Running may help with weight loss in a few ways. It burns calories in the moment, it can help your body continue to burn calories after you’re done, and it may help reduce appetite.
Running can also help you reduce abdominal fat. For many people, it can be a helpful addition to a weight management plan.
If you’re thinking about incorporating running into your routine, it’s best to start slow and work your way up to more frequent, longer runs.
A note about terminology
The use of binary terms such as “male” and “female” or “men” and “women” in this article reflects the language of the sources we’ve used. Unless otherwise noted, it’s unclear whether the research we reference included participants with expansive gender identities.
Losing weight requires you to burn more calories than you consume, and exercise can help you do so. Running burns more calories than some other types of exercise because it requires
The difference in calories burned by running versus by other exercises is supported by research.
For example, a small older study found that running 1 mile (1,600 meters) on either a treadmill or track burned more calories than walking the same distance in either location.
Running is an aerobic exercise, which may be particularly helpful for weight loss. A 2025 research review found that aerobic exercise can result in more weight loss than resistance training when done for at least 10 weeks.
That doesn’t mean you should only include aerobic exercise in your physical activity plan — a combination of aerobic exercises like running and resistance training may be even more effective for weight loss.
Keep this in mind
Weight loss can be difficult for many people because, in response to exercise, the body compensates for the energy loss through certain mechanisms. For example, it can slow its energy expenditure in an attempt to conserve energy and retain weight.
To overcome these compensations, weight loss often requires high volumes of exercise in addition to other measures, such as dietary changes. A 2018 study suggests that burning 3,000 calories per week through aerobic exercise may help people with higher body weights lose weight.
Other research suggests that getting
Learn more about low, moderate, and high intensity physical activity.
Certain types of physical activity will help your body continue to burn calories even after you finish working out. High intensity exercise increases your body’s resting energy expenditure, meaning it will use more energy — or burn more calories — at rest.
A 2017 study notes that high intensity aerobic exercise may increase resting energy expenditure for up to 24 hours post-exercise.
When it comes to running, high intensity exercise may include activities like running up hills or doing sprint intervals.
A 2024 study also suggests that interval running can contribute to higher post-exercise energy expenditure than continuous running in men with obesity.
Several studies included in a 2024 research review suggest that high intensity aerobic exercise may reduce appetite. The exact processes surrounding this response are unclear, but some of the researchers theorize that this type of physical activity may suppress the levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin and produce more satiety hormones like peptide YY.
According to a 2022 research review and analysis, regular aerobic exercise can help reduce abdominal fat. Specifically, it may help reduce visceral fat, a particularly harmful type of fat that accumulates around the body’s abdominal organs and increases the risk of health conditions like cardiovascular disease.
The review notes that, though moderate intensity aerobic exercise can be helpful, high intensity exercise may produce even more benefits.
A small 2024 study involving men with overweight or obesity also suggests that high intensity interval training that includes running can burn more abdominal fat than training that involves cycling.
Another 2023 study involving both men and women found that regularly running at least 10 kilometers (around 6 miles) per week contributed to both abdominal and overall fat loss.
If you’re new to running, it’s best to start slow. Try running just a few times a week at a slower pace, then working your way up to faster, more frequent, or longer runs.
It can also help to stretch before your workout and warm up with a brisk walk before running.
If you need help making a running plan that’s right for you, a personal trainer can help.
>>Explore: How to start exercising
Consider a health assessment
If you have any underlying health conditions, such as a heart condition or joint issues that may reduce your mobility, it’s best to talk with a primary care doctor to get an overall health assessment before trying running.
If you don’t have a doctor yet, try Healthline’s FindCare tool to find a primary care doctor in your area today.
Like other types of aerobic exercise, running can be a helpful part of a weight management plan and can help you maintain your overall health.
A personal trainer or primary care doctor can help you safely incorporate running into your routine.
Dive deeper
Planning your running routine? These articles may be useful: