Lose weight with running – beginner, 12 weeks

Two full-body sessions and two walk/run days a week for twelve weeks – the running starts with 30 seconds of jogging and ends with eight minutes straight – plus a 45-minute power walk every day that is not a run day. For you who want to lose weight and start running without getting hurt.

Why running

Jogging burns roughly twice the energy per minute of brisk walking – 30 minutes of jogging is about an hour of power walking. But nobody should start by running: walk/run intervals let joints, tendons and heart catch up, and after a few weeks you run further than you thought. The progression is the same as in the Run 5 km program.

Why strength stays

In an energy deficit the body readily loses muscle along with fat. Two to four strength sessions a week tell the body the muscles are needed, so what disappears is fat. More muscle also raises resting energy use and makes the run days easier.

A power walk every day

Every day that is not a run day has a 45-minute power walk, gym days included – ideally in the morning or as the commute. Brisk pace, arms swinging, so you get warm but can still talk. The walks make the big difference on the scale: 45 brisk minutes is 250–350 kcal a day, over 2,000 kcal a week, without wearing the body down or stealing energy from the sessions. Slower if the legs are tired.

Diet decides

Training builds fitness and keeps muscle, but weight is set by how much you eat. A moderate deficit of 300–500 kcal per day gives about half a kilo a week without hurting the training. Weigh yourself once a week, same day and time, and watch the trend – not the daily number. Under Food there is a calorie calculator.

If your knees complain

Sore knees or shins in the first weeks mean you progressed too fast. Go back one step in the intervals and stay there for a week. Run on soft ground if you can, and replace shoes with more than 800 km on them.

The program is general training. If you have heart or joint problems, or are very overweight: talk to a healthcare professional before you start running.