Should overweight people run to lose weight?

The stress of running may make weight loss more difficult in some populations

This can be a sensitive topic, and I am merely speaking to anecdotal evidence. A discussion about what we do know about exercise, and how our bodies respond to an outside stimulus.

There are now many ads for running gear and lifestyle, including plus size models. I am not mocking or criticizing this market. This is a discussion about the most effective exercise routines to reach a particular goal.

Think about these scenarios, which I see all the time. Let’s suppose you are an overweight ( I argue this is a highly subjective measure, even the medical community will try to quantify this. The BMI is not always an accurate judgement of body weight) woman, married, at least one child, and trying to work. You don’t even need all these factors. Maybe you have long commutes in a city that eat up precious hours of your day.

So your time is extremely limited. This in itself is stressful. You’re super motivated and decide you are going to run during breaks in your day. Maybe you only have 30 minutes, so you think that running is an efficient use of your time, because in theory it should burn the most calories.

But sometimes the stress of life (not good) and the stress of running (better, but maybe not perceived as good by the body), join forces and increase energy storage (body fat) for future survival of future stress (exercise/life.)

I’ve seen this in the health and fitness industry many times. I’ve witnessed dramatic weight loss only a couple of times. Both cases involved people who walked many miles, instead of running. Which is also a problem, as we may not have enough time for walking that distance needed.

Ultimately it comes down to net caloric intake vs how much you use or burn. In order to lose body fat, you must consume less calories than you burn. It is extremely difficult to “count calories” and calculate true energy burn. There are too many factors; age, current body weight, height, gender, altitude, humidity, etc.

Not running, if you are overweight, might also be better for future joint health. We only have so much joint cartilage. If you do decide to run, proper warm ups are critical to success, and injury prevention. Stretching is not the same as warming the muscles for contraction, and does not prevent injury.

By the way, if were talking about genetic survival, skinny will be the first to go. If you accept that we were built for survival in nature, then retaining extra fuel for storage (body fat) would be beneficial. Genetically, I don’t retain extra cushion very well, and would be the first to starve. Now that we live in an age of excess food we don’t have to work for, this extra fuel becomes a problem.

We often view exercise as beneficial for the body, which many times it is. However our bodies feel joint compaction, such as running, as stressful. Our bodies respond to this stress by increasing metabolism and circulation to the affected areas. This circulation brings nutrients to repair and build back stronger, in preparation for the next outside stressor ( exercise or survival situation.) Swimming in a pool is not as stressful on the joints, and will not elicit the same response. Your will burn a certain amount of calories in both cases.

In the case of running, this can be perceived as relatively more stressful. In stressful situations our bodies release more cortisol, which will increase belly fat in order to deal with future stressors. You can also see this in heavy weightlifters. Many have large guts due to the heavy stress of weightlifting, and the testosterone/cortisol yo-yo.

So the question becomes, will you burn more calories than your body will store for future energy?

The industry of running gear and lifestyle will quickly dismiss this possibility. They are selling products. I am asking what might be the most effective way for heavier clients to lose body fat.

If you are overweight, swimming and biking may be better alternatives, so that extra stressors don’t retain extra body fat.

Sometimes you need to measure inches instead of body weight for progress. I have seen women lose inches of belly , hip or thigh fat, and not be losing pounds on the scale. Or the clothing is noticeably looser, with no loss on the scale. If your routine involves strengthening, you are going to be trading fat mass for muscle mass.

Of course, the only way to know for sure, is to experiment. If you are set on running, try it for 3 months and see if you make progress. Each person has different genetic capabilities. And this isn’t to say that you won’t ever be a runner. Maybe you need to get in shape for running. Again, proper warm ups for running is critical.