I've never been a big fan of running. I've tried running on my own, getting up to 10 miles at once, but I could just never develop that inner yearning to run. Maybe it's because I never got the results I wanted or because I have friends who can either a) Run faster than me b) Run much longer distances than me and act like it's nothing. I believe running is great form of cardiovascular exercise and should be incorporated into most training programs. I bring up running because I've been talking with a lot of people lately about their expectations from running and how to run and there seems to be a lot of misconceptions out there. While it is awesome that people run for health, I feel individuals should understand what they will gain from jogging all those laps around the park and hopefully they will stay active longer because they will not expect results they shouldn't.
Misconception 1: Running will help me get lean.
Reality: Running will help you in weight loss, but not necessarily fat loss. Running is great at burning calories while you are running but it doesn't help you once you stop. In contrast, high-intensity sprinting burns tons of calories during exercise and elevates your metabolism a day or two afterwards while you recover. Simply put, running alone want help you get that lean six pack you've always wanted.
Misconception 2: Running slow (in the fat burning zone) will help me burn fat.
Reality: This one is true, but not why you want it to be. Running in the fat burning zone (60 percent of your max heart rate) does burn intra-muscular triglycerides (fat inside your muscle to be used for low to moderate intensity exercise) but that doesn't necessarily mean it will be fat from your back side. Running slow burns few calories which doesn't support your overall calorie deficit that is needed for weight/fat loss.
Misconception 3: Running helps build leg strength
Reality: Running doesn't build leg strength or help build bigger legs. An important factor to understand about this misconception is that our muscles have different types of fibers that are responsible for different task. One fiber is built for cardiovascular activity while another is designed for high-intensity exercises like strength training or sprinting. Running won't make your muscles bigger because your running fibers don't have the ability to. Running will make your fibers more efficient at using oxygen for energy while maintaining the same size. If you want bigger, stronger legs you will need to a) resistance train your legs b) consume a calorie surplus.
Misconception 4: I should stretch before jogging.
Reality: I hate this myth; it persists despite all the research that has been published about static stretching before exercise. YOU SHOULD NEVER STRETCH BEFORE A RUN. Stretching before exercise increases your risk of injury (pulled muscle) more than simply exercising without stretching. If you really want to stretch before your run, start off with a short run (5-10 minutes) until you begin to lightly sweat. After your warm-up, try different dynamic and static stretches to stretch your tendons and ligaments. Remember to always static stretch after your run. Static stretching is great when your muscles are warm and active, not cold and rigid.
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