Running Isn’t Always the Best Option
While running is a great exercise, it may not be the greatest choice in certain situations.
If you are in one of these situations, consider putting aside your jogging shoes. Learn how to spot these situations, and steer clear of running if you do.
Reason 1: It Can’t Counter A Bad Diet
Running is a great way to lose weight, but only when it is paired with a great diet. You can’t eat unhealthy and expect to drop kilos. If you are only running to counter an unhealthy eating habit, try a suitable healthy diet; then, even lighter exercise will do.
Reason 2: Running Isn’t Always Good For Weight Loss
When you go on a well-intended calorie deficit diet, you actually tend to lose muscle mass rather than fat. Cortisol, a hormone you secrete when running, tends to store fat and cannibalize muscle.
Reason 3: Testosterone Takes A Hit
Long daily training regimens can cause you to lose testosterone, and decrease the testosterone:cortisol ratio. When running, do not regularly overexert yourself: this is the result.
Reason 4: Hunger Is Likely
On traditional fat loss diets coupled with running programs, you are bound to get hungry. Hunger has laid waste to many such routines. If you tend to binge-eat when craving food, these routines are not for you!
Reason 5: The Niggling Risk Of Injury
37% to 56% of all non-competitive runners tend to get injuries. If that’s something that you don’t look forward to at all, maybe you should go for low-impact exercises like walking.
You’ll see that most of these are reasons to run carefully, not avoid running altogether. Exercise caution the next time you consider running, and you’ll do so without the nasty side effects just talked about.
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