How to Run Two Miles a Day to Lose Weight

Jogging two miles a day is an excellent way to lose weight. Depending on your body weight and pace, you can burn anywhere from 200 to 500 calories, a number that can easily result in large decreases in weight. Although many people assume that there is nothing more complex to running than going out and doing it, there are things you should be aware of in planning your exercise routine.

Instructions

1

Start slowly with a pace that you can easily maintain for the entire two-mile distance. This is especially important if you have been away from regular exercise for some time, as getting injured during your initial training sessions can set your weight-loss efforts back considerably. Set your initial pace with your head and not with your ego--even if you are relegated to a speed that is only slightly faster than walking.

2

Divide your training into easy and hard days to give your body time to partially recuperate. Accomplish this by using both a heart rate monitor and a timer. On your easy days, choose a slower, more measured pace for your two-mile run, keeping your times higher and your heart rate lower. On hard days, attempt to push your body a bit more (running at 80 to 85 percent capacity), allowing your heart rate to inch higher as your mile times steadily decrease.

3

Continue to progress by using the combination of a heart rate monitor and a stopwatch to decide when to push the envelope a bit more. When you find that you are able to achieve similar times with a substantial reduction in heart rate, begin running a bit harder, aiming to shave seconds--or minutes--off your mile pace. Gradual progress will keep you injury-free and losing weight at a constant pace. The best way to gauge this progress is by tracking your workout data using the diagnostic tools at your disposal.