Focused Fitness: Running

While running is great exercise, it isn't for everyone and if you give it a go and simply don't enjoy it then you'd be better off sticking with a form of exercise you do enjoy, even if it's not as fast a way to lose weight in theory.

How to lose weight through running
It's quite easy to burn calories through running, and you may be tempted to fit in short and high-intensity runs to do the same work in less time and burn calories quickly. However, in order to burn fat you need to be exercising at the right intensity: Run at high intensity and your body will source energy from the fastest method, from carbohydrates. So if you pound the ground for ten minutes and end up breathless and exhausted you'll have got some exercise, but it won't be much good for burning up those excess pounds. And if you reward yourself for the intense session with a few treats afterwards you may even stat to put on fat.

To burn fat you want to run at a lower intensity but for a decent chunk of time. It may take a little while for you to settle into a good, fat-burning pace, but what you want to aim for is a pace that you can sustain comfortably for 30-40 minutes - and keep running for that length of time. If you haven't run for a long time then the idea of running for that long might seem out of reach, but just try running at a pace you can sustain for that amount of time, even if the pace is actually slower than a brisk walk. Over time you can gradually pick up the pace. Another option is t slow down or walk whenever you feel tired. This might work for some people, but it may also make it harder for you to find your fat-burning pace and you might find the stop-start of running to walking takes quite a bit of mental effort in comparison to running at a slower pace. If you're a total beginner then check out our tips below.

Don't expect the weight to necessarily fall off straight away with your regular running sessions. As you get fitter you'll be putting on muscle, which weighs more than fat, so you may not see the needle on the scale come down much. Concentrate more on how you feel and how well you fit into your clothes. If you're eating healthily the weight loss will follow eventually.

Motivation is key
You're not going to do yourself much good if you go for the occasional burn through the park, keeping up the regular runs as part of your weekly exercise is the way to drop the weight. And to keep up the regularity you really need to stay motivated, so here are a few tips for doing just that.

• Set yourself a goal and break it down - You may find it helps to set yourself an overall goal to reach, and not to tie this to the reading on the scales. For example, you might want to build up to being able to comfortably run for forty or fifty minutes, or to run a certain number of kilometres. Committing yourself to a fun run, say a 5k or 10k, is a good idea as an attainable target for most people within a few months. Once you have your aim break it down to a week-by-week programme of how you're going to get there. Making your individual steps small and realistic and celebrate each one you complete.

• Run somewhere pleasant - Not everyone has a great choice about where they run, but if you can run somewhere largely traffic-free, green, with pleasant scenery and on a surface that's kind to your feet (softer, even ground rather than uneven ground or tarmac) then you'll be more inclined to go for your runs and the time spent running will pass more quickly and a lot more pleasantly.

• Break down your route into mental sections - Halves, thirds, quarters, back stretch, homestretch etc. However you decide to break your route down focus on completing the next section, rather than thinking about how far away the end is.

Taking baby with you
If you want a buggy that you can go running or jogging with, and you're not pounding the pavement at more-or-less walking pace, then you can forget all those three-wheelers with 6-inch front wheels. To soak up the speedier jolts of running you ideally need a buggy with at least 16-inch wheels. For the more sedate paces you can get away with 12-inch chunky wheels, but if you're serious about running or jogging then your baby should really have the comfort of the bigger wheels. For most runners 16-inch wheels will do the job well. If you're a very serious - fast or long-distance - runner then 20-inch wheels are recommended.

Until recently running buggies were quite inflexible and very cumbersome to carry and store due to the big wheels, nowadays they're more likely to have smart folding sytems, suspension, adjustable seat positions and even have the ability to take a car seat or carrycot for the early months. Big names in the field include Babyjogger, who now offer everything from a serious runner's buggy to a more recreational running buggy and now even a city stroller (not for running). Their Q series comes in 3 different wheel sizes and with a very nifty one-hand quick-fold. The inclusion of a shopping basket makes the Q series a realisitic option for doubling up about-town but with the usual maneouvrability drawbacks of most proper running buggies, long length, fixed wheels, and of course, wheel size.

Total beginner?

• Build up slowly - If you're completely new to running then you'll probably need to take baby steps to start off with. Start slow and build up gradually, aiming to do 3 runs per week if at all possible. At first you might want to try running in intervals, running for one or two minutes and then walking briskly for half that amount of time, so that you run for a total of ten minutes per session for the first week. Gradually increase the running time week by week so you run a few minutes more each week, and lengthen the running time between walking minutes, so you have fewer and fewer walking 'breaks'. Build up to running two fifteen to twenty minute sections with a minute's walk in-between and then finally drop that break. Your aim is to run non-stop for 30 - 40 minutes.

• Rest and recuperate - When you're just starting out it's a good idea to give yourself a break between days when you run, rather than running on consecutive days. You'll be testing your muscles and you need to give them chance to recuperate.

• Wear the right shoes - Besides a good sports bra that you'll need for most forms of exercise, running shoes are really going to be your only significant outlay when you take up running (unless you invest in a jogger to take your baby on runs with you). When you first start out and you're not running very far then you'll be fine in whatever old trainers you have kicking around. However, once you've decided that you are going to stick with it, and if you plan to run regularly then it's important to invest in proper running shoes that give you the right support. The best place to go is a specialist running shop where they will look at your feet and your running style, seeing where and how your feet strike the ground, and fit you with the most appropriate running shoes. It's usually more expensive than going to a big discount sports store but paying for the specialist knowledge will later be worth it when you're not struggling with painful feet and blisters.

• Don't push through the pain - Of course running takes effort and your sessions should be challenging, but they shouldn't be painful. If you are in pain because of blisters then pushing through the pain is likely to lead you to not being able to run again comfortable for at least a week. And if you push through muscle pain you may injure yourself and end up not being able to run until you're fit again.

For a great source of advice, motivation and running programmes take a look at Runnersworld.co.uk.