Why Jog?

 

Some of the DVD's I use ask the person to walk or jog.   The jogging isn't very far, just back and forth but  it does get your heart up.  In a sense, jogging is half way between a walk and a run, sort of a nice medium. By definition, you have to be running at a pace that is under six miles per hour and provides a moderate aerobic workout.

Jogging shares many of the same benefits as both walking and running.  Jogging improves your cardio respiration while improving your overall mood.  Walking is the preferred exercise but at some point many people reach a plateau in regard to their heart beat so jogging is recommended as a way to move past the plateau.  

By switching to jogging from walking, one is able to increase the intensity of the workout slowly while reducing the possibility of injury that might bench someone for a while.  In addition, jogging can help weight drop off more quickly just like a runner.  Furthermore, jogging can strengthen a person's immune system so they are less likely to get sick.  Exercise can also help diseases such as diabetes or  heart disease.  

It has also been found that jogging just like running and walking is a good way of helping to negate the effects of stress.  This is especially important during these times.  In addition, jogging helps people manage the systems of depression because exercise helps reduce cortisol levels in the body.  When cortisol levels are higher, people can experience more depression and as stated jogging helps that. Furthermore, jogging can help us age better because it keeps our spines more flexible by keeping the size of disks stable and keeping them flexible so you move better.  

Another area that jogging can help a person is in regard to their brain.  Jogging helps the connectivity of the brain among the areas helping with the working memory, ability to multitask, pay attention, make decisions, and process visual and other sensory data.  In other words, jogging can help make you smarter.  

Furthermore, jogging can help people sleep longer at night  and more soundly.  It only takes about 30 minutes of jogging per week over a three week period for a person to sleep better at night and are more alert during the day.  Jogging also helps you live a longer life by cutting your chances of experiencing a heart attack or stroke. Specifically, jogging can increase the HDL cholesterol which removes the bad cholesterol from your blood. When there is excess LDL or bad cholesterol in your blood stream, that is what gets deposited and can lead to heart issues. Since jogging is a weight bearing exercise, it builds bone density and helps a person lower their risk of osteoporosis.  It also helps develop muscles so they are more toned. 

If you take up jogging, it is strongly recommended that you check with your doctor first to make sure it is safe for you.  One should spend some time warming up and stretching before jogging to prevent injury.  A good way to warm up is to walk for about 30 minutes beginning with a slow walk and increasing your pace until you are jogging. 

At first, one should jog for short intervals and as the person gets in better shape, one can jog for longer periods of time until one can jog for say 30 minutes to an hour solidly.  The best place to jog is on flat grassy areas but just make sure not to jog on an extremely hard surface or on sand.  In addition, make sure you wear good shoes.  Bring a bottle of water to stay hydrated and be sure to wear sunscreen to protect your skin.  The best time to run is in the morning or evening when it is not too warm.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.