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Are you looking for a strategy that could help you lose your belly fat and get a flat stomach? You are not alone! One of the many ways that beginners use to shed off some pounds is by sprinting. If you are a newbie in the weight loss world, you might want to try this method. But before you get started, here’s a question to consider: will running burn belly fat effectively for me?
You probably know of many people who are running as a way to exercise and lose weight. It is estimated that in the United States alone, over 64 million people take to the streets at least once a year. Let’s take a quick look at how you could get rid of belly fat through sprinting as a primary exercise.
Belly fat, found in the area of the body between the bottom of the ribs and the top of the thighs, is also known as visceral fat. It is not only a source of shame for many but also a danger to your body health. Doctors say this is the most dangerous fat there is in your system.
Lethal compounds accumulate in your abdomen and surround your organs. This fat will not only affect how you look but also raises the risk factor for the following conditions:
Read More: How To Lose Lower Belly Fat: Shedding That Extra Fluff Around Your Tummy In A Couple Of Easy Steps
To shed off some pounds, you need to create a calorie deficit in your system. You should create a deficit of about 3,500 to 7,000 calories weekly to lose about 2 pounds every week.
This deficit can be achieved by eating fewer calories and burning more by sprinting. You can burn off your chest and belly fat if you run consistently (17).
As earlier mentioned, you can only lose weight if you have a calorie deficit in your system. This deficit can be achieved by fat burning workouts such as running on a treadmill.
However, you need to make sure that you have consumed fewer calories than normal before your workout. You should also burn a lot of the calories you consumed while running on the treadmill to achieve the desired results.
In fact, research shows that running on a treadmill burns 33 more calories than walking. Sprinting on track burns 36 more calories than walking (6).
Sprinting is an effective way of burning calories. You can easily achieve a calorie deficit by consuming less and engaging in this physical activity.
The amount of belly fat you can burn by sprinting will highly depend on your pace, run duration, and body size. If you give a week of planned exercise, you will successfully burn considerable belly fat amounts.
You already know that sprinting works magic; how about walking? Well, you can burn visceral fat with a simple brisk walk.
However, to burn considerable amounts of fat, you will need to walk at a fast pace and also for longer distances. The faster and longer your walk is, the more calories you will burn.
Here are some reasons why you should consider sprinting as a way to lose weight over other types of exercises.
Running burns a lot more fat than other types of exercises. This is because it requires you to use different types of muscles together (11).
A study conducted by Harvard University supports the above difference in calories. The study compared calories burned by people of three different weights over 30 minutes.
According to the results, 70Kg subjects could easily burn 372 calories sprinting at a normal pace of 10km/hr for 30 minutes. That was as many as the calories burned by subjects engaged in vigorous martial arts, swimming, and 30 minutes’ games such as basketball (3).
Only a few exercises continue to burn fats after you are done with workouts.
Well, research shows that high-intensity runs such as hill-repeats and so forth continue to burn fats up to 48 hours after your exercises (5).
Running uses several muscles which need energy to recover after your workout. This is normally referred to as the “after-burn effect” in the fitness world.
Several studies have shown that this after-burn effect can help you significantly burn more fats over time.
In one study, subjects were made to cycle for 45 minutes at a very intense pace. They burned 519 calories during their workout and another 190 calories over the following 14 hours (1).
If you are trying to reduce your calorie intake by eating less, you might already know that this strategy will sometimes increase your hunger.
The good news is that sprinting can help you keep your hunger at bay. Several studies suggest that high-intensity running compacts hunger by reducing your appetite (7).
High-intensity runs suppress the levels of the hunger hormone known as ghrelin. It also promotes the production of satiety hormones, such as peptide YY (PYY).
A study involving 11 subjects found out that sprinting for an hour or doing strength training for 1 and a half hours reduced ghrelin levels and increasing production of PYY.
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A lot of studies show that belly fat can be reduced by moderate to high aerobic exercises such as sprinting without changing your diets.
An analysis of more than 15 studies involving over 852 subjects found out that aerobic exercises reduced fat without any diet change. Training at moderate to high intensity was found to be the most effective at compacting belly fat (14).
A study involving middle-aged subjects found out that high intensity running reduced belly fat considerably more than no exercise or low intensity running/walking.
Aside from cutting your belly fat, sprinting has many other health benefits. A few of the health problems running prevents include the following:
If you want to lose weight, then you must burn as many calories as possible. Sprinting can help you do so. Here are some habits that will help you get rid of that daddy’s bod:
The first step to losing belly fat is to choose the kind of exercises that work well for you.
Well, there are several types of running. Each type has its purpose as well as benefits. You can choose your preferred one from the following types:
Read More: Running For Weight Loss Interval Training: Get Yourself Up ‘N Moving!
Once you have chosen the type of runs that work well for you, you should now start. So, have the following:
Women must wear a sports bra while running to reduce pain. You can have reflective gear or a coat to avoid accidents as you run very early in the morning or at night.
At the beginning of your workouts, follow these basics:
If you are using your runs to lose belly fat, you need to have a plan.
For a beginner, you might want to alternate running and walking during your workouts. Gradually, you should increase the time and intensity of each exercise.
Here is a sample plan for a month.
After the fourth week, you should increase your runs for some minutes. You can also walk for less time between your runs. Try adding different styles of sprinting for more comfort.
To lose belly weight more effectively, you need to burn as many calories as possible. One way of doing so is by incorporating other exercises apart from sprinting. Follow the tips below:
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The kitchen is the place where your battle for losing belly fat is won or completely lost. You need to make the following changes to your eating plan for better results:
One way you can follow to reduce your belly fat is to reduce your daily sugar intake. Science agrees with the statement.
One study revealed that people who consume four to five servings of white bread every day gain a lot more belly fat than those that consume the same amount of calories (18).
So, cut back on those cookies, doughnuts, pasta, crackers, and junk foods for the best results.
Soda, coffee, fruit juice, beer, energy drinks, and any other sweetened beverages contain a lot of calories.
Even one cup of coke is bad for you. Research published by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society supports the statement. The study found out that subjects who consumed soda regularly gained triple the amount of fat over 9 years than those who didn’t consume it (4).
So, instead of having sweetened drinks, drink something else like water.
Are you in the category of people who believe that fats can make you gain weight? Well, you are on the wrong side.
Not all fats are bad for you. Research shows that eating a diet rich in monounsaturated fats is better for your blood sugar level than one rich in carbs. Also, some types of fats help in controlling your hunger so that you consume fewer calories (10).
Proteins are essential for building your muscles and helping you lose weight.
One study published by the FASEB Journal had subjects consume a lot of proteins. The control group ate fewer proteins. Results showed that the first group lost more fats, including belly fat than the other group.
Intermittent fasting has been shown to help subjects lose 4 to7 percent of their belly fat within less than six months. So, have a fasting plan on top of running. You can restrict yourself from eating for certain hours. However, make sure you do not run on an empty stomach.
Your lifestyle can also affect your belly fat results. You will sweat for nothing if you neglect your everyday lifestyle. Follow the tips below for optimum results:
Sticking to a running plan is quite challenging. So, how do you stay motivated?
Well, the trick of staying enthused is keeping your sprinting sessions fun so that you do not have any excuses to skip them. You can do so by adhering to the following:
Will running burn belly fat? Yes, it can. It burns a lot of calories and will definitely help you banish your belly fat. What’s more, this exercise has lots of other health benefits and is quite easy to incorporate into your workout routine.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!