I am going to be honest, I used to run all the time.When I first started to exercise regularly and develop a healthier lifestyle, I turned to running to help me do it for my main workout program. But the only problem was that even though I enjoyed running I wasn’t getting any big changes in my body.
Don’t get me wrong, if you’re looking just for a cardio workout then of course running is a great option. You will improve your lungs and keep your heart healthy (don’t forget heart disease is the number one killer), and you will burn calories the whole way. Cardio yes! But body transforming no! You won’t tone up it’s definitely not a fat burning workout when it comes to running alone.
Just read the three reasons why you shouldn’t run… .
Running burns more than just calories, it also breaks down lean muscle. I’m going out on a limb to say you want to keep your muscle! If you’re losing muscle then that means you are keeping body fat. Muscle is very metabolically active (it takes calories to keep it happy), if have less muscle that means you have a slower metabolism. Fat will likely creep on unexpectedly.
Secondly, running kills your joints. Running is at the top for the reason for many sport induced injuries. The most common problems are sprains, tendon issues, knee problems, etc. With each step you run, the pressure you put on your legs and joints builds up. After just a mile, you have places thousands of pounds of pressure on your legs. This happened to me from my past running history: back pain, shin splints, and stress fractures.
And third… here is one more reason you might want to change your exercise routines, and it has to do with burning calories. Yes you can burn a heck of a lot of calories during a run, but once you’re done the calorie burn is done as well. And remember, those calories aren’t all fat calories! Not all workouts are like this, weight training for example will burn less immediate calories for the same time, but your metabolism will be revved up for hours, if not days post workout so you’re burning more body fat and calories.
What are good options to do in place of running? Circuits are a great form of cardio, interval sprinting is a great option (plus you get to still run), and general weight training is great for transforming your body.