Jogging – Health benefits and how to do it
Regular jogging provides better physical condition and other health benefits. Running also gives physical and mental pleasure.
THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF JOGGING
Running regularly has a clear good effect on general health, as long as it is not done excessively. The effects are:
* Jogging strengthens the heart. Increases the capacity of blood circulation and the respiratory system.
* Speeds up the digestive system and helps you get rid of digestive problems.
* Counteracts depression.
* Increases the ability to work and lead an active life.
* Running makes you burn fat and therefore helps against overweight.
* If you suffer from lack of appetite, jogging will improve your appetite.
* Jogging will strengthen the muscles of your legs, hips and back. However, you won’t get very big muscles from jogging.
* Jogging makes you sleep better.
THE PLEASURE OF JOGGING
Running gives you physical and mental joy, as long as you don’t exhaust yourself. When you jog correctly, you’ll feel less tired when you’ve finished a run than before you started. You get pleasant sensations in your muscles during jogging and after.
You will feel the wind blowing around your body. You will hear the singing of the birds, the music of the water that runs in the streams or the sound of the waves that rush towards the seashore. During the jog you will also get a mental feeling of euphoria after some time.
CLOTHES AND SHOES
The type of clothing you wore should be appropriate to the weather conditions. In warm weather, shorts and a T-shirt will suffice. However, it can be useful to carry an extra piece of cloth in a light backpack if you are running on a long hike, in case the weather turns bad. In colder climates you should add more layers of clothing. In any case, the requirements for clothing are:
You should wear light, smooth clothing without sharp seams, hard edges, or massive folds. They should sit close enough to his body, but not so close that he feels cramped, trapped, or impeded in his movement.
Clothing should provide good ventilation for moisture and sweat and perspiration through the fabric. Ideally, the fabric will retain water completely outside, but this requirement is difficult to meet along with the requirement for good ventilation.
You should wear fairly soft shoes, but with a good shape that fits the anatomical shape of your feet. The soles should bend easily during normal foot movements, but rest well against the ground. The lower part of the sole must give friction against any type of ground, so that you do not slip while jogging. The soles must cushion each impact of the ground well.
ROUTES AND JOGGING SESSIONS
Jogging can be done in many ways.
* Long distance jogging of 6 to 20 km at moderate speed on roads or even paths.
* Short distance jogging 3-6 km at high speed.
* Jog up steep terrain 3-4 km, at a speed adjusted for the slope
* Jogging on hilly terrain with trails going up and down 4-8 km
It is advisable to vary the type of jogging from one day to the next. Then jogging becomes more fun and you get a variable type of training.
HOW TO PERFORM A JOGGING SESSION
You should move slowly with little effort for the first few hundred meters to warm up your muscles. Then you gradually increase your muscle work and your speed. When you’re halfway through the route, you can take a quick boost using most of your capacity. If the route is long enough, you can take two or three jets using almost full capacity.
STRETCH YOUR BODY BEFORE AND AFTER EACH SESSION
It is advisable to stretch both before and after each jogging session, and not only the muscles of the feet, but the whole body 2 minutes before and 3-4 minutes after the session. When stretching do the following movements:
* Lean forward and touch your toes.
* Kneel on one of your feet and stretch the other back.
* Bend your body to both sides.
* Reach out one arm, grab something, and turn your body so that your arm is bent behind you.
* Shoot the front of your abdomen, so that your spine is stretched in an arc.
* Place your hands behind your neck and stretch your arms behind you. Then turn your body to the left and to the right, also lean to each side.
After jogging, it’s sometimes best to wait a few minutes before stretching, so that the most severe tiredness wears off first.
WHEN AND HOW OFTEN
If jogging is the only sporting activity that is practiced, the ideal is a jogging session every two days. This is enough to give all the health benefits and increase your condition and stamina gradually, but without exhausting yourself. If you combine jogging with other types of sports activities, twice a week may be enough.
You shouldn’t be too hungry before you go for a run, but it’s not advisable to go jogging immediately after a big meal. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is, but your jogging shouldn’t be the first thing you do in the morning.
HOW TO START
If you are not used to physical activity before starting to run, it is advisable to consult a doctor before starting. You may have health issues that are not compatible with jogging activities, or that you need to be aware of when jogging.
The first few times, you should only jog on level ground and only for 10 minutes. You can then increase the time, distance and speed, and choose steeper and more difficult paths.