Running can absolutely help you maintain weight loss by burning calories, said ACE-certified trainer and weight-loss health coach Rachel MacPherson. "As long as you aren't consuming more than you're burning, you should be able to maintain your weight this way," she said.
"To maintain your weight loss, you have to keep up the same amount of activity (calorie output) used to lose the weight, or slowly reduce the amount of activity over time," to give your body time to adjust, explained exercise physiologist and NASM-certified personal trainer, Krissi Williford, MS, from Xcite Fitness. She said that running helps maintain your calorie expenditure. She also noted that running is also excellent cardiovascular exercise for heart health and for mental health.
It's also important to keep in mind that although it 100 percent will help you burn calories and keep you moving, NASM-certified personal trainer Jared Hamilton said, "you're not going to be building much muscle." Having more muscle mass means your body is burning more calories when it's at rest, which can help with weight-loss maintenance (more on that later).