deficit, it may take you anywhere between 5 and 10 weeks to lose 10 pounds. Remember that healthy weight loss means losing a pound or two a week. Anything more than this is most probably just water weight.

If you’ve mustered up the courage to crush your weight loss goal, let Betterme take the sting out of this demanding process. Our app will help you restructure your habits, remold your life and crank up your fitness results!

FAQs

• Can you lose weight running 10 miles a week?

You can definitely lose weight by running 10 miles a week. However the following should go hand in hand with your running (21):

• Eating a healthy diet: Running alone is not enough to lose weight. You need to create a calorie deficit by consuming fewer calories than you burn.
• Resistance training: Incorporating strength training into your exercise routine can help increase muscle mass, which can boost your metabolism and help with weight loss. 
• Consistency: Consistently running 10 miles a week and following a healthy diet is the key to sustainable weight loss.

• How many miles do I need to run per week to stay healthy?

According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week (20). This equates to approximately 20-30 minutes of running at a moderate pace, five days a week.

The following is a sample running plan that can help you meet the recommended physical activity guidelines:

• Monday: 30 minutes of moderate-intensity running
• Tuesday: Rest day or cross-train with low-impact activities such as swimming or cycling
• Wednesday: 30 minutes of moderate-intensity running
• Thursday: Rest day or strength training
• Friday: 30 minutes of moderate-intensity running
• Saturday: Rest day or cross-train with low-impact activities such as yoga or Pilates
• Sunday: 45 minutes of moderate-intensity running

It’s important to note that these are general guidelines and may vary depending on your fitness level and individual goals. It’s always recommended to consult a healthcare professional before you start any new exercise routine.

• Can running reduce belly fat?

Running won’t specifically target belly fat. Spot reduction, or targeting specific areas of fat, is not possible. However, running will contribute to overall weight loss through:

• Calorie burning: Running is a high-intensity exercise that can burn a significant amount of calories in a short amount of time. This contributes to creating a calorie deficit and overall weight loss (5).
• Muscle building: Running engages various muscles in the body, including the core muscles, which can help tone and strengthen them over time (3).
• Reducing stress levels: Chronic stress has been linked to increased abdominal fat. Regular running can help reduce stress levels and potentially contribute to reducing belly fat (18).

Through a combination of calorie burning, muscle building, and stress reduction, running can contribute to reducing overall body fat, including belly fat.

• How many calories does a 10-mile run burn?

According to Harvard Health Publishing, the average person burns approximately 100 calories per mile while running (18). This means that a 10-mile run can burn approximately 1,000 calories.

However, the following factors will also influence the number of calories burned:

• Body weight: The more you weigh, the more calories you’ll burn while running.
• Running pace: Running at a faster pace can increase the number of calories burned per mile.
• Terrain and elevation: Running on an incline or uneven terrain can increase the intensity of your run and therefore burn more calories.
• Individual fitness level: The fitter you are, the more efficient your body becomes at running and therefore may burn fewer calories.

The Bottom Line

Running 10 miles a week can be a valuable part of a weight loss plan, but it shouldn’t be your sole strategy. A well-rounded approach that includes a balanced diet, strength training, and consistency in your exercise routine is essential for sustainable weight loss. Factors such as age, genetics, and overall fitness also significantly impact the effectiveness of any weight loss plan. Consulting healthcare professionals can provide you with personalized guidance to ensure your plan is safe and effective. Ultimately, consistency and a holistic approach to health and fitness are essential for achieving and maintaining your weight loss goals.