Slow vs. Fast Running for Weight Loss

Weight loss occurs when you burn more calories than you consume. Both fast and slow running will burn calories, but hard workouts will burn more calories, thus resulting in quicker weight loss.

Slow Running

Running slowly burns calories, but it will take longer to burn the same amount than if you're running at faster speeds. However, add resistance such as hills, and you will burn more calories.

Long-distance running, like a marathon, which is 26.2 miles, generally is not run quickly but can burn thousands of calories. For example, if a 150-pound person runs a marathon in five hours and 24 minutes, which is a 12-minute-mile pace, he can burn nearly 3,000 calories.

According to Trails.com, slower aerobic activities burn a "slightly higher percentage of fat, but faster aerobics burn a lot more calories." It's important to remember that weight loss is about burning calories; it doesn't matter if those calories are from fats or carbohydrates.

Fast Running

Running at a faster pace burns more calories because it's a more intense workout. The more strenuous a workout is, the more calories you burn. However, faster running puts more physical stress on the body, and that means an increased risk of injury, according to Trails.com. Injuries can mean less frequent workouts and less weight loss. One of the best ways to lose weight while running is to optimize a workout by adding resistance and interval training.

Interval Training

Interval training is a mix of both slow running and sprinting. It is a way to burn even more calories than fast running alone. This type of training increases metabolism and burns calories quickly and more efficiently, according to an NPR report. Interval training boosts metabolism because even several short sprints of only 30 seconds each over the course of a workout will increase your body's need for energy.

Interval lengths vary based on experience, physical shape, goals and types of workouts. They can be as short as 30 seconds or as long as three minutes. Individuals can customize their own interval workouts, or they can visit intervaltraining.net for training packages.

A custom-made workout could be as simple---and effective---as running at a slow pace for 30 minutes with a 45-second sprint interval every five minutes. Anything that boosts your heart rate during a workout can burn more calories and improve cardiovascular fitness.

Increase Metabolism

Regular exercise, be it fast, slow or interval running, will increase metabolism, and that can help with weight loss. A fast metabolism simply means your body is burning calories quickly, and the more calories you burn, the more weight you will lose. Maintaining lean body muscle, which is built during exercise, burns calories even while your body is at rest. For this reason, running---fast or slow---can keep your metabolism high even after a workout.