7 Day Kickstart Plan To Start Running For Weight Loss

Running is a low-equipment workout that torches calories fast.

Image Credit: MilosStankovic/E+/GettyImages Got a weight-loss goal in mind? Exercise is a key component to getting leaner and fitter, and running is one of the best options out there. That’s because running torches lots of calories fast — around 100 per mile, explains certified personal trainer and running coach Julie Erickson.

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 All forms of aerobic exercise burn calories and improve your endurance, but since running is so efficient, it's a good way to get the maximum payback from your workout when you don't have a ton of time.

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Plus you can do it anytime, anywhere, with little more equipment than some comfortable clothes and a pair of sneakers. And despite what you might think, running can even work for newbie exercisers. “You can start with intervals of walking and running, with longer intervals of walking in the beginning,” Erickson says.

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 That's where this 7-day workout, designed by Erickson, comes in. Made with beginners looking to jump-start their weight loss in mind, it's a customizable plan that can help ease you into running while burning plenty of calories — maybe even enough to lose a pound in the first week. "You'll feel different after a week, look different after 3 weeks and have a whole new body after 6 weeks," Erickson says.

Ready to get started? Grab your sneakers and let’s go.

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 The Plan: 7 Running-Focused Workouts for Weight Loss

Erickson’s plan starts off with 20 minutes of running/walking intervals, helping you burn plenty of calories while easing into running. After that, you’ll alternate in between run/walk days and non-running days aimed at strengthening the muscles your body uses for running, which will also help with endurance. The plan also includes one active rest day focused on stretching. Since running is vigorous and high-impact, setting aside dedicated time to rest or do easier, non-running activities gives your body a chance to recover — so you’re energized for your next run. After the kickstart week, Erickson recommends running for 3 or 4 days each week, using the other days for cross-training activities like stretching, strength training or even brisk walking.

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 Related Reading Everything You Need to Know to Start Running

Day 1: 20-Minute Run/Walk Do this workout on level ground, like a flat neighborhood road, a track or a treadmill.

0:00 to 5:00 minutes: Warm up with brisk walking. 5:00 to 5:30 minutes: Jog lightly. 5:30 to 7:00 minutes: Walk briskly. 7:00 to 7:30: Jog lightly. 7:30 to 9:00: Walk briskly. 9:00 to 9:30: Jog lightly. 9:30 to 11:00: Walk briskly. 11:00 to 12:00: Jog lightly. 12:00 to 14:00: Walk briskly. 14:00 to 15:00: Jog lightly. 15:00 to 17:00: Walk briskly. 17:00 to 19:00: Jog lightly. 19:00 to 20:00: Walk briskly.

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 Day 2: Active Rest Day With Stretching

Do 30 minutes of runner-focused yoga, concentrating on poses like hip openers, chest openers and full front-line body openers. Start Here A 20-Minute At-Home Stretching Workout to Reinvigorate Tired and Stiff Muscles The Perfect 20-Minute Yoga Flow for Tight Hips A 20-Minute Total-Body Stretching Sequence to Take Your Flexibility to the Next Level

Day 3: 30-Minute Run/Walk With Hills Do this workout on small or rolling hills, either outside or on a treadmill.

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0:00 to 5:00: Walk briskly. 5:00 to 10:00: Walk as fast as you can. 10:00 to 12:00: Run at an easy pace. 12:00 to 15:00: Walk as fast as you can. 15:00 to 17:00: Run at an easy pace. 17:00 to 20:00: Walk as fast as you can. 20:00 to 22:00: Run at an easy pace. 22:00 to 25:00: Walk as fast as you can. 25:00 to 30:00: Walk at an easy pace to cool down.

Day 4: Core Strength Workout Do 30 minutes of strength-training activities, focusing on core muscles that support running like abs, glutes and upper back.

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 Try These Workouts

This 15-Minute Core Workout Will Make You a More Powerful Runner A 20-Minute Resistance Band Workout for a Tighter Core A 20-Minute Ab-Igniting AMRAP Workout You Can Do at Home

Day 5: 30-Minutes Run/Walk With Hills Do this workout on small or rolling hills, either outside or on a treadmill.

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 Day 6: Leg Strength-Training Workout

Do 30 minutes of leg strength-training activities, focusing on the glutes, hamstrings, quads and calves. Start Here Sculpt Leaner Legs at Home With This 20-Minute HIIT Cardio Workout All You Need Is a Resistance Band to Get Your Legs Burning With This 20-Minute Workout Here’s Exactly What to Do on Leg Day

Day 7: 20-Minute Run/Walk Do this workout on level ground, like a flat neighborhood road, a track or a treadmill.

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Up the Ante

Over time, you can shorten the walk intervals — eventually, you'll be running for the full workout.

Image Credit: freemixer/iStock/GettyImages Gradually making your workouts more intense will keep your body challenged so you keep on torching lots of calories — and improve your endurance so you can run longer and harder. The simplest way to make it happen? Every few days, make your walking intervals a little shorter — say, by 30 seconds, Erickson suggests. Once you’re up to running for the entire workout, you can use the old walking intervals as times to run at a slower pace, and the running intervals as times to run faster. “Most folks running a couple times a week can get to a 5K-length run in 8 to 10 weeks,” she says. Other ways to make your workout harder: Add in some steeper hills, or work resistance exercises into your run. You could pause for a strength-training circuit halfway through your run, for instance. Related Reading What Really Happens to Your Body When You Run a 5K Every Day Remember to Eat Right, Too Exercise can support your weight-loss efforts, but even running won’t help you get leaner unless you also make an effort to eat better. “Diet is 90 percent of weight loss. You can’t out-exercise a bad diet,” Erickson says. Ultimately, you need to burn 3,500 calories to lose a pound of fat. You’ll want to eat around 500 fewer calories per day to lose that pound in a week, per the Mayo Clinic. You can make that happen by:

Saving high-calorie treats for splurges. You don’t have to give up cookies or ice cream altogether. Just save the snacks for once or twice a week instead of every day, and limit yourself to a single delicious serving. Cutting your portion sizes. Use smaller bowls and plates and stick with just one helping at mealtime. Picking more low-cal foods. Fill half your plate with lower-calorie foods that are still satisfying, like fruits and vegetables. And find other ways to trim the calories from meals and snacks like making an omelet with veggies instead of cheese or using mustard on a sandwich instead of mayo. Little changes like these can really add up.

Related Reading 5 Easy Ways to Cut 500 Calories From Your Daily Diet

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  references
  
      Mayo Clinic: "Counting Calories: Get Back to Weight-Loss Basics"
       




  references
  
      Mayo Clinic: "Counting Calories: Get Back to Weight-Loss Basics"
    




Running is a low-equipment workout that torches calories fast.

Image Credit: MilosStankovic/E+/GettyImages

Curious exactly how many calories you burn during your workouts? Download the MyPlate app for a more accurate and customized estimate.

Everything You Need to Know to Start Running

A 20-Minute At-Home Stretching Workout to Reinvigorate Tired and Stiff Muscles The Perfect 20-Minute Yoga Flow for Tight Hips A 20-Minute Total-Body Stretching Sequence to Take Your Flexibility to the Next Level

This 15-Minute Core Workout Will Make You a More Powerful Runner A 20-Minute Resistance Band Workout for a Tighter Core A 20-Minute Ab-Igniting AMRAP Workout You Can Do at Home

Sculpt Leaner Legs at Home With This 20-Minute HIIT Cardio Workout All You Need Is a Resistance Band to Get Your Legs Burning With This 20-Minute Workout Here’s Exactly What to Do on Leg Day

Over time, you can shorten the walk intervals — eventually, you'll be running for the full workout.

Image Credit: freemixer/iStock/GettyImages

What Really Happens to Your Body When You Run a 5K Every Day

5 Easy Ways to Cut 500 Calories From Your Daily Diet

      Mayo Clinic: "Counting Calories: Get Back to Weight-Loss Basics"