It provides a great cardiovascular workout, strengthens and tones your muscles. Regular jogging gives better overall physical condition as well as some other health benefits, including mental benefits such as relaxation and reduction of anxiety. Most importantly for many, running is a good way to lose weight and generally get fitter.
Regular Running and Jogging
Regular running and jogging is a good way to improve your health and fitness. You do not need to become a marathon runner to benefit greatly from running. Many people are concerned about long-term damage to joints such as knees, ankles and hips, as a result of running. However, with good quality running shoes and a sensible approach, the risks are minimal, and the benefits of being fitter outweigh those possible risks.
Jogging makes the heart stronger. It increases the capacity of the blood circulation and of the respiratory system. This is essential for maintaining good fitness. It also speeds up the digestive system and can help to relieve digestive problems. Many people who live a sedentary lifestyle develop digestive problems that can be improved with ahealthier diet and some regular exercise.
Does jogging help you to lose weight?
Jogging makes you burn fat and thereby helps to lose weight. In addition to increasing metabolism, jogging is an effective way to burn more calories, which helps you lose weight. If calories consumed in food are less than calories spent during exercise and other daily activities, you will lose weight. It is impossible not to! Many people have learned how to lose belly fat by starting a running program.
Jogging helps to reduce stubborn belly fat. Stubborn fat can be very hard to shift, but a running program can really help to cut down on the last of your stubborn fat. The key is to think long-term and always work on your fitness. Change can take a long time to come but the end result it much improved fitness and strength which makes maintaining a healthy weight so much easier.
If you suffer from poor appetite, jogging will improve your appetite. Along with all other forms of exercise – the harder you work, the more you need to eat to repair your muscles and refuel them. When you start to run longer distances you will start to eat to fuel your body, and may even find that you need to eat more food everyday, than you did when you were overweight. As you develop your running you need to ensure that you are eating well, so read up on some nutrition advice for runners.
Jogging for Stronger Bones and Muscles
Jogging will strengthen the muscles and bone density of your legs, hips and back. Long distance runners have very strong legs, even though they often look very thin and weak. Running does not produce bulky muscles, like weight training or even circuit training does, but it does increase leg strength. Also, the constant impact caused during running can increase bone density, so long as you follow a healthy diet.
Running Improves Sleep
Jogging makes you sleep better. Also, if you exercise well, sleep comes much easier. One of the most important factors for improving fitness after exercise and diet is getting adequate sleep. Overtraining can occur if you do not rest properly.
Running and Mental Health
Running can counteract depression, as all forms of exercise can help people cope with depression. It increases the capacity to work and lead an active life. The fitter you are, the more active you can be. There are so many more opportunities available to people who are healthier and fitter.
Learning to Enjoy Running
Running can give you both physical and mental joy, so long you do not exhaust yourself! When jogging is done correctly, you will actually feel less tired after you have finished a tour than before you began. You may even start to enjoy the feelings in your muscles during the jogging and afterwards.
Running is a great way of getting away from your usual daily environment. Running outside is often much more pleasurable than exercising in a gym. Even running in the rain can be refreshing and pleasurable. While running some people also get an euphoric mental feeling – a “runners high”!
Jogging Routes and Sessions
Jogging may be performed in a lot of ways. Long distance jogging generally covers 6-20 km, at a moderate speed on even roads or paths. Short distance jogging covers 3-6 km in a faster pace. Jogging upwards in a steep terrain 3-4 km, in a speed adjusted to the steepness. Jogging in a hilly terrain with paths going both up and down 4-8 km.
It is advisable to vary the type of jogging from day-to-day, and to find several different routes to run. By running different routes you create more variety, which helps to keep you motivated. Also, by having a set of routes of varying distance, you can develop a weekly running schedule, which includes both short fast runs and longer slower runs.
Planning a Running Session
You should start out at a slower pace for a few minutes if you have not warmed up already. Then you gradually increase to a comfortable speed. Once you become familiar with a few different routes, you will quickly learn the best pace for you, and also will know when to push yourself a little harder.
Timing each run is a great way to monitor improvements. Some days you may feel that you have not run so well, but the time on the clock may show that you have actually matched your personal best. Read George Gandy’s (Seb Coe’s trainer) Top Running Tips
Stretching Your Muscles Before and After Each Session
It is now advisable to only stretch after each jogging session, and not before, for three to four minutes. When stretching out do the following movements:
• Bend forward and touch your toes.
• Kneel down on one of your feet, and stretch the other out backwards.
• Bend your body to both sides.
• Stretch out an arm, grab something, and turn your body round so that your arm is bent backwards.
• Shoot your abdomen forward, so that your spinal column is stretched into a bow.
• Place your hands behind your neck and stretch your arms backwards. Then twist your body to the left and right, and also bend to each side.
After the jogging it is often advisable to wait for a few minutes to regain your breath and relax before you stretch out.
Planning Your Running Schedule
If jogging is the only sport activity done, then a jogging session every other day is ideal. This is enough to give all the health benefits and gradually increase your condition and endurance without wearing yourself out. If you combine jogging with other types of sport activities, then running twice a week may be enough.
You should not be too hungry before jogging, but it is not advisable to take a jogging session straight after a big meal. The time of the day does not matter, but your jogging should not be the first thing you do in the morning.
How To Start Running
If you are not accustomed to physical activity before you start jogging, it is advisable to consult a doctor before you start. You may have health issues that are not compatible with jogging activities, or some conditions that you must consider when doing your jogging.
The first times, you should only jog on plain ground and only for 10 minutes. Then you can increase the time, distance and speed, and choose steeper and more difficult paths. Keep building on distance and speed each week and when you can add in some longer runs.
Always plan your runs well so that you know how long and how far you are going to run even if you are just planning a short run around the block. This gets you into the habit of setting goals and as you improve your fitness it will be easier to plan longer and more challenging runs.
Just aim to improve a little every week. Work on increasing your speed and the distance you run. This will build up your strength and fitness and over time you will start to run much longer distances.
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