Sure, running helps your live longer and all that crap.
But the real reason I want to start running?
I am a vain, vain girl. I was always able to eat whatever I wanted and stay thin, but, now that I’m an “adult,” my metabolism seems to have changed and I’m about 10 lbs heavier than I have been since I reached my full height.
What kind of results/changes in my body should I expect if I run, say, 2 miles every other day? Right now I’m 5’4", 130 lbs with about no muscle.
If you already have low body fat, you might notice some more muscle definition in your legs after a few weeks. If you are very sedentary, you might lose a few pounds, but 2 miles a day every couple of days isn’t a lot. I am 150lbs (female) and a two mile run for me burns about 300 calories, which is good, but not much.
You will probably feel a bit more hungary after running too, so watch what you eat or you’ll end up eating that calorie burn right away. I run a LOT (like, I ran 12 miles today) and I eat what I want and I’m not losing weight. My appetite matches the work I’ve been doing, in general.
ETA: I don’t want to discourage you though! Running is a great sport, and you reap many more benefits then just toned legs and a bit of weight loss!
Well, in my experience, I’m also a gal with a high metabolism. It hasn’t slowed yet, but I started running in college, for fun, about six years ago to try to prevent this down the line. I was actually on the overly thin side when I started, and now I have a bit more tone in places. Not hugely rippled, but I’ve noticed myself looking a bit fitter in the abs and legs. I also find myself feeling a lot perkier and more invigorated on days when I’ve run, and just having a pleasant nice feeling on days when I’ve had a bit of a run.
Oh, and um, in terms of…keeping things regular, running does sometimes help the bowels. Er, not that I actually needed that, but sometimes I find myself needing to go right after, so if you’re having constipation issues, couldn’t hurt.
Lastly, my period cramps got a bit better after.
So how fast should I be going here?
About 65-80% of your maximum heart rate.
Don’t bother with formulas, they’re not very accurate.
Have you run before? Are you athletic already?
Why not try a beginners running program like the Couch to 5K? If you haven’t run before and just head out for a run, you’ll probably max out after a few blocks. Running is pretty hard, it’s not easy to just ‘do’. Starting slow and building up will let your body get used to it, preventing injuries and ensuring you don’t get discouraged because you can’t just go out an bang off 2 miles.
And once you do get going, everyone runs at a different pace. I do 2 miles in about 18 minutes, my husband does it in about 14. A woman I run with at work takes about 24 minutes. Everyone is different, everyone runs at their own comfortable pace.
Athletic history? Well, I did track for a year in high school. I’m not athletic but I’m not completely sedentary. I go to college and I have to walk around a lot. My brother is practically a professional athlete if that counts for anything. He runs something like a 6 minutes mile and has abs like Matthew Mconaughey.
When I was really doing C25K, I lost a ton of weight - three dress sizes. Then I slacked off and plateued. Then I got a stress fracture and was in a cast. Then I had a hard time getting started and then injured myself again, so now I gained it back and a bit more. But when I get these orthotics, I tell you, I’m getting serious about it again.
The boyfriend started running a few months ago and has also seen body changes - he’s always going to be a barrel-chested guy, but he lost his paunch.
Good to know. My extra ten lbs sits squarely on my belly.
Surgery on my left peroneal tendon then on my right knee, after which my orthopedic surgeon told me to stop running.
I started running about two years ago, and I’m up to about 850 total miles. I honestly can’t say I’ve seen any change in my body, but then I eat like crap.
However, running elevates my mood. I’m always refreshed and satisfiedly tired after a run. When I stopped for a few months during the planning and execution of my wedding, my depression came back. Now I’ve started running again, it is better. Not gone, mind you, but better.
As for getting started, I started out race-walking, which can be just as aerobically taxing as running, but is much easier on the joints. When I got to the point that walking wasn’t raising my heart rate enough, I started adding light runs. Then that became all running. And in less than a year, I was able to run a half-marathon.
So I definitely encourage you to give it a try. But don’t go whole hog at once - you don’t need to impress anyone.
It’s helped me lose, and keep off for several years, 40 pounds. I look a lot fitter than I used to and had to pretty much ditch my entire wardrobe since I went from stuff like a 36 waist relaxed fit jean to a 32 regular, and my old L/XL size shirts would look like a tent on me, I wear a small or medium in an “athletic” or “trim” fit now.
Since I do more than run I don’t look like what people think of as the stereotypical runner (really thin), just a general healthy build. I’ve always had large legs but the muscle definition is much more noticeable now and while I don’t have washboard abs there’s certainly visible muscle there which is nice.
Running (which I do barefoot to avoid injury) doesn’t do much except make my calves nice and hard. Diet is what makes the difference for me, although my weight and body composition are more stable than the average.
I don’t run that much - I usually do a 5k twice a week, and take winters off. I prefer load-bearing exercise (weights, isometrics, yoga, pilates), which is the best thing if you want to build muscle and get toned.
It’ll also probably give you a killer ass. Running is all about the glutes (well, not all, but you get the idea). My wife appreciates my running because of what it does to my calves and ass.
Well, it’s different for men, remember. They lose weight like crazy and from different places.
Two miles every other day? I don’t think that really isn’t going to change your body. You’d be better off doing pilates and weight work.
I was up to about that last summer (I’ve dropped off) and didn’t really SEE much difference (except in my legs, if you are worried about your thighs, running might help.) I did change some fat to muscle, so I didn’t lose any weight, nor did I change sizes. I started at 135 lbs and ended the summer at 138.
I have a friend who is easily 200 lbs and runs 3 miles three times a week year round.
Yep - I suspect that my belly will be the last place to give up it’s weight - that and my side-moobs 
I’ll go with calves and glutes from running (10km twice a week). I also cycle, swim and go to the gym, so the running is in context, but the cycling builds up my quads and the swimming does my shoulder/deltoids/upper back. The British Triathlon site claims “Swimmers upper body, cyclists legs, and runners leanness”. I’m still waiting for the running to kick in, after 18 months - However, I just ran a 10km race in 50’30", 31 seconds over my hoped-for time. There will be another race to run.
Si
Wow… I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a list of self-contradictory statements all presented (apparently quite earnestly) as facts.
Max HR is genetically determined and is a fixed number that does not decline with age and cannot be increased by training, and cannot be predicted by any mathematic formula, and it does not vary from day to day.
But here is the most accurate formula we’ve come up with so far for estimating your Max HR: 210 minus 50% of your age minus 5% of your body weight (pounds) + 4 if male and 0 if female = Estimated Maximum heart rate.
Ugh, I don’t have patience for those formulas. Just go out and run and enjoy it! Pace yourself so that you’re neither gasping nor feeling like it’s too easy.
I’m 5’6", weigh about 150- I’ve been running three-four times a week regularly for over a year now (anywhere from 3.5-7m per run) and I haven’t lost any weight. My calves look hella different, though, and my whole body is leaner.
I’ve been running for a little over a year now, it’s helped me keep off the 30+ pounds I’ve lost over the past year (diet had a lot to do with that too, though.)
The biggest difference to my body right now is a painful case of runners knee that flared up after a 9 mile trail run yesterday.
I also noticed a big change in my psyche with running. If I don’t run for a couple days (which is where I’m at now with my knee) I’ll start to get real cranky-like. Any irritability usually dissipates almost immediately when I start running, though.
I’m also 5’4" and 130 pounds, all extra weight stuck directly on my belly. Haven’t noticed any reduction in that fat, although my legs are very muscular and toned.