I Ran More Often
When I started out, I eased into two runs a week, and they were about 20 minutes long. It was better than not running at all, but it wasn't enough to burn fat. That's because my 20-minute runs, which were about two miles, only burned 180 calories.
When I increased my runs, by going three to five times a week, and upping the length to 30- to 45-minute runs, I not only lost weight, but I gained more muscle and changed my body composition.
"You want to make sure you start with at least three days a week of running," Cary suggested. Maybe you can only go half a mile, or you need to stop and walk a lot — that's OK! "Get your mind and body used to being consistent. When you start to create that habit and stay on a schedule, it will become easier to throw those shoes on and hit the pavement."
Exercising more than four or five times a week doesn't necessarily mean it's better. "Too many people go to the gym or work out every single day, but that's not realistic, and they get burned out," Jared said. He recommended to aim for what you can maintain for the long haul, doing three workouts a week, and staying consistent with that.
And as Dani mentioned earlier, be sure you mix up those workouts, even if you're only going three times a week. It's important to keep challenging yourself once workouts get easy. Maybe add in short sprinting intervals, or try running five minutes longer, or increase your overall distance by half a mile.