“I always loved running…it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs.” Jesse Owens

There are so many benefits to choosing running as your #1″ exercise choice and it’s hard to narrow the advantages down to purely physical. It is true that studies have shown that running is among the best aerobic exercises for the physical conditioning of your heart and lungs. It also helps to ensure the efficient flow of blood and oxygen throughout the body, and helps you improve your fitness and stamina. But I don’t choose running twice a week religiously for any of those reasons. I consider running to be my “therapy”. I arrive at the destination where I take my “me time”, and I am as tense as a cat in a dog pound. I don’t even see anybody there until I am through about two and a half miles. I can slowly feel myself coming into a heightened sense of awareness, I am ‘out of my head’ into my focus of each step and the breathing, that by the time I hit the end of the fourth mile, I am alive again. The person who arrived is not the same person who leaves, the metamorphosis… overtly obvious.

Running, like other types of exercise is a great stress-reliever and may even relieve mild depression. Many runners enjoy reaching the “runner’s high” – that euphoric, clear, and calm state they feel after a long run. Research shows that healthy adults who exercise regularly are generally happier than those who don’t. As a result, after a good run, you’ll likely feel more energetic and creative.

Weight loss is one of the biggest reasons why people start running

According to the local Jamdammers Running Club of Kingston, most of its members started running in order to win the battle of the bulge. Whether they are obese or just want to lose that last five pounds, or even if they just want to stay at the weight they are at, approximately 60 per cent of runners start running to manage their weight. Running is one of the top activities for burning fat. In fact, with the exception of cross-country skiing, running burns more calories per minute than any other form of cardiovascular exercise. Running burns about 100 calories per mile for a 150-pound person. Because running also builds muscle mass, your resting metabolism will increase, which means that you’ll burn more calories at rest. If you combine running with a healthy diet, you’ll definitely notice a difference in the way you look and feel.

Tips for runners who want to lose weight – how to literally “run” off the pounds

Don’t Skip Meals

You’re not going to lose weight any faster if you miss meals. In fact, it will just make you hungrier, which increases your temptation to eat everything in sight. You also won’t burn as many calories during your runs as you would if you were properly fuelled.

Make the Distance – Run Several Times a Week

Run 25 to 30 miles a week. Individuals who successfully lose weight and keep it off burn about 2,800 calories a week through planned distance running. Don’t worry about your pace or the intensity of your run, just getting the miles in will burn the calories.

Be Patient

We’re all looking for a quick fix when it comes to weight loss, but don’t expect to get it from running. A healthy weight loss rate is one to two pounds a week, so don’t anticipate losing more than that. Set a reasonable goal for weight loss, like five pounds in five weeks.

Strength-Train

Not only will you burn calories while you’re strength-training, but your increased lean muscle mass will improve your running performance, so you’ll be able to run faster and longer, and burn more calories when running. Strength-training also helps prevent running injuries, so you’ll be able to maintain your commitment to running by staying injury-free.

Spread Out Your Calories

It’s better to eat several small meals and snacks throughout the day than to eat a huge breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You’ll reduce your temptation to binge and you’ll also gain more flexibility in scheduling your runs because you won’t have to wait until you digest big meals.

Track Your Foods

Write down everything you eat and drink for at least a few days. You may be shocked at how many calories you’re taking in, but it will help you identify areas for improvement and you can also see what kind of effect certain foods have on your performance.

Watch How You Eat

Try eating more slowly and stop eating when you feel comfortable, not stuffed. You’ll be surprised at how much more you enjoy your food!

Get A Boost

If you are interested in becoming a runner, you can begin by walking, and slowly build your training pace. I recommend that when trying to improve your training pace, you do so alone. Walking briskly with a partner almost always ends up in chatting and a distraction from the goal time and speed. Additionally, your breathing is your best natural indicator of your heart rate. If you are not in tune to your breathing, then you will not be aware of how hard you are working. If you become engrossed in a topic, it is only natural for you to want to slow down to be able to make your point. You may not even be aware that you are not pushing yourself to your fullest potential. Your best weapons when aiming to push yourself at your running pace are your watch and monitoring your breath. Me, I never leave home without my IPod, because a little Madonna will always get you moving too.

Of course, the distance of the course that you are running should also be set before you begin your training. So be sure to stick to the same route when you are developing your pace-work, so as to keep a structure and avoid frustration.

Join A Club

The Jamdammers website www.jamdammers.com has some super resources for planning your routes, with links showing the starting point of various different runs in Kingston and the approximate length in miles. Each route has a plug-in of Google Maps to assist you in reviewing the route beforehand. They also have a variety of events which take place all throughout the year, all around the island, in which all persons can register and participate. Being an established running club in Kingston, they offer reasonable yearly membership packages, which guarantee you a running group, a regular solid planned route and support for your running or walking goals. The website is full of a whole host of information that you can use from “baptism to burial” in marathon-running vernacular, with detailed training programmes beginning from walking, through to 5k, 10k into marathon distance training. The club fosters a true team spirit, offering the race-result times of its members, and a photo gallery from past events which highlight good fun and hard work together with the rewards, awards… and celebrations. They even host an annual “bashment” session, which is also a definite perk in my books. Joining a club is a great way to put yourself into a structure to making running a fixed part of your physical and mental health regime.