Jogging Tips For Beginners

Jogging is an aerobic exercise that is very easy to learn compared with other exercises such as swimming or cycling and less injury-prone that running. Jogging burns a lot more calories for the same time or distance spent for walking. Anybody, regardless of sex, age, or physical fitness level, can start jogging. However, it is recommended that anybody who is considering jogging must first consult his doctor before starting to jog. A doctor can assess the fitness level of the person and he can draw up a jogging program that will suit the needs of the individual.

The following are tips for the beginners in the field of jogging:

  1. Start by walking with periods of jogging. Do not plunge into jogging right away as this could be a shock to your system, especially if you did not have a vigorous exercise for a while. You can start with two minutes of walking followed by one minute of jogging. Repeat this several times until you reached 20 minutes during your first try. In the succeeding attempts, try to decrease the amount of walking while increasing the amount of jogging until you can jog continuously for 20 minutes.
     
  2. Warm up properly to avoid injuries and follow your jogging with a cool down exercise. Cold muscles are prone to injuries like tearing so make sure to have some warming up before you start your jogging.
     
  3. Keep your head lifted and your eyes focused ahead of you. Do not look at the ground as it will cause problems with your posture and may lead to upper back and neck pain.
     
  4. Do not lean forward and keep your shoulders relaxed and your chest out and open.
     
  5. Keep your body as straight as possible. Do not over arch your back nor stick your butt out because you may have back and hip pain. Stretch your body to your full height while you jog because this will help you keep a good jogging posture.
     
  6. Keep your arms close to your body. Let your arms swing forward and back but not across the body because to do so will be a waste of energy. Do not clench your fists while you are jogging.
     
  7. Lift the front knee and extend the back leg as you jog. This will give your leg muscles a good stretch.
     
  8. Land on your heel and then roll through the length of the foot. Doing this will help prevent injury on your foot as it will lessen the impact of the foot's fall on the ground.
     
  9. Push off from the balls of your feet and not from the toes. Pushing from the toes will put unnecessary strain on them leading to injury.
     
  10. Find a good pair of running shoes. Do not just get any kind of shoes such as basketball shoes as they are not fit for jogging. Also, do not fall for shoes that are endorsed by sports personalities, they may not be the right one for you. Go to a store and get a pair that will fit your feet well. Try them to see if they are comfortable.