Jogging Fitness & Weight Loss Program

Jogging is among the most popular weight loss programs performed today. A jogging fitness program provides a vigorous cardiovascular workout, exercises and tones the core and lower body muscle groups, and is inexpensive to perform.

Since jogging is a much more intense exercise than walking, it is recommended that you already be in moderate shape and of fair health before beginning a jogging fitness program.

For individuals that have not exercised for quite some time, it may be a good idea to begin with a walking routine initially and as you improve your level of fitness gradually graduate to a jogging routine.

For individuals that have not been regularly exercising it is highly recommended that you consult your medical physician to ensure that you will not complicate or exacerbate any pre-existing conditions.

Types of Movements

The movement of jogging is similar to that of running. Both forms of exercise feature both feet leaving the ground simultaneously at a point during the stride, unlike walking. The two activities are so closely matched that the only way to really distinguish between the two is by speed. In general, an individual is said to be jogging if they are moving slower than 6 miles per hour.

Similar to running, jogging subjects your body to more impact than walking. However, just because there is impact associated with jogging doesn't mean you have to avoid it, especially when there are so many health benefits. In fact, there are a several techniques and approaches that you can employ to reduce the chances of injuring yourself while jogging.

Always stretch and warm up properly before beginning your jog. When stretching, you should stretch the muscles to a point where the muscles are tight, but not to a point where there is pain. Hold each pose for a minimum of 15 to 30 seconds. Focus on the hips, knees and ankles, then progress to your warm-up exercise. A good warm-up exercise is walking. A ten-minute walk prior to performing your actual jogging routine should be sufficient to warm up your muscles and joints. Stretching and warming up are good ways to help prevent injuries, but there are ways of moving while actually jogging that will make it a gentler and more effective workout.

Always ensure that your body is relaxed while jogging. Relaxing helps protect your body from injuries any time a sudden force is placed upon it. Keep your head pointed forward in a neutral position, and stretch your body to its full height. By doing so, you will help ensure that your spine is in its optimal position and reduce fatigue, back strain and the threat of injury. Make sure you stay hydrated and do not over-exert yourself. Many people hurt themselves by getting overzealous with their jogging and running workouts.

Taking these steps will help ensure that you practice jogging safely. Individuals have injured themselves jogging and running, and in many cases, it was simply due to the fact that they did not warm up correctly or that they used improper form. Jogging is an effective exercise type that fits well into a weight loss program, and the threat of injury should not prevent you from performing it. The important item to remember is to make sure that you are performing the exercise correctly, as the injuries associated with jogging can persist for a long time, and in some cases the rest of your life.

Targeted Muscles

The hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexors, gluteals and calf muscles of your legs and the core area (mid section) all get a good workout while jogging. The arms and upper body receive a workout to a lesser degree as well.

Jogging is very good at toning muscles through repetitive motion rather than building muscle mass. The legs and gluteals are where you will feel the effects of jogging the most. While these muscles will benefit from a jogging routine, the muscle that receives the greatest workout is the heart.

Jogging challenges the heart and the rest of the entire cardiovascular system. Jogging is a very good exercise type for elevating the heart rate to your target heart rate, maintaining that level, and forcing the lungs to work hard to provide the large muscles of your lower body with oxygen. For this reason, and several others, jogging is an excellent form of cardiovascular exercise.

Aerobic Effect

Jogging provides a very dramatic aerobic effect. The muscles of your legs and buttocks are the largest in your body. When these areas of the body are required to work, as they are when jogging, your heart and breathing rate will increase dramatically to keep up with the demand for oxygen. In addition to improving cardiovascular health, this forces the body to burn a high number of calories. While the exact number of calories burned depends on factors like your weight, intensity level of the jog, and the topography of your jogging path, you should expect to burn between 120 and 180 calories for every ten minutes that you jog.

Required Equipment

The most important equipment you will need for jogging will be a good pair of shoes. However, there are a few other items that you may want to consider to make your jogging workout more comfortable and pleasant. Unrestrictive, breathable clothing will keep you from overheating in warm weather or freezing in cold weather. Sweating in cold weather is not only uncomfortable, but potentially dangerous as well. You should also have a water bottle to keep yourself hydrated. Finally, an MP3 player can help occupy your mind and reduce the chance of boredom.

Benefits

Jogging is an excellent aerobic activity that is effective, inexpensive and easily performed. Jogging will improve the way your body burns calories and uses oxygen. Adding a jogging routine to your weight loss program is an excellent way to shed those extra pounds and improve your overall health and fitness at the same time. A jogging routine is very flexible and can be performed individually or with friends. Finally, jogging fits easily into most lifestyles and schedules, can be performed at virtually any time, and requires very little upfront or ongoing costs.

A 30-minute jogging routine typically burns between 240 and 400 calories for a 150-pound person. This type of caloric expenditure makes jogging an excellent exercise type for individuals that are looking to lose excess body weight. Adding a sound nutritional dietary plan to your jogging routine will increase the rate at which you lose weight by further increasing your daily caloric deficit.

In addition, jogging provides an excellent aerobic workout as it challenges your heart and lungs, thereby improving your cardiovascular endurance and your overall health and fitness. For the reasons listed in this article, jogging remains one of the most popular exercise types and is performed by literally millions of individuals every day.

While jogging offers many health benefits, it can also be somewhat hazardous, so you must ensure that you perform it correctly. Always stretch and warm up sufficiently, maintain proper form while actually jogging, do not over-exert yourself, and make sure to stay hydrated. By following these guidelines, you will help to ensure that your jogging routine adds to your overall level of fitness while minimizing your probability of injury.