Does Running Get Rid of Love Handles and Reduce Belly Fat?

When someone wants to lose weight, the most common advice is eating less and increasing the time spent during a cardio workout. Running is the most popular form of cardio. However, is running a helpful method when doing weight loss when it comes to burning excess fat, including belly fat and love handles?

The answer is yes; it is useful to an extent. However, running is never going to be the direct (and sole) reason for you burning belly fat and love handles.

What Causes Love Handles?

A primary reason for love handles is calorie excess, which causes an increased amount of fat stored as energy. These results lead to an increased bodyweight percentage. Various factors contribute to energy excess, including genetics. Some people may be predisposed to store body fat levels from here.

Can Running Help Lose Belly Fat and to Lose love Handles?

Running has always been recognized as being an effective technique for removing unwanted belly fat (Love-handle) in the body. It has been widely recommended for many people to start running for 3-5 hours every night for best results reduce body fat[5]. Consult your medical provider for the best possible program to lose weight.

Is Running Better than other Cardio Exercises?

No. Running will aid in burning a few calories. These extra few calories can to an overall calorie deficit (for the day), which will cause you to burn some excess body fat.

Running can burn up to 839 calories per hour if you are running 10 minutes per mile.

Furthermore, by using a jump rope, you can burn up to 990 calories per hour if you’re jumping at a pace of 120 skips per minute. Also, sprinting burns 200 calories in only two and a half minutes.

This is why sprinting is deemed to be way more effective than simply running. So, as you can see, sprinting is better at burning more calories and getting rid of fat than simply running.

Running and Losing Weight – What to Know

For those wondering, running will make abdominal fat make you hungrier. Certain health professionals have shared that running should not be your go-to option to lose belly fat. This is because after running, you are likely to crave food and consume more calories than you got rid of.

There are biological factors that impact appetite after an exercise session. Feeling hungry gives some wrong signals to your brain and body. Feeling hungry might make you think you burned a lot of calories.

Running seems useful at first, but gradually the results fade away. During running, you will lose fat as well as muscle mass. A decrease in muscle mass will reduce the number of calories your body can burn.

Jeopardizing or scarifying the muscle content abdominal muscles is what we should not consider when our goal is to burn belly fat and love handles.

Running Burns More Calories Than Most Exercises

When reducing weight, you usually have to follow diets with fewer calories than usual. It means your body needs less calories. Running is a good exercise and can burn calories efficiently. Harvard University studies showed running burns calories more quickly and efficiently than ice hockey. Running uses several muscles simultaneously requiring more energy expenditure and requires more power. Take note here what exercise actually means for burning calories.

 

Running every day may also put your health at risk. Doing this particular cardio exercise a couple of days is acceptable. Keeping running within a limit won’t deplete your muscle mass. But doing it every day will create problems when it comes to building muscle and keeping your joints healthy.

Better Approaches to Consider!

Don’t get it wrong, though. Running does help with burning some additional calories, but there are better ways to reduce belly fat and reduce love handles too.

Change your diet to speed up the effects of consuming healthy foods has on reducing belly fat and love handles. You should commit to a lower calorie diet. Avoid soda, refined grains, saturated, and trans fats.

If you feel hungry in between meals, pick healthier options like fresh fruit, an ounce of nuts, or berries with yogurt. Choose lean proteins and fill up on fibrous, watery vegetables.

Furthermore, try to reduce stress levels. Stress can cause poor food choices, overeating, and the release of the hormone called cortisol. All of these things can make your body put on unnecessary fat in your belly and lead to love handles.

Think of activities such as yoga or laughing therapy, that will help keep your stress levels down.

Also, it is vital to get enough sleep (more than 5 hours, and less than 9 hours). Yes, having a proper sleep schedule can help with losing extra body weight too.

Commit to at least 250 minutes of intense exercise per week. Once you feel comfortable, go for two to three sessions of high-intensity interval training, and increase the duration as you see fit.

Moreover, do strength training like push-ups at least twice a week as it helps the body composition target all muscle groups and preserve the muscle mass.

You should keep in mind that running can be added to your fitness regime to lose a few extra calories, as long as you don’t overdo it.

 

Can Running Help Lose Belly Fat and Love Handles?

Running can indeed be an effective tool for losing overall body fat, including belly fat and love handles. However, it's important to understand its role in a comprehensive approach to fat loss:

1. Calorie expenditure: Running is a high-impact cardio exercise that burns a significant number of calories, contributing to a calorie deficit necessary for fat loss.

2. Metabolic boost: Regular running can increase your basal metabolic rate, helping you burn more calories even at rest.

3. Visceral fat reduction: Studies have shown that aerobic exercises like running are particularly effective at reducing visceral fat, the dangerous fat that surrounds organs in the abdominal cavity.

4. Hormonal benefits: Running can help regulate hormones like cortisol and insulin, which influence fat storage.

5. Improved insulin sensitivity: Regular running can enhance insulin sensitivity, potentially reducing fat storage around the midsection.

However, it's crucial to note:

• Spot reduction is a myth. You can't target fat loss from specific areas through exercise alone.

• Diet plays a crucial role in fat loss. Running should be combined with a balanced, calorie-controlled diet for optimal results.

• The recommendation of "3-5 hours every night" is excessive and potentially harmful. A more realistic and sustainable approach would be 30-60 minutes of running 3-5 times per week, gradually increasing intensity and duration as fitness improves.

Is Running Better than Other Cardio Exercises?

While running is an excellent form of cardio, its effectiveness compared to other exercises depends on various factors:

1. Calorie burn: High-intensity exercises like sprinting, jump rope, and burpees can burn more calories in less time compared to steady-state running.

2. Impact on joints: Running is high-impact and may not be suitable for everyone, especially those with joint issues. Low-impact alternatives like swimming or cycling might be preferable for some individuals.

3. Muscle engagement: Exercises like rowing or cross-country skiing engage more muscle groups than running, potentially leading to higher calorie burn and better overall fitness.

4. EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption): High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can lead to a higher EPOC effect, burning more calories post-exercise compared to steady-state running.

5. Variety and adherence: The best exercise is one you enjoy and can stick to consistently. For some, this might be running; for others, it could be dancing, cycling, or swimming.

6. Individual factors: Age, fitness level, health conditions, and personal preferences all play a role in determining the most effective cardio exercise for an individual.

In conclusion, while running is an excellent form of cardio that can contribute to fat loss, including in the love handle area, it's most effective when part of a comprehensive approach including a balanced diet, strength training, and overall lifestyle improvements. The best ever exercise regimen and routine is one that's sustainable, enjoyable, and tailored to individual needs and capabilities.

Wrapping It Up

“Does running reduce belly fat and love handles?”

Running is unnecessary when the goal is to shed a ton of fat. If you like running, it can help with improving your stamina and keeping a certain amount of fat from collecting in your upper body too.

If you hate running, the good news is you don’t have to go through it to reach your health goals.

If you concentrate on your healthy diet and weight training, your results would be faster and better than just focusing on only running daily.