Please come and tell me how running changed your body?

[Newyearnewmehopefully]

I have lost about 1 stone since summer mainly through being miserable and sad - not recommended.

However with the new year I’ve decided to try and overhaul my health, fitness and hopefully body.

I’d like to give up smoking and start running slowly. I’m thinking of doing couch to 5k and swimming in between. Mainly I’d love to lose weight, tone up and really improve my bottom which is a bit flabby and sad.

Does running actually change your body shape and in particular your bum or would I have to do a lot more?

It depends on your age/stage of life. If you're pre-menopause then running can definitely help you shift weight and tone up. Once you get into peri- and post-menopause running alone won't do much for your weight/body shape - you'll need to add in quite a bit of weight training and HIIT work too.

As I hike up and down the hills in the forest, dying , sweating, and turning puce, I mutter and pant to myself, "If you want a hill booty, you've got to climb the hills".
Ever so slowly seeing results

Straycatstrut that was me a few years ago - couldn't run more than a minute without having to stop because it felt like my lungs were burning up. I did Couch to 5k though and now run half marathons! The trick is to build up endurance slowly. Honestly, try the Couch to 5k programme, it works.

Oh this is so interesting to read! Thank you everyone! To the pp who mentioned vinyasa yoga for 3x a week for 8 weeks - I think I might try and add that to my New Years resolutions. I really want to get into yoga but find all the different ones so confusing. Is vinyasa beginner friendly?

@Newyearnewmehopefully yes totally. I started it as a complete beginner. I'd always written yoga off as boring but this one is pacey and tough, ie a good work out, not tough to follow. A couple of classes and you'll know the moves the teacher calls but at the beginning you just copy whoever is in front and take rests whenever you need to. Made so much difference to my shape and it's cardio too. (My resting bpm is 67 but peaks at 174 in a class)

I was also earlier admiring the fact I have distinct shoulders from biceps now as it's great for arms too...

I got a lovely bum!!

It has been transformational for my mental health and general stamina but hasn't changed my body dramatically. Running plus Pilates though did make a difference - stronger, leaner, lengthened etc.

And it's a myth about face and boobs. And if you are otherwise well-aligned (Pilates is good for this), your knees should be fine.

It absolutely changed my body! There is not even the slightest wobble on my thighs or bum and my calf muscles are impressive.

It has been brilliant for my mental health as well as it gives me some peace and quiet from the stresses of life and time to think.

However, like sunshineallthewhile my weight crept up when I moved up from 10k’s to half and then full marathon running with the latter giving me serious levels of munchies!