Last Updated on April 9, 2021 by Andrew Blakey
Many people who decide to start jogging or running for weight loss, stick to their regimen for just a short period before eventually losing motivation and giving up. What if there was a way to make running exciting, and enjoyable, while still being able to get a good sweat going and burn those calories in order to help you lose weight. Today we’re going to talk about 5 different things you can do in order to make running for weight loss fun!
Weekly planner and goals list
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Start To Create Goals:
By creating goals, you’re no longer just aimlessly running with no end in sight. By having something to work towards, whether it be a certain distance/time/or pace you want to achieve, you begin to allow yourself to develop a competitive mindset. That’s the healthiest type of motivation there is, you trying to beat a record you set the day before! Also, make sure you write it down and put your goal in a place you’ll see every day. A good spot is on the back of your bedroom door, you literally HAVE to look at it before you leave your room in the morning.
Examples of good goals include:
° Run further than I did yesterday
° Run 5 km in a certain time
° Run a certain amount of minutes consecutively
2. Create Mini ‘Games’ While Running:
Although it may seem silly, you’d be surprised at how easy it is to make games while running. Including games into your workout can be an awesome way of making running for weight loss fun! I know what you must be thinking… “What the heck is he talking about?…. Games?” Two things may occur when you start to implement this idea. Firstly, you may find that the time goes by quicker, and secondly, when you feel like quitting, you may be able to motivate yourself to go that extra mile. Some games you can implement into your workouts include:
° Running to the tune of your music – a common thing I do while running is to run faster or sprint during the chorus and use the bridge of the song as a type of recovery.
° Set a marker in the distance – tell yourself that you only have to get to that marker, and then once you get there, set another one, and another. This can be a great way of breaking up a larger run, into manageable pieces.
Mynike App for running and weightloss
3. Create A Competition Between You And A Friend/Family Member Via Fitbit or Nike Run Club App:
Another thing that is great to keep things fun and exciting is by having a competition with a friend or family member. I’ve done this with a friend. Since my friend and I both own fitbits. there is a way that we can track exactly how far we’ve both gone/how many steps we’ve taken and see it online. This way we can tell exactly who is ahead of the other and by how much. This is great for finding motivation to go for a jog or walk when you’re not exactly feeling it. Another way you can do this if you don’t own fitbits, is through the Nike Run Club app. This app is great because it allows you to see exactly the route you took, which portions of your run were faster than other parts, as well as how many lifetime kms you’ve ran. It also has an in app ‘coach’ that can guide you through runs and walks. Lastly, as you can see in the photo, it also gives you a list of achievements you’ve completed which can help you with goal setting before a run or walk.
4. Pick A Route You Enjoy:
If you’re someone who enjoys jogging inside on a treadmill while watching sports, by all means stick to it! There’s nothing wrong with that, if you’re more likely to get that jog in if it’s in your own home, then do that! Just try to write down the distance you went and your time, so that you can see how you’re improving over time! If you’re someone who prefers to jog outside, then there’s two trains of thought.
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Picking the same route each time is great because you can compare times and see how you’re improving against yourself!
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The other option is picking a different route each time so that it changes things up and keeps it new and exciting. This is great for people who get bored easily. Having new scenery and places to go is a great way of overcoming boredom.
5. Acknowledge Your Success, and Reflect on Your Failures!
Girls succeeding during their workout
What does acknowledging your success mean? It means taking the time to realize when you’re doing things well, vs when you’re not. Just allow yourself a couple minutes a day to think about what things you’re doing well and what you’re doing to make this happen. This can help you when you’re lacking motivation or feel like things aren’t going right, as you can fall back on the things you were doing during your successes to help you get back on track! Reflecting on your failures is also important because it’s important to realize that not everything will go your way all the time. By seeing failure, and realizing what made failure occur whether it be something such as lack of sleep, or poor nutrition; you can put in place better actions to ensure failure forming routines, don’t become habit.
Running for weight loss can be fun, however, it can also be a pain in the behind if you’re not properly prepared for it (proper hydration, sleep, nutrition, footwear, etc). I hope you’re able to use these 5 suggestions to help make running for weight loss a lot more fun!
Written by: Andrew Blakey | Owner of Your Future Fitness.
