Does Running Help You Lose Weight In Legs

Jiggly thigh fat may be a threat to your self-confidence when you are trying to look good in revealing clothing. You have little to worry about from a well-being standpoint, because this fat is benign, but to tone your thighs and gain back your self-confidence, you must do some work. Running is a form of exercise that can yield a high return on investment, provided you do it properly. Consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise regimen.

Infomercials give you the false hope that you can lose weight in one area of your body by doing a particular exercise. Gadgets that work your abdominal muscles, for example, are commonly advertised to slim down your waistline with daily use. This theory, called spot reduction, is in fact a myth, the American Council on Exercise reports. If you want to lose weight in your thighs, you need to engage in cardiovascular exercise, which reduces weight throughout your entire body. Running is a form of cardio, so it is effective at melting thigh fat.

Any time you run, you burn calories and promote leaner thighs, but you need to be consistent to get the best results. To effectively lose weight, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity five days a week. If you run one or two days a week, take a week off, then repeat this yo-yo-like pattern, you will not burn much thigh fat. You can, however, break your daily 60 to 90 minutes into two or more sessions -- accumulated exercise is just as beneficial as a single, long episode.

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Running at a moderate pace burns calories efficiently, and it can get you to your goal of burning off thigh fat, but there is a way to increase your progress. Interval training is an exercise method that consists of intense bursts of effort alternated with lighter bouts. With running, alternate back and forth between sprinting and either light jogging or brisk walking. Interval training burns more calories than steady-state training. Interval training also causes you to burn more calories for several hours after you are finished working out.

The thighs are made up of large muscles -- the quadriceps on the front and the hamstrings on the back. Whenever you run, you build these muscles, which causes a spike in your resting metabolism. Although this is not the same effect you would get from doing squats or lunges, you still gain a slight bit of muscle, which can contribute to fat burning -- in your thighs and elsewhere -- while you are at rest. To increase the workload on your thighs, run up hills forward and backward.

Once you get accustomed to your running workouts, you should also review your diet. If you burn a massive amount of calories on the road then put them right back in your body by noshing on a pepperoni pizza, you will cancel out your progress. The best approach is to burn calories with running, reduce your calorie intake and choose nutritious, whole foods over processed varieties. Consult your doctor before making any dramatic dietary changes.is one of those questions always asked among runners. Running is taxing and intense, so people who are running for weight loss or looking to trim their bodies want to know if this is the right workout for them.

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Many runners get started for many reasons – what often begins as a desire to burn fat or build a healthy routine, ends up a competitive passion to keep running farther and farther.

With all this training and dedication, you’re wanting to know if running will give you the toned, shapely legs you’re hoping for.

While you most likely want toned legs for a strong and fit appearance, there are long-term health benefits of strong quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves (the main muscles involved in toned legs). 

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The hamstrings and glutes help to support your hips and core, which gives your body better posture and stability, reducing your risk of back pain and spinal injuries down the line.

When you run with proper form, you help to counteract the negative effects of sitting at a desk all day or standing with poor posture. Strong and stable leg muscles help you do just that.

‘Toning’ can be a general term, and could mean something different to every runner. So let’s look at what actually happens to the legs when they get toned and general guidelines for making it happen.

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Here’s a critical fact to be aware of: toning is not a one-and-done process. You start toning your legs from day one of your running training and continue toning them throughout your entire running career.

Dr. Rami Hashish, a body performance, biomechanics, and injury expert, points out that any old way of running will not necessarily result in toned legs.

“Running can be a very effective way to tone your legs, but it depends on how you run. For instance, if you take longer strides and heel strike, you’ll help target your shins and hamstrings. But, if you shift to forefoot strike running (landing on the balls of your feet), you’ll better target your calves and quad muscles.

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So ultimately, it comes down to what your goal is. If toning and balance is the name of the game, it may be wise to utilize different foot strike patterns and running methods to help target different muscle groups in your legs.

If you do intend to start running on the balls of your feet, you’ll want to prepare your calves for the additional demand that will be placed on them.

You might be thinking skipping is for children, but just wait until you add it to your run workout at the end. When you do it, make sure you land low and bounce high with an explosive movement. You’ll find it challenging and rewarding to your leg strength.

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HIIT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training – as the name suggests, it’s a form of exercise where you do short, hard bursts of activity, with rest intervals in-between.

The body needs variety in training sessions. When it has to adapt to different levels of movement and strength it comes to a position of adaptability, which makes the strength and endurance building process move along faster.

Sprinting helps you push your body to its maximum limit, in a different way than long-distance running can do. It will help you burn fat, increase your endurance (which speeds up your muscle metabolism), and lets you get in a good workout, even when you’re rushed for time.

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This is one of the best ways to build your leg strength fast. Not only that, but it will boost your cardio and fat burning. We recommend at least one day of hill sprints per week.

Regularly performing bodyweight exercises keeps your muscles strong and helps you perform other workouts (sprints, hills, etc.) more effectively. When you build these muscles as a base, you continue to support your metabolic system as well as an overall toned look.

If you really want to tone your legs and build large, noticeable muscles, adding weights to your squats and lunges is a great way to do that. Weights help create resistance and force your muscles to contract faster and with more effort, which in turn makes them much stronger.

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I don’t recommend adding weights to the box jump since you can easily slip and lose your balance, ending up with a serious injury. Stick to stable exercises where balance is not an issue.

Remember not to add too much weight too soon. It’s always better to start with less weight than you think you can handle, to master the form of the movements, then to slowly add more weight.

Muscle definition and the right diet go hand in hand. While you don’t have to stick to a hard and fast diet, there are some basic rules to follow when your goal is tone, visible muscles.

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Many distance runners assume they can eat whatever they want because of the hundreds (and often thousands) of calories burned during a run.

However, you need to create a calorie deficit if you want to burn fat and lose weight. Some people assume this means avoiding carbs, but that is unavoidable for runners. Runners need complex carbohydrates like beans and brown rice to fuel their runs with energy.

Eating complex carbohydrates provides your body with healthy benefits, rather than the empty, processed carbohydrates you would find in a donut or white bread.

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Fueling your muscles with protein gives them to nutrients they need to perform their job and get stronger. Be sure to eat lots of lean protein like chicken, turkey, and salmon.

Leafy greens are non-negotiable for runners, especially those looking to tone and lose weight. These vitamins will not only help your body perform better, but they will also fill you up with healthy options, instead of loading up on the wrong types of foods.

Mia Kercher is a hiker, cyclist, and runner. After finishing her first marathon in 2013, she continued the sport but found a new passion in trail running. She now explores the glorious mountains in Portland, Oregon.

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