Regardless of what your fitness goal is, a running plan is an effective way of reaching your health & fitness goals. It’s one of the best ways of getting to the top of your shape. But you must follow the right running approach. Indeed, the amount of calories you shed during your single running session is determined by the number of miles you run. Because of that, most people develop the idea that an effective way of slimming down is running a lot. Which isn’t entirely true. Research suggests that the most effective tool for losing pounds is calorie restriction— which is achieved by eating less. While you are trying to lose weight you must consume 300-500 fewer calories a day than the body uses.

Running is a tough activity. The more you run, the more your body needs energy. You might start losing weight by consuming less but the calorie deficit will affect the energy that you require for maintaining a heavy running schedule. The solution to this is combining your calorie deficit with your training program that is specifically designed for keeping your metabolic fire running.

What you must Consider.

A lot of people start their running training, get amazing results in the start but then after a few weeks, they stop seeing any changes at all. That is because of the following reasons so make sure you avoid them. 

• Human bodies are adaptable; they constantly get adapted to the demands you place upon them for becoming more efficient. Beginners often lose a few pounds & then hit the weight-loss plateaus. Running a mile, in the beginning, will make you burn 100 calories; running the same distance after a few months will make you burn 80 calories. It’s like you are putting in the same effort—but the progress is disappointing.
• Cutting down on your diet will make you run off the muscle too, which will decrease the metabolism while making the weight loss process harder. And running is more of an endurance sport than strengthening, you will get to burn off more muscle than preserving it.
• Boosted appetite—running will make you hungrier. Running too much will make you fill the calorie gap that you have burned through simply by eating more.

In this article, we will describe an eight-week training plan that will get you on top of your shape. Before we get into that make sure you get your premium quality workout clothes.

1)  Week One

Being a beginner you must have a slow start with the walk-run approach. You should start with warmingup by taking a walk for a few minutes. It will help in loosening up the legs. Then go for a one-minute jog, followed by walking. Repeat ten times of ten minutes running & twenty minutes of walking. You must do this 3 times outside, on the treadmill, or the track in a week. You can add some low-impact activities like yoga, drop sets, swimming or pilates.

2)   Week Two

After warming up, start by running upto two minutes followed by one minute walk of a total of 30 minutes On the second run, for three minutes followed by 30 minutes walk. Finally, on the third run, run for four minutes & walk for two. You can adjust it depending on your needs. If 4 minutes is too hard, consider slowing down the pace, and add walking time to your training plan.

3)   Week Three

Week three has more added time. Running upto three minutes will seem pretty realistic at that point, it’s the time you should start pushing yourself a little longer. If you are unable to finish the allotted running minutes, you can slow down the pace a little. On your first day, you can run for three minutes followed by a 30 minutes walk. On your second run, you can add one more running minute followed by one min walking. For your week’s final run, run upto five minutes followed by a 30 minutes walk.

4)  Week Four

By that time your body will start getting used to running, so you must amp it up a little more. On your week’s first run, try running for 4 minutes followed by one minute walk. On your second run, try running for 6 minutes followed by one minute walk. For your week’s last run, put yourself through some challenges& aim for running upto eight minutes, followed by two walking minutes.

You can also add shorter segments and adjust depending upon your body’s needs.

5)  Week Five

By that time you will be over halfway mark! In a matter of a few weeks, you will be running for up to 30 minutes without any problem. For your first run, try jogging upto 5 minutes & rest upto 30 seconds & a minute alternatively between your running segments. The second run should involve a seven-minute running session & alternating walking for 30 seconds & a between runs.

For your final run of this week, put yourself through the challenge of running upto ten-minute. You must not go crazy and keep your heart rate in control at a conversational pace. You must follow this running interval by two minutes of walking. Then two runs for 5 mins with a minute break in between. Keep in mind that you must eat healthy throughout your training.

6)  Week Six

By this time it’s no longer the beginners’ plan. You will be running for four days a week. You can start the week with 7 minutes of running followed by 30 seconds of walking. You must do it twice, followed by a running session of 8 minutes with a 30-second break.

On your second workout day, run up to nine minutes with a minute break. Repeat it three times. Your third run would seem easier and you will be prepared finely for your 4th day. Then run four minutes with a 30-second walk break. Your final run must be of twelve running minutes with one minute break. Then, five minutes run with a minute break, and then again run for 12 minutes.

7)  Week Seven

Run for 10 minutes with a minute break three times. For the second workout, consider running for 12 minutes with a minute break three times. Then go for an easy day. It should be a five-minute run followed by a one-minute walk. You should be now preparing yourself for a 30-minute run for the last workout day of the week. It should be a session of 15 minute runs with a cool-down walk.

8)  Week Eight

By this stage, you will no longer be a beginner. Your running plan should comprise 30 minutes. You will already be in better shape by now.