So You Think You Can't Run? Check out what the Biggest Loser has to Say...

Running is one of the simplest forms of exercise; low cost, time efficient and easy to start. All you need is an ounce of self motivation and a pair of good running shoes. Start off by jogging two blocks. Once you arrive, decide you can go further, perhaps one more block. It will be that type of determination that will increase your fitness level and allow you to run farther and faster.

Check out what the Biggest Loser has to say about running:

"Running is important in the contestants' weight-loss journey, because it's the most efficient way to burn calories," says Robert Huizenga, M.D., the show's medical expert, who helped craft its fitness-oriented methods. "That's one reason we have the final four do a marathon. We want to encourage players to run as much as they can." It works. A number of past contestants have competed in everything from 5-Ks to ultras, and in a marathon last fall, Mark Kruger, from Season 5, ran a 3:18 and was just three minutes shy of qualifying for Boston. "Running is the key to keeping my weight off," says Kruger, 38, who was 285 pounds before appearing on the show in 2005. Now a chiseled 190, he adds, "I'm hooked. I'll be a runner for life."


Life can be busy and stressful. Juggling work, meetings, over-stuffed schedules, kids and more is a tiring cycle. You need recoup time  to perform optimally, keep your body in shape and your mind clear. Running can give you the reprieve you need in a very short amount of time. 

Is it merely a lack of confidence that keeps you from lacing up your shoes? Fret no more. If the Biggest Loser contestants can do it at three and four hundred pounds, so can you.


Here's how you start. Choose a 5K, or 10K event, gather up some girlfriends and start training. Slowly build up your mileage week after week, and feel the amazing results. By week four you'll be able to run or jog twice as far as when you started. 

Participating in events is a great motivator. If you were to start running without an event to train for chances are after a few short weeks you would lapse back into old habits and your zest will dwindle. But with a scheduled event on your calendar, and friends supporting you, the odds are in your favor that you will succeed. 

Ask a runner, most will tell you that they didn't start off feeling like a runner. But over time, it became a positive habit and a hobby they looked forward to doing. Just dare to start! 

Create short goals that add up to bigger successes. Babies learn to crawl, then walk, then RUN. The trick is not to stay at the same level too long. If you can walk, you can jog. The switch is in your mind, not in your feet. WARNING:
You may catch the running fever, and before long your 5K will transition into half marathon, and even the coveted Marathon. 

To find an event near you, check out Active.com for a nationwide listing of running events. 


Written by De'Anna Nunez, Founder of the Mind Body Fit Club- A Weight Loss Journey with Girlfriends