Why do you get fatter the more you run? I can't believe I did something wrong here.

The correct running posture and method can indeed help you lose weight, but some people who fail to lose weight through exercise will say, why do I get fatter the more I run? It seems that running can’t help you lose weight. In fact, the failure of many people who exercise to lose weight is often related to their wrong ideas and practices. Be careful of the misunderstandings about running to lose weight. If you use the wrong method, you will get fatter the more you run.

Barefoot running is healthier than running with shoes

A new study announced at the 2011 Australasia Podiatry Congress in Melbourne found that running barefoot may have better health benefits than running in shoes.

Dr. Erin Davis of Harvard University in the United States has been conducting research on barefoot running and running with as few shoes and socks as possible. The latter refers to a thin-soled sports shoe that simulates bare feet. It looks like a glove, with naturally separated toes, but the sole is thinner. This type of shoe allows for maximum natural movement of the foot.

Dr. Davis analyzed that once the shoes are taken off and the artificial shock-absorbing insoles are eliminated, the tendons and muscles of the feet, ankles, calves and thighs begin to take their positions and complete their "mission" of running. Some runners find it very painful when they first start running barefoot because they are not used to using these muscles to control the foot and absorb shock, so each step is very tense.

Dr. Davis said that running in shoes and wearing advanced running shoes with greater motion control and shock absorption will cause the degeneration of the "natural running function" of the human foot. New research also found that barefoot running can help people with flat feet strengthen and improve arch function.

4 common misunderstandings about running to lose weight

Myth 1: You can lose weight by exercising more

Although exercise can consume calories in the human body, the effect of weight loss by exercise alone is not obvious. Studies have shown that even if you play tennis for several hours a day, your hard-earned weight loss results will be wiped out as long as you drink one or two more cans of sweet drinks or eat a few more Western-style cakes. Therefore, in order to achieve lasting weight loss results, in addition to exercise, you should also regulate your diet reasonably.

Myth 2: Exercising on an empty stomach is harmful to your health

People are always worried that exercising on an empty stomach will cause hypoglycemia reactions such as dizziness, fatigue, and palpitations due to the massive consumption of glycogen stored in the body, which is not good for health. However, Dr. Duipa of the Dallas Bodybuilding Center in the United States believes that moderate exercise 1-2 hours before meals (i.e. on an empty stomach), such as walking, dancing, jogging, cycling, etc., can help lose weight. This is because no new fatty acids enter the fat cells in the body at this time, making it easier to consume excess fat (especially postpartum fat), and the weight loss effect is better than exercising after meals. In addition, because the amount of exercise is appropriate, the heat energy consumption is less, and the energy stored in the body is sufficient for use and will not affect health.

Myth 3: You can lose weight by jogging for 30 minutes every day

Although 30 minutes of jogging can achieve the purpose of aerobic exercise, its effect on weight loss is very limited. Practice has shown that only when the exercise lasts more than about 40 minutes can the fat in the human body be mobilized to provide energy together with glycogen. As the exercise time increases, the proportion of fat energy supply can reach 85% of the total consumption. It can be seen that fat consumption is not obvious regardless of the intensity of exercise for less than about 40 minutes.

Myth 4: The greater the intensity of exercise, the more intense the exercise, the better the weight loss effect

Only long-lasting, low-intensity aerobic exercise can consume excess fat. This is because during low-intensity exercise, muscles mainly use oxidized fatty acids to obtain energy, so fat is consumed quickly. As exercise intensity increases, the proportion of fat consumed is only 15%. Therefore, easy and slow, long-term low-intensity exercise or long-term exercise with a heart rate maintained at 100-124 beats/minute is most conducive to weight loss.