Running on an empty stomach is a good idea whenever you’re looking to lose some weight. If this is not your interest, running on an empty stomach is not recommended. Actually running on an empty stomach does not pose any problem for your health; you should not worry in this regard. However, you must bear in mind that when running on an empty stomach, the body does not have enough energy to cope with said physical activity, so it will use all the stored fats and convert them into energy.
As you can see, running on an empty stomach becomes a perfect practice to lose weight and excess fat. However, as soon as we have lost the fat that we have left over, running on an empty stomach will not help us improve our physical shape, since by not having fat that we burn, our body will feed on the muscles, so our muscle mass will be reduced.
If you want to run on an empty stomach, there are a number of things you have to keep in mind at all times. If you are interested in knowing more about it, keep reading.
What do you need to run on an empty stomach?
- running shoes
- sportswear
Instructions for running on an empty stomach
- Getting up and going for a run becomes a considerable physical effort as we go from absolute rest to intense sports practice. Therefore it is a good idea that you have a short transition period between one and the other. Get up with plenty of time to wake up your body. Get dressed and put on your shoes calmly and walk for a while before starting to run.
- Before leaving home, you should drink a lot. When going from rest to sports activity our body, which is also fasting, can suffer a drop in blood pressure. This is very common among people with low blood pressure. To avoid this, you should drink fluids before you start running. You can drink coffee or an infusion, although it is best to drink water, since it is the healthiest. Coffee and tea can also bring you good benefits, since caffeine will help you in sports.
- Before you start running, stretch. Stretching while running on an empty stomach is very important. Your muscles first thing in the morning will be cold and will not have much flexibility. For this reason, you should insist on stretching as it will allow you to prepare your body for the effort you are going to make, thus preventing possible injuries.
- Listen to your body. Running on an empty stomach is quite a strain on your body. Think that you just got up a few minutes ago, so running will cost you much more than doing it at other times of the day. Don’t push yourself too hard and never run more than an hour. Leave long rides and excessive efforts for other times of the day when your body has the necessary nutrients to face starting marches.
- Ideally, you should run between thirty minutes and an hour at a slow pace.
- When you finish running, walk for a long time until your body gets used to the new activity and cools down little by little.
- Go back to stretching and allow your body to relax. As you can see, you will have charged yourself with energy for the rest of the day.
- Finally remember to shower in cold water. You may fancy a hot or lukewarm shower, especially if you’re running in the winter, but a cold shower will help your muscles relax much better. If you can’t stand cold water, use lukewarm water and end your shower with a cold water message on your legs. You will discover that in that area of your body you can withstand the temperature of cold water very well and this happens because the blood in that part of your body will be very hot due to the physical exercise you have carried out.
Tips for running on an empty stomach
- Intersperse running on an empty stomach with running at other times of the day and under other circumstances. As previously mentioned, running on an empty stomach is a very good activity if you want to lose weight. As soon as you have lost all the weight you want, stop running on an empty stomach since it will not offer you more advantages than that.
