Benefits of Jogging

No other aerobic exercise gets close to running and jogging in terms of popularity. In the United States alone, almost 60 million people engage in this form of exercise. Many of them treat it more like a hobby rather than a weight loss fitness activity. It hasn’t always been like that, though.

Back in the 1960s, jogging was an exercise reserved for professional athletes. In fact, it was considered weird for people to engage in jogging or running for just the sake of it. Such beliefs led to several absurd situations, like the police giving runners tickets for “suspicious activity.” And then, in the late 70s, jogging entered the mainstream, and nothing has been the same since.

Nowadays, it’s challenging not to bump into at least one jogger when on a walk. And frankly, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. From all other forms of physical activity, jogging has the lowest entry barrier. All it takes to go for a run is a pair of comfortable running shoes. You don’t need to buy any expensive equipment or attend jogging lessons.

However, what makes the most significant difference are the health benefits coming with jogging. There is no other exercise that can have such a massive positive impact on your overall well-being, both mental and physical. And that’s what we’re going to focus on in the following guide.

If you’re still reluctant about taking up jogging or don’t know how and why to start, reading this article will dispel all your doubts.

Key Health Benefits of Jogging

Let’s not waste any time and get straight to the point. Is jogging as beneficial as people claim? The answer is yes. According to various studies, regular jogging can strengthen your muscles, improve cardiovascular fitness, and help you maintain a healthy weight. Besides physical benefits, it also boosts mental health, as it helps reduce stress levels and fight depression.

How does it work exactly, though? Here are the main long-term health benefits of jogging.

Helps in Weight Loss

There are many reasons why so many fitness professionals recommend jogging as the best physical activity for losing weight. Of course, any exercise can help you achieve that goal, even walking. However, it’s jogging that should provide you with the best results. Here’s why.

First of all, it burns more calories than many other types of exercise in a much shorter period. That’s because jogging requires various muscles to work together. An average runner burns approximately 100 calories per mile. However, keep in mind that it all depends on pace, body size, and running duration.

The second thing is that jogging increases the “after-burn” effect. In other words, it excesses your post-exercise oxygen consumption (PEOC), increasing the number of calories you burn after a workout.

Nevertheless, keep in mind that running alone won’t help you lose weight unless you aid it with a proper diet and lifestyle changes. In general, you need at least a 500-calorie deficit per day to lose one pound a week. Again, it all depends on a person, so make sure you do your research and consult a professional.

Fights Stress and Depression

Everybody knows about the physical health benefits of jogging. However, its positive impact on one’s mental health also shouldn’t be underestimated. Like other types of exercise, going on a jog releases endorphins, the brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters which boost your mood and relieve stress. Many refer to it as the famous “runner’s high.”

Another great thing about jogging is its positive impact when fighting depression and anxiety. Of course, it doesn’t mean that going on a run once in a while will cure all the symptoms. It does help to relieve them, though.

As one study found, maintaining a 16-week walking and jogging regimen reduced depression symptoms. Moreover, it was as effective as taking medication! All because regular exercise decreases the cortisol levels, which have been linked to depressive episodes.

Prolongs Your Life

Yes, you’ve read that right. Jogging can make you live longer. Well, not literally, of course, but it certainly can help you achieve that goal. As the famous 2017 study found, jogging and running can reduce the risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke by a striking 45 percent! Moreover, it could reduce the chance of dying from any disease by 30 percent.

The study included data from over 55 thousand people followed for 15 years, so the numbers aren’t lying. Of course, there’s a catch – going for a run once a month won’t prolong your life. To reap its life-saving benefits, you need to make your exercise regular.

Keep in mind that regularly doesn’t mean extensively, though. In fact, as the study found, even a 5 to 10 minutes slow-pace jog per day is enough to see the health benefits. What’s more, the study also accounted for sex, age, and several conditions, such as high blood pressure or diabetes.

What does that tell us? That it doesn’t matter whether you’re young or old, man or woman, or if you have any medical conditions. The higher your fitness level, the lower your risk of heart attack and death. Not a bad deal for just a 10-minute jog per day, right?

Gives Immune System a Boost

Maintaining a healthy weight, mind, and heart is one thing. The other is ensuring your immune system is there to protect you. And once again, jogging is the way to ensure that everything works properly. Going for a run can boost your immunity in several ways.

First and foremost, exercise increases your breathing rate. Why is that important? Because it helps to push out bacteria and other pathogens out of your airways and lungs. It reduces the chance of infection, as pathogens aren’t able to cause an infection.

Secondly, jogging and other exercise boost white blood cells and antibodies, which are essential when fighting infection. Going on a run regularly also decreases chronic inflammation, increasing your immune system’s health.

Improves Memory and Concentration

We’ve already mentioned the amazing effects jogging has on one’s mental well-being. There’s more to that, though. Aside from stress and depression relief, regular aerobic exercise can have a miraculous impact on memory and concentration.

As various studies have found, jogging positively impacts the hippocampus, the brain’s part responsible for learning and memory systems. All because when jogging, your cardiovascular system increases the blood flow to your brain. That makes it work more efficiently, which results in a mentioned memory and concentration boost.

Enhances Your Sleep

Maintaining a healthy sleeping routine nowadays can be challenging. We’re surrounded by various distractions that disrupt our sleeping patterns. What’s more, many people underestimate the importance of a good night’s sleep. The chances are you also believe that lack of sleep is something a cup of coffee in the morning should fix. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that.

If you want your body and mind to be ready for the upcoming day and stay healthy, you have to let it rest. A 7-9 hour sleep a night is an absolute must, and to ensure your body gets the rest it needs, you should take up jogging.

Although scientists aren’t a hundred percent sure how exercise can improve sleeping patterns, various studies have proven that there’s a connection. According to these, people who jog every morning can improve their sleep quality more easily. One study also found that moderate aerobic exercise can even help fight insomnia.

How to Start

As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to take up jogging. Some of them you’ve probably heard about before, like weight loss. However, knowing why to start exercising is one thing. The other is knowing how to do it right. Learning that will allow you to reap all the benefits of jogging, so let’s tackle the issue now.

The Difference Between Jogging and Running

At first glance, jogging and running seem like the same activity. That’s not the case, though. Sure, they’re both types of aerobic exercise, and they require the same equipment. However, there are some differences.

Running is more intense, faster, and uses more kilojoules. It also demands more effort from your lungs, heart, and muscles. In other words, it requires much better aerobic fitness. Jogging, on the other hand, is slower and less excessive. It also burns fewer calories. However, it allows you to increase the distance thanks to a slower pace.

Both are extremely beneficial for your health, though. In fact, when choosing between the two, you should consider a few factors, including your goals. And that brings us to the next point.

Setting Goals

The question is not whether you should start jogging. It’s choosing the reason (or reasons) on why you should do it. Setting yourself some jogging goals will help you decide how often, for how long, and at what pace and distance you should jog.

Here are a few tips:

• Weight loss: If you want to take up jogging to lose some weight, make sure to make it as regular as possible. Keep in mind that you should choose your pace according to your calorie-burning goal. And don’t forget about maintaining a healthy diet, too.
• Stress relief: As mentioned above, any exercise can help you relieve stress and reduce depression symptoms. Jogging is the right one to start. Remember that if improving your mental well-being is your goal, you don’t have to make your exercise too excessive. Pick the pace that suits you best, and just enjoy the jog.
• Getting fit: Aside from weight loss, getting fit is one of the most popular reasons people start jogging. If that’s the case with you, we recommend getting in touch with a professional coach who will provide you with all the information you need to start your exercise.

Tips for Beginners

Once you set your jogging goals, it’s time to begin your journey to better health. However, the question is: how to do it right? Many people give up running or jogging quickly because they find it boring. They also complain that it doesn’t bring satisfactory results. Such an attitude won’t get you anywhere. That’s why now we want to show you how to take up jogging the right way:

• First and foremost, consult your doctor before starting your exercise plan, especially if you’ve had any heart problems in the past, are overweight, or haven’t exercised for a while. A good idea is also to find a fitness coach that will help you achieve your goals
• Start by walking for 30 minutes per session. It will help you build some fitness and let your body get used to a more active lifestyle. After a few walking sessions, start implementing jogging. Remember to increase the jog time each session!
• Don’t forget to stretch your muscles properly before heading out. You should also cool your body down with light stretches after jogging
• Take your water bottle with you. Hydrating your body before, during, and after the run is essential
• Purchase comfortable and high-quality running shoes and clothes
• Plan your routes and make them diverse. If possible, choose flat and grassy areas to lower the risk of getting injured

Implementing these tips should help you achieve your goals and reap all the health benefits coming with jogging.

More Than an Exercise

Jogging is much more than just an ordinary aerobic exercise. Thanks to its numerous health benefits and low entrance requirements, jogging has become the most popular exercise globally. Nowadays, you can meet joggers everywhere, and each year their number is growing.

With all that in mind, deciding to enter the running community seems like a no-brainer. It doesn’t matter whether your goal is to lose weight, improve your heart, or gain fitness. Jogging will help you achieve them all. And if you aren’t sure how to start, send us a message. Our team will provide you with all the information and help you need.