Health? Beauty? Sauna!

Posted on 26. May 2012 by Marina Aagaard

Tip # 26

Enjoy a Finnish sauna, alternate baths hot and cold,
it supercharges your body, mind and soul;
boosts skin and looks; look youthful, not old …
One visit to the sauna and you too will be sold!

Being ½ Finnish (½ Danish) it is only natural, that I am a sauna fan … and no matter what your nationality, you ought to be a sauna fan, too. Yes, even if you live in hotter places than Finland or Denmark … because a Finnish sauna experience involves alternating hot and cold baths and this is ideal for anti-aging, anti-stress, anti-cold, beautiful skin, general well-being and excellent recovery from workouts or stressful periods at school or work.

Sauna facts
The Sauna: A sauna is a small room or house, all wood, with wood covering the floor, walls and ceiling, wooden benches and an electrically heated stone oven (some saunas use wood for heating). There is a small bucket with water and a ladle for pouring water on the hot stones, so humidity is increased.
There should also be a thermometer, a hygrometer and an hour-glass.

There are also infrared saunas, which does not heat the sauna air, but the body. The sauna temperature is lower, 120-140 degrees F and you can stay in them for longer –suitable for some patients. Infrared saunas have many of the advantages of traditional saunas as well as a deep body-penetrating heat. However, traditional sauna gives a more authentic experience; a stronger heat and the possibility of changing the humidity.

There are modern saunas with light and sound effects or aromatherapy. They provide for variation. Personally I prefer a traditional sauna; dimmed normal lights, a scent of wood and complete relaxing silence.

Saunas not only exist at exclusive spa’s, but also at pools and sports and holiday resorts. Find a sauna near you and have a wonderful mind-body experience.

The sauna bath: Sauna is a dry, hot bath, from 60-100 degrees C (140-212 degrees F), norm 80-90 degrees C (194 degrees F). By pouring water onto the hot stones of the sauna oven, you will increase humidity from 5-8% to approx. 15%.

Advantages
There are several advantages to sauna use:

Relaxes the muscles and reduces soreness and muscle tension. Alternating hot and cold baths speeds up recovery and hence increases sports performance.
Reduces and relieves various aches and pains.
Relieves stress and mild depression.
Reduces the incidence of common colds.
Flushes toxins from the body, is detoxifying.
Sweating cleanses the skin, rinses bacteria out of the epidermis and sweat ducts.
Induces physical and mental relaxation and wellness.

Sauna use is healthy, however, it can not replace warm-ups or exercise:
As a warm-up: The muscles will get warmer in the sauna, but it is a passive warm-up, which does not prepare the body for dynamic physical activity. Use an active warm-up.
As exercise: Blood circulation is enhanced, however, a.o. the neuromuscular system, nerves and muscles, is not active, so there is no real training effect.

Sauna use
Sauna use (time and temperature specific to the user) is safe for almost everyone; children, young, adults, seniors and pregnant women. And sauna use is beneficial for reducing the symptoms of a number of diseases. However, caution is advised, especially in the case of cardiovascular diseases. Check with your doctor – also ask about medication and sauna use.

Time:
You may use the sauna in the morning – it is refreshing, when you finish with a cold bath.
You may also use the sauna in the afternoon or early evening, it is very relaxing and may improve sleep quality.

Duration:
Set aside plenty of time for a sauna séance, if possible at least 1-2½ hours.

Precautions:
Do not eat a meal later than 1-2 hours before going to the sauna.
Drink water during the day, so you are hydrated, when going to the sauna.
Listen to your body: Staying in the sauna should feel good; if you feel overheated, dizzy or uneasy, leave the sauna and cool off.

How to Use the Sauna:

Heat up the sauna, temperature 140-212 degrees F, norm 194 degrees F.
Avoid temperatures higher than 212 degrees F, as this can be harmful.
Note: New users should start gradually with shorter time and lower temperature.
Take a bath, cleanse thoroughly. Leave off jewelry, watches, glasses, a.o.
Go naked – or in swimwear – to the sauna; depending on the setting and country.
Always bring a towel to sit or lie on; for hygienic reasons and comfort.
Sit or lie down. It is warmer at the top bench in the sauna.
In a Finnish sauna you ‘whip’ yourself gently with birch branches to stimulate the skin and remove dead skin cells.
Poor water on the stones to increase humidity.
Stay in the sauna heat for 5-15 minutes, or a little longer.
Do not stay for too long as it is unhealthy, 20-30 minutes is maximum.
Go out; take a (icy) cold bath, shower, tub or lake; cold for 1-3 minutes.
Go back in the sauna and repeat the procedure*. Typically 3-5 times.
* Note: For wellness: You may prefer to cool down further and relax outside for another 10-15 minutes, before going back into the sauna. For recovery: Alternate between hot and cold baths without pauses. Finish off with a cold bath.
Drink plenty of water afterwards to rehydrate.

Enjoy your sauna experience.

Exercise, yes or no? Your heart says yes!

Posted on 19. May 2012 by Marina Aagaard

I was asked by a worried potential exerciser “Is exercise really healthy, if you suffer from a cardiovascular disease?”. The answer is “Yes!”.
Exercise is one of the best things you can do for your heart, because it helps in preventing cardiovascular disease; it lowers your risk of atherosclerosis, a primary cause of heart disease and stroke.

You can exercise to either prevent cardiovascular disease – a smart move – or if you already suffer from a cardiovascular disease, you can use exercise as medicine to get better! Cardiovascular disease covers many a diagnosis, therefore you need a check-up and an individual exercise recommendation from your doctor, before embarking on a formalized training program.

Proceed with caution. First of all increase your daily ‘everyday living’ PAL, Physical Activity Level, and do it from today; walk and stand more and take the stairs every time.
Then include short duration exercise sessions, walking and cycling, to get an easy start and keep the motivation for staying with your program.

Exercise recommendations
If your are very inactive, start with 5-10 minutes.
If you are used to walking, start with 10-20 minutes.
Increase duration over time to 30-60 minutes; it is healthy and burns fat.

You should break a sweat and your breathing should be somewhat heavy; it is healthy.

Gradually you should exert yourself more for short periods of time (the interval structure below is an example from Dr. Bente Klarlund Pedersen):

Exercise program

Warm-up for 10 minutes.
10 min. somewhat hard exercise followed by 5 min. easy exercise. And again:
10 min. somewhat hard exercise followed by 5 min. easy exercise.
Cooldown, easy exercise for 5 minutes (last easy interval). Stretching as needed.

If this feels easy, repeat the sequence, first one, then two times for every exercise session: 3-4 series of 10:5 minutes (work:active rest).
Do not increase your exercise volume too much all at once. Increase either the number of sessions per week or the number of series per session.
Listen to your body; it should feel good and doable.

Exercise plan

3 times 20 minutes a week is the minimum for health benefits. If you want to feel better and get into shape the recommendation is a

minimum 30 minutes of physcial activity every day (5-7 days) for adults and 60 minutes for children.

Initially the exercise should feel fairly easy, byt as soon as you are into the exercise habit and feel comfortable, it is recommended, that you exert yourself a little (to a lot) more – for your heart’s sake.

Note: Resistance training is also healthy for your heart and metabolism; when you do resistance training, the energy expenditure is increased both during exercise and during rest.
2 times ½ hour resistance training a week is highly recommended.
Ask for a program at your local fitness centre. Example:
Warm up for 10 minutes and then train your legs, upper body, low back and abs.
5-8 exercises is plenty for starters.
Do each exercise movement 8-12 times, repetitions, have a rest-pause, then maybe another 10, and a pause, and another 10: 1-3 series of 10 repetitions.

Breakfast and Lunch is Brunch! Too Munch?!

Posted on 15. May 2012 by Marina Aagaard

Brunch! Brunch! Brunch! Is It Too Much?
In my continued search for performance enhancing ‘supplements’ – diet and lifestyle measures for improving happiness, quality of life and performance at work, leasure time and sports – I keep on testing ~~eating my way through~~ different kinds of foods and meals.

Even a sunday brunch. It is not healthy eating too much; it ‘wears’ on your cells and counteracts anti-aging and keeping fit and toned. The whole idea of combining two meals in one is not healthy! However, it is a feast for all of your senses and may possibly boost your quality of life (short term!).

E.g. a sunday brunch in may, Restaurant Unico, by Aarhus Golf Club, Denmark …

Serving #1
Salmon en Bellevue; salty salmon, truffle, herbs, etc. with soft-boiled egg.
Plus sausages, cheese, marmelade, bread and much more.
Drinks: Water (naturally) and blood orange juice … and an unneccessary ‘pink bubbly’.

Serving #2
French toast. Brioche (fatty, fatty, fatty bread) fried in milk and eggs with spicey ham and Abondance raw milk cheese and mustard mayonnaise sauce.

Serving #3
‘Brunsviger’ sweet toasted bread with warm caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. And a mini-mazarin, petit four, with white chocolate and rhubarb and a brunch-classic: Yoghurt – here with hazel nut crunch and passion fruit compote.
Dessert (for brunch) is not healthy, however, this was a treat!

Thanks for food!

Fitness: Use It Or Lose It … Fast!

Posted on 11. May 2012 by Marina Aagaard

I am sometimes asked the question: How fast do I lose fitness?
The short answer is: Fast! The full answer to “how fast” depends on who, what, how … and nice to know: Not all is lost!
Read this and get five tips to maintain fitness.

How fast you lose fitness, detraining, depends on several factors, especially your training age, for how long and how regurlarly, you have been exercising.

How quickly you get out of shape also also depends on whether you just decrease your training volume and intensity or stop completely.
In the latter scenario most training effects in new exercisers are lost completely within two months (eight weeks):
Beginners and new exercisers with less than six months of regular training lose fitness much faster than conditioned athletes; after 8-10 weeks of quitting exercising almost all fitness gains are lost.

Well-conditioned fit exercisers with several years of training lose some fitness already within a week, however, it takes up to 10-15 weeks before half the conditioning is lost.

So, even if fitness loss is happening fast, not all is lost immediately; up to a week of resting can even be an advantage, it may serve as an extended recovery, but after 1-3 weeks you start losing your fitness level.

Loss of aerobic fitness happens fairly quickly, while loss of muscle strength is a little slower: after a three month break, muscle mass, which is related to strength, is back to the original level.

When you have lost your fitness, it takes time to rebuild it. Returning to your former fitness level happens faster, if you have been exercising for many years, however, it may still require several months to work yourself back into shape.

Luckily it is possible to avoid losing fitness: At times, when you are very busy or lazy, you can maintain your fitness level with as little as 1 workout per week, but at a minimum intensity of at least 70 % of your maximum (VO2max).

Nice advice: Keep in shape – avoid detraining.

At busy times or times of travelling:

Train express training, short workouts; 10-20 (30) min. with high intensity.
Train interval training, high-intensity work followed by a rest-pause,
there a many methods, e.g. 8 x 30:60 sec. (high intensity/pause)
Train a select few exercises, do complex total-body exercises, e.g. TGU, instead of many exercises for a few muscles, isolations.
Train circuit training. Exercise non-stop; go from one exercise to the other without rest-pauses.
Train split training; if you only have 10-15 minutes a day, then ‘split the body’ and train only one or two muscle groups per day.

Note: Always work out at a suitable level; the intensity should be right for your health and fitness level. And always do a warm-up and a cooldown.

If you are injured or ill, you should see you doctor or physiotherapist for a check-up and a special program.
In general: Work ‘around’ your injury, train other muscle groups – e.g. crosstraining – and do some rehabilitation exercises for the injured area.

Apart from the physical factors, the mental aspect is important.
As soon as you have been exercising for a while, you do have valuable training experience, which means that it will be easier to get back to exercising, if you have been away from it due to lack of motivation or injury.
No worries, just get back in the game.

Enjoy your workout.

Running for You? 10 Tips: Run This Way!

Posted on 30. April 2012 by Marina Aagaard

Does running have to be very hard to be any good? No!
Do you really have to be completely out of breath? No!
Do your legs and back have to take a pounding? No!

Whether you are about to embark on your first run, or are a recreational runner, or you are an experienced runner, here are 10 top tips for optimizing your run …

1. Run healthy. Are you healthy and well, then ‘run along’ … Are you physically inactive or in poor health, then you need not stay away from running. On the contrary; exercise in many cases are better than medicine, so get going – with an easy walking or jogging program … after you have seen your doctor for a health screening.
You should not run, if you feel pain! If you have injuries, they may become aggravated by running, so have a check-up and get a proper individual running program. Ask a physiotherapist.

2. Run with internal motivation: Joy. Make running a natural healthy habit. Habit changes take time, so make things easy: Put your running in your diary and have your running shoes ready.

Increase your running motivation - run with:

- Mindfulness: Be present in the now, do not think about the past or the future. Meditate.
- Senses: Watch and listen intensely, smell nature, feel the wind against your cheek.
- Focus on your breathing; breathe deeply and slowly through the nose.
- Focus on your technique, run at a moderate pace and brush up your technique.
- A partner, without talking, chatting, playing og competing for fun.
- A heart rate monitor, so you can keep an eye on your heart rate, distance, calories, etc.
- An mp3-player with music with a fairly fast motivating beat.

3. Run in clothes fit for running. You can run in whatever clothes you like! However, your running experience is improved by:

Comfortable running clothes, close-fitting and sweat-transporting (avoid cotton).
In cold and windy weather keep warm (running underwear and windbreaker jacket); if your stomach gets cold, you may experience abdominal pain and cramps.

Good running shoes, must fit your feet. Get professional advice. Poor shoes are the cause of many injuries in the feet, lower legs and knees.
Note: Shoes can prevent some injuries, however, some shoes can also indirectly cause injuries, because of too high (lifted) heels and large drops from heel to the ball of the foot.
Alternatively run in level shoes, do barefoot running or run in FiveFingers, which protect the feet. Barefoot running requires a very gradual progression of distance and intensity.

4. Run at your own pace. If you are a beginner or overweight – or an experienced runner, who has been away from running – then a slow cautious start is crucial to avoid injuries.
If you are a fit and experienced runner, then race away (longer strides and faster)!

5. Make running doable. A good start makes all the difference: Start at your own level, and run with energy and enjoyment. Start slowly the first time (and over time): First walk, then jog, then run, then interval runs at moderate, high and intensities.
Initially start running on softer surfaces, earth or grass (not too soft, sand and gravel, and irregular, which is ‘tough’), as this is easier on the joints than concrete and asphalt.

6. Have a realistic running plan. It may take years to build a healthy distance running shape in the right way, so running is still 1) fun and 2) safe (without injuries).
Be patient and consistent.

- Start by running short distances, max. three days a week (with a day of rest in between).
- Gradually increase the running distance (and then the intensity).
- If needed, increase the number of days (alternate between shorter and longer runs).

7. Warm up before running.
This is not difficult, it only means that your should:

Start gradually; 5-10 min. of walking or jogging with gradually increasing tempo, hold back a little. An adequate warm-up is essential to running success:
One of the main reasons why many runners find running so hard, is that they start running too fast too soon – the body isn’t prepared (not enough oxygen) – and so they are out of breath (lack energy) for the duration of the run.

After running do the opposite: Cool down. Reduce the tempo and walk for 5-10 min. to lower the heart rate to resting level. Avoid stopping too abruptly and standing still (right after top speed), as you may feel dizzy.
Stretch the large muscle groups, hip flexors, hamstrings and calves as needed.

8. Run naturally:

Run in a natural way: Start by walking, then ’fall’ slightly forward, so you ‘automatically’ start running. In this way you will land with your body weight distributed evenly across the foot (midfoot strike) instead of landing hard on the heel.
Run with a good posture, upright, neutral spine, relaxed neck and shoulders.
Run with a full body lean, straight line from heel to neck, do not bend forward.
Land with a midfoot strike. Or experiment with running on the balls of your feet. Do not land with a (heavy) heel strike, as this may cause poorer form and injuries.
Run with a natural stride length for you; do experiment with longer strides and (and shorter ones, when running on your toes).
Breathe deeply, inhale through your nose, exhale through the mouth (or nose).
Run light-footed; run with a light, springy step, almost as if you fly across the ground, or as if you ‘burn’ your feet, when you take a step.
Run with tempo; do not run too slowly, so you land too heavily (more impact).
Run with a natural arm swing forward-backward, not diagonally in front of the body.
Run straight ahead, avoid bouncing up and down, this is a waste of energy.

9. Eat and drink right. Eat and drink the right things at the right time – this gives you more energy and reduces the risk of abdominal cramps.

Water (at room-temperature – too cold water may upset the stomach):

Before running: Drink an adequate amount of water each day:
Divide you body weight (in pounds) by two; the number of ounces of water you need to drink each day (corresponds to approx. eight 8-ounce glasses of water (8-by-8-rule).
Metric: Drink approx. 1/3 of your body weight (kg) in deciliters (0,033 x BW (kg) in liters).

During running: During shorter runs up to 6,2 miles (10 km), water intake is not necessary.
During longer runs water (with sugar/salt) may be needed, but test it before competitions.
Dehydration may result in an impaired performance, however, some runners perform better, when they do not drink water during the run.

After running: You may lose up to 67,6 fluid ounces (2 liters) of water during running, so drink plenty of water after running.

Food (do not run on a full stomach – it may cause stomach cramps or diarrhea):

Before running: Eat healthy in general, so you have enough energy. For competitive running your need to plan your diet and pre-race meal carefully.
Eat a full meal no later than three (2-4) hours before running. It is better with a low-fat, carbohydrate rich (limited amount of dietary fibres) meal without too many proteins.
If you need more energy, eat a banana or have an energy drink (water with sugar/salt) no later than one hour before running.

During running: It is not necessary/smart to eat during shorter runs (< 6,2 miles/10 km). For longer runs a sports gel (energy-jelly) may be a good choice, but not always; it depends on the distance and person.

After running: Eat a meal (carbohydrates/protein) within ½-1 hours after running. Within ½ hour of exercising/running nutrient uptake is optimal (window of opportunity) leading to a faster recovery.

10. Listen to your body. Running should feel good. You must not experience pain, not before, during or after your run. Exertion, sweating and panting is okay, but pain in your muscles and joints is a danger sign, which you must respond to. Walk instead. Afterwards find out what caused the problem. Get help from your doctor or a physiotherapist.

Running for True Beginners? Run This Way!

Posted on 21. April 2012 by Marina Aagaard

The sun is out! You want to get into shape? You want to loose weight?
You want to have more energy? You want to be healthier? You want to run!
You can find a multitude of running programs for beginners on the internet, so which one to choose?
Choose this one, if you are a beginner and want 1) to have a motivating program, 2) to follow a goal-oriented program for beginners and 3) to run safely with minimal risk of overuse injuries.

It is time to get started:

Find your motivation
What drives you? Some people are motivated by:

running alone, others by running with friends.
running to meditate and relax, others by working out and burning fat.
running to music, others by silence or nature sounds.
running with a heart rate monitor, others by listening to the body.

Find out, what motivates you and plan accordingly.

Choose the right strategy
Avoid the usual running mistakes, which are very common:
Too ambitious and much too much initially; 1) running without a warm-up, 2) running too fast and 3) running too far …
Choose to:

Warm up for 5-10 minutes by walking faster and faster, then jog and then run.
Run a very moderate distance initially, eg. 5 x 300 ft … increase gradually over time.
Cool down by walking for the last 5-10 minutes of your ‘run’.
Stretch lightly; hips, thighs, hamstrings, calves, 15-30 sec. to relax and loosen up.

Start smart
A moderate (conservative estimate) tempo initially and a gradual progression is essential for running success. It takes time to get into running shape: Muscles need 1-2 months, the tendons, which attach the muscles to the bones, need 3-6 months, and the bones and joints need 6-12 months to become more resilient to the impact forces of running.
Exactly how long depends on your ‘body age‘ – health, body weight and fitness level – and training age – how long you have been exercising regularly.
Start gradually to avoid overuse injuries in your feet, legs and hips.

Plan your runs
Make a plan, take notes in your calender; how many days do you run, how long/far do you run and how hard do you run? Check your training volume to avoid overtraining … and undertraining.
Beginners benefit from a regular running program to make running a fun and healthy habit.
Tip 1: Have your running shoes and clothes ready, so you are all set to run.
Tip 2: Run with a dog, friend or family member to increase motivation and keep on track.

Running is freedom, fresh air and fun. Photo: Photographer John Nyberg.

Running equipment
Hardly any equipment or gear is required for running. However, the running experience is a lot nicer, if your clothes fit and are ‘dry fit’ (avoid cotton), so they don’t get cold and clammy, which can induce hypothermia (you feel cold).

Running shoes, for your feet and running style. They are important: Have your running technique checked on a threadmill by a sports physiotherapist or a running coach, so you get the right shoes for you. You can also do ‘barefoot running’, run in bare feet (or FiveFingers), with extra attention and extra gradual progression.
Sweat-transporting running pants, tight fit without (annoying) seams.
Sweat-transporting running shirt.
Windbreaker jackets (and pants).
Sweat-transporting underwear.
Sweat transporting socks without seams.

Women:

Sports-bra or comfort top (eg. PureLime award-winning sports-bras)
Sports panties, which stays in place.

Running technique and tips
Humans are designed for walking and running, so you don’t need special training to run. However, as many people are very inactive during the everyday and start running from scratch, check and focus on this:

Breathe deeply; inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth or nose.
Run on softer surfaces initially; grass, sand or soil.
Listen to your body; your breath, heart rate and muscles. Running should feel good and a little hard (your body loves to exercise); nothing should hurt or feel painful.
Run in a natural way: Start walking and then ’fall’ slightly forward, so you start to run and land with your body weight evenly distributed across the foot, instead of landing hard on the heel. Run with a full natural stride length and cadence, that fits you.
Run with a natural arm swing forward backward, not diagonally in front of the torso.
Run with a proper running posture; spine neutral and head up, relaxed neck and shoulders. Full body lean from ankle to neck, do not bend at the waist.
Run straight forward, avoid bouncing; hopping up and down.

Running program for new runners
This is a running program designed especially for beginning runners:

Realistic and goal-oriented program: The goal is to run 2 miles (or less) in 12 weeks. Far too many beginning running programs include too much running too soon (eg. 0-3 miles in 10 weeks), which often leads to overuse injuries.
Gradual progression: The program progression respects not only the heart and lungs, but also muscles, tendons, bones and joints, preparing them for increased load in time.
Goal-oriented with variation: The program is based on advanced interval training principles and designed for optimal results, running with fun, with minimal risk of injuries.

Try it out! Here (at the bottom) is a program for running 3 times a week for 12 weeks.

Every run warm-up by walking for 5 minutes with a gradual increase in tempo.
Then run for some seconds/minutes, then walk for some minutes.
Repeat this run-walk sequence a number of times, a number of series.

Is it too easy? Then run a little faster in the same timeframe.
Is it too hard? Then repeat the same program, the next day or the next week.
Your body and your running should feel well.

The program suggests monday, wednesday and saturday, but you may choose other days. However, it is recommended to have a day of rest between running days, so the body is able to recover before running again.

Listen to your body: Do you feel energetic and ready for the runs of next week. If not, continue another week with the same program without increasing time and intensity.

If you experience pain or soreness, find out what is causing it. Maybe have a break from running, do something else, or repeat the same interval run or runs from an earlier week program and proceed with caution.

Note.: Have you been injured or ill? Are you overweight (Running-for-weight-loss)?
Are you very inactive during the everyday? Then you should start even more gradually with a walking program or a variation of this program (make it easier and run/walk the same intervals for more days, eg. same intervals monday, wednesday and saturday, before moving on).

Running for beginners From 0 to ~ 2 miles in 12 weeks

Running for Weight Loss? Run This Way!

Posted on 14. April 2012 by Marina Aagaard

A ~~few~~ lot of pounds too heavy? You want to lose weight? You consider running for weight loss?
Then this is for you; important information and inspiration; a true ‘weight loss running’ program for lasting weight loss and lasting joy of running …

In many popular articles on running to lose weight, the message is clear:
“Even if you are overweight and ask yourself, if you should just go ahead and run,
the answer is: Yes”.

The sensible answer is: No.
It is of paramount importance to your running succes, that you do not just run … eg. “running as far as you can with as few breaks as possible in half an hour” or “from a 30-minute walk to a 30-minute run in 10 weeks”. Because:

If you want to succesfully lose weight through running, 1) you have to find it doable and fun, as opposed to hard and boring, so you want to continue, and 2) your body has to be able to tolerate the impact, so you lose weight without setting yourself up for injuries.

Injuries? But running is healthy and helps me lose weight? Yes and no; only if it is the right program for that person (you). Unfortunately I have seen a large number of beginning runners with painful chronic injuries in their shins, achilles tendons, knees and hips, because of too much running too soon. If you want to avoid this, read on:

Working out with three times your body weight
Before you start running, ask yourself – and answer truthfully – do you weigh 3-5 pounds too much or is it closer to 20-30 pounds too much? This affects how much running your body will tolerate initially:
Every time you walk and put your foot to the ground, you are met by an equal and opposite amount of force applied by the ground on you body (foot); ground reaction force (impact).
During walking the impact corresponds to your body weight times 1-1½.
During running the impact is increased and is now 2-3 times your body weight – perhaps even more depending on the running technique. If your body weight is 150 pounds, the impact may be around 450 pounds!
The heart and muscles handles this fairly easily, while the bones, joints and tendons need time to get stronger for this.
Note, that impact is healthy, because it strengthens your bones – but in the right dose …

Running to Lose Weight Tip # 1 Short runs initially
Not used to running or working out? Start even more slowly, than you think necessary:
Very short runs, short total running time, for the first 2-3 months.
If you want more, add more walking and other exercise modalities.
Recreational exercisers should increase their running by a maximum of 2-5 % per week!

Running to Lose Weight Tip # 2 Short intervals
Interval running means ‘running in periods’, that is a ‘work period’, when you exert yourself and an active ‘rest period’, when you take it easy and restore you energy levels.
Start by running for very short intervals initially. Warm-up by walking 5-15 minutes. Run for 5, 10, 15, 20 or 30 seconds and then a rest-pause of 2-4 times that duration. Repeat.

Many, many beginning running programs recommend longer work periods than that, 2-3+ minute intervals. Do you feel lucky? Evidence point to the fact, that way too many ‘run-for-weightloss-runners’ suffer overuse injuries from that type of interval programs.

Note, a great many running programs out there are designed by young, male, slender, fit, eliterunners, who – in spite of ample physiological knowledge – may have some difficulty in understanding the special running needs of eg. a 50-year old overweight woman.
Therefore, when trying any running program – be inspirered, test it with caution and always listen to your body …

Running to Lose Weight Tip # 3 Long rest-pauses
Rest-pauses can be of short or long duration and this affects the result. After short work intervals the rest-pause duration normally is 2-4 times longer, than the ‘work’, the running.
Most importantly in running to lose weight, however, is to get going in the right way. Therefore your rest-pauses can be as long as you need to recover and get ready … not so long, though, that the rhythm and flow is lost!

Running to Lose Weight Tip # 4 Fewer repetitions initially
Interval running is fun and motivating, but hold back a little, when first starting out, so you do not wear yourself (and your tendons) out … Limit the total running time for the first couple of weeks, run no more than 2-3 minutes per run (if you are overweight).
1 repetition (or cycle) represents one work interval and one rest-interval. Three examples:

12 x 10 second run + 20-50 second rest-pause (or longer). Do a warm-up first.
8 x 15 second run + 30-45 second rest-pause.
4 x 30 second run + 1-2 minute rest-pause.

Running to Lose Weight Tip # 5 Run three times a week
Three days of running per week with a day off between running days is a good choice initially. If you want to exercise more, then add spinning, cycling, nordic walking, rowing, svimming and cardio (exercise using cardio machines at home or at the gym, eg. crosstrainer training) on your days with no running. These exercise modalities supplement running well and have lower impact forces.

Running to Lose Weight Tip # 6 Run and play
If you are not too keen on systems and time-keeping, then the method ‘fartlek’, which are irregular intervals, may be just the thing for you: Do little ‘sprints’, when you feel like it and have a rest-pause, until you are ready for a new sprint, eg. run to the lamp post and then walk to the next lamp post or the one after that. Or run downhill and walk uphill … or run uphill and walk down. And include some stair-walking or -running if possible.

Running to Lose Weight Tip # 7 Run and listen
For motivation enjoy the sounds of nature (and the smells) – be present in the ‘now’ – enjoy mindfulness.
You can also listen to music. Find the music, that motivates you the most, preferably in a relatively fast tempo suitable for running.

Running to Lose WeightTip # 8 Run and keep running
For running to result in weight loss … you have to keep running. If you think it is hard initially, then reduce tempo and time … the best way to experience the joy of running is to take it easy, when you are in the beginning phase and stay on the track:
Make running a habit: Make an appointment with yourself, eg. run monday, wednesday and friday. Keep your appointment, let nothing get in the way.
Make it easy. Have your running shoes and clothes ready, so they are right in front of you, when you get out of bed or return home from work or school.

Running to Lose Weight Tip Tip # 9 Run with a buddy
Some people like running on their own, others prefer to have a running partner. Whatever your preference, it is normally a wise move to team up with a running partner – at your own fitness level – so you have some company; even if you are not talking, it is motivating.
Join a running club. Or have a dog, friend or member of the family run together with you.

Running to Lose Weight Tip # 10 Run with success
Running is a lot easier and a lot more fun, when you:
1) Warm up; first walk slowly, then faster and faster, for 5-15 minutes, before running.
2) Breathe deeply and regularly, laboured breathing and sweating is fine, but you should not be so out of breath, that running feels stressful or painful (the warm-up helps in preventing this).
3) Run ‘light-footed’ (as light-footed you can) and straight forward without bouncing up and down. ‘Fall’ slightly forward with a full-body lean, from heel to neck, land with all of the foot – not just the heel – and move the arms dynamically.
4) Cool down; do not stop abruptly after running; continue walking for 5-10 minutes, so the heart rate drops to the pre-run level. Stopping too abruptly may make you dizzy.
5) Stretch as needed: A few short stretches relaxes the muscles and mind and reduce tension in tight calf, hamstring and hip muscles.

Follow the link below: A unique ‘running for weight loss’ program designed specifically for going from ‘heavy’ to light, while experiencing the joy of running and steady weightloss.

Real Running for Weight Loss Program

Enjoy.

fitness wellness world

happy health, fun fitness and peak performance – by Marina Aagaard, MFE