[Skinny4baby]

Does Jogging/Running/Sprinting TONE your body or does it mainly just burn the fat/calories? I know strength training tones...but I was wondering if anyone feels like running made their bodies, like the ab area tighter/harder? If yes, did it take a really long time or was it fairly quick?

[jordan]

Yes, it tones your legs very well (running and jogging at least. I don't sprint so I don't really have much knowledge as to how anaerobic activities such as that effect muscle composition). And while running doesn't necessarily tone your upper body the same way weights do, it burns fat quite well which exposes the muscle beneath it, making you LOOK much more toned, and that is what is important . Same goes for abs, though I think running directly tones them more than arms. But the elimination of belly fat dramatically effects the look of the abs whether the running itself builds muscle there or not.

[ImpalaHoarder]

I do a fair amount of strength training in addition to jogging, so I'm not sure what to attribute to which activity, but before I began strength training the differences I noticed were mainly just that I was smaller. Of course, smaller means that your muscles start to be revealed. For instance, I've been fencing and jogging a lot, neither of which work my arms at all, and, in fact, I've been being pretty bad about strength training with my upper body. But I have MUCH more muscle definition in my arms now, even though I suspect I have lost some muscle mass.

So in my experience running helps, but strength training is good too. It's not that hard to do, even without weights and things- frog jumps, ****-inducing as they are, are an excellent way to build muscle in your thighs, and fitness lunges work basically everywhere in your legs. Strength training can also help keep your muscle strength even in your legs when you're jogging- if you jog/run too much, some muscles get much stronger than others, which can cause you joint pain.

[Ilene]

I think that running or any intense aerobic activity will burn the fat off your body therefore reveal the muscles beneath. You will tone your legs with running but what I find weight training does is strengthen the muscles and ligaments surrounding the joints and this prevents injury... A foot specialist was shocked when he found out I had no knee or joint problems "at my age" from running... He attributes this to the years of weight training I did before hand... He said that your joints are only as strong as the muscles and ligaments surrounding them.... So let's keep running for burning calories and weight training for a strong body

[FluffyGirl79]

This sounds totally off-the-wall, but it's true....
After about a week of running (I had run 11 miles by this time), I already had people asking me if I'd lost more weight (which I hadn't..I actually gained 4 pounds which maybe was muscle or because my period was due?)...and I could notice a difference in my leg muscles and my abs. Not a HUGE difference of course in just a week's time, but a definite difference nonetheless!

So I really think running/jogging does tone you up and make you look leaner.

[MissGiggles]

Well I've only been running for less than 4 months and I don't think I have lost any weight.

My legs are real muscular now. I believe my stomach is shrinking but I haven't really measured it.

Hopefully I will lose the couple of pounds I need to.. but I just got up to the 30 min straight run which increased my calorie burn... I am small so it takes a lot to burn calories for me.. walking wasn't cutting it anymore..The abs are shaping up some and I started back on yoga.. but i carry the fat around my middle so I think the six pack is under there... but yes if you look at runners who run some longer distances, they usually have good abs, even if that's all the exercise they do.