This article was last updated on September 5, 2017
There are lots of ways to lose weight, and everywhere you turn, someone is trying to sell you a new one. Fortunately, the best way to lose weight is free and involves no extra materials. Here are seven reasons why you should run to lose weight.
Seven Reasons Running for Weight Loss Is Your Safest Bet
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Running Can Be Done Anywhere
One of the biggest draws of running for weight loss is that you can run wherever you are. Unlike most workouts where you need special equipment, running works wherever you are. All you need is enough open space, which is easy to find. You run at any time of day. Although it is generally best to run in the morning since that will jump start your productivity.
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Running is fun
Since you can run anywhere, running offers more variety than any other form of exercise as well. You can run through backwoods trails, on indoor tracks, or around a new city you’ve never been in before. This variety makes it much easier to stay motivated to run, since you can easily change up your route. Also, there is the well-known “runner’s high,” caused when the body releases endorphins toward the end of your run. This high is a great way to motivate yourself and makes running for weight loss much more fun.
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Running with friends
Another great reason to run for weight loss is that you can run with friends. It’s much easier to believe in yourself when you have someone there running alongside you. Having a friend who is counting on you makes it much easier to be motivated to keep going on mornings when you would otherwise give up.
You won’t want to let your friend down, so you’ll be more likely to get up and actually go run in the morning. With a friend running beside you, it is much easier to push hard for that last mile. Even when you don’t really think you have any strength left. The work and dedication will bring you closer together. Meanwhile, the extra motivation will make the weight loss come that much more easily and quickly.
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Running is easy
We all learned to run at an early age. Certainly, there are various things that you’ll want to know about form and such to optimize your workout, but, for the most part, you’re not going to have to be taught how to run. You can also run for varying lengths of time, so if you’re honestly not up for your full run, you can instead run for even just ten to fifteen minutes. It’s easy to modify your run to fit what is best for you.
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Running is free
One of the most important lessons learned in life is that nothing worthwhile is free. But while running does take effort on your part, it doesn’t actually cost you anything to start running. You almost certainly already have a pair of shoes that will work just fine. You already have clothes you can wear, and sidewalks and trails are abundant.
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Running is safe
For the most part, running is a safe way to exercise. As long as you wear bright clothing and are careful where you run, you’re unlikely to have any issues. Especially compared to weight lifting, where you have to be concerned about the proper form, or cycling, where you’re sharing the road with vehicles. You do need to be careful about running on concrete and asphalt due to the possibility of stress-related injuries. You should talk to your doctor to be sure that your heart and joints are in good shape to handle the strain.
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Running works
Most importantly, you should run for weight loss because it works. If you run for half an hour five to seven days a week, you’ll quickly begin seeing results. Even better, you’ll be able to track your progress in both the distance you travel and the amount of time it takes, not just in your weight loss.
Like any form of exercise, you can hit a plateau, but there are so many different ways and places you can run that it is easy to vary your workout enough to overcome the plateau and continue to see the results you want. Running for weight loss is your safest bet, because it is one of the easiest forms of exercise to motivate yourself to do. It’s easy, you can do it anywhere, and you can run with friends. On top of all that, it simply works.
