5 Ways To Make Jogging More Fun

“I don’t think jogging is healthy, especially morning jogging.  If morning joggers knew how tempting they looked to morning motorists, they would stay home and do sit-ups.” – Rita Rudner

As you can see from the above quote jogging is not everyone’s cup of tea.  For some people jogging provides a great mental and physical release.  However, other people find jogging boring and unnecessary.  If you are one of the people who does not like jogging then this article is for you.  Today I am going to discuss five ways that you can make jogging more fun.

1) MIX UP THE PACE:- Jogging along for long periods of time at the same pace can get boring.  So why not mix it up by throwing in some sprints?  Perhaps you could jog for two minutes then sprint for one minute.  If you are listening to music why not jog during the verses and then sprint during the chorus?  By mixing up the pace at which you jog it suddenly becomes a lot more interesting as you rapidly change speed at regular intervals.

2) ADD SOME RESISTANCE:- One way to make jogging a lot more challenging is to add some resistance.  Adding resistance does make you slower but allows you to build strength as you jog.  On top of this adding resistance can be a good way to improve your overall jogging speed.  If you add resistance slowly and try to maintain your jogging speed then you should be able to jog faster once the resistance is removed.

There are many ways that you can add resistance as you jog.  One of my favourites is to wear a rucksack which contains a few bottles of water.  Another method is to wear ankle or wrist weights whilst you jog.

3) MAKE IT MORE PRACTICAL:- One of the reasons people find jogging boring is that they see no purpose to it.  They jog from point A to point B and then back to point A again and see this as a pointless exercise.  However, if you are jogging to get somewhere you need to be it becomes a lot more fun.

There are a number of ways you can make jogging more practical.  One of my personal favourites is to make it part of your weekly shop.  If the local supermarket is within jogging distance then take a large rucksack, jog down, do your shopping and jog back.  Not only will this save you a little petrol money but it will also add some resistance to your jog on the way back.  Whilst this idea is not feasible for everyone (if you are shopping for a full family you probably cannot carry it all in a rucksack) there are plenty of similar methods you can employ to make jogging more practical.  For example, if you are meeting family or friends locally why not jog instead of taking the car?

4) DON’T JUST JOG:- If you find jogging boring but really enjoy other exercises why not do both?  When jogging outdoors there is plenty of opportunity to do pull ups (just find a sturdy tree branch or use the climbing frame in your local park), press ups, sit ups, crunches, planks, leg raises, squats, stretches and more.  So if you really cannot stand long jogs why not jog for five minutes then do a few press ups?  After this jog for a few more minutes then do a few squats.  Alternatively why not try bodyweight soccer sprints.  By adding the above exercises to your jog you will not only make it more fun but you will also get a fuller workout and exercise more of your muscles.

5) MAKE A PLAYLIST:- For me music can really make or break a workout.  One of the best ways to add some excitement to jogging (if you do not particularly enjoy it) is to make a playlist of your favourite tunes.  You can then listen to these tunes as you jog.  I find the time really flies by if you jog along to your favourite songs and it becomes a lot more fun as you jog to the music.

If you are not a fan of jogging then I hope this article appeals to you.  All the above are techniques I have used in the past to make my jogging more versatile and fun.  So if you find yourself avoiding jogging on a regular basis try one of my ideas.  You never know…you might even surprise yourself and enjoy it.

What do you guys think?  Are the above good ways to make jogging more fun?  Do you have any more ideas for making jogging more exciting.  Let me know by commenting on this post.

Sources:
Running Quotes (Quote Garden)

Early Morning or Late Evening – What is the Best Time to Jog?

“You have to wonder at times what you’re doing out there. Over the years, I’ve given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement.” – Steve Prefontaine

In my last few articles I have been looking at jogging in detail.  I’ve covered the mental benefits and the physical benefits.  Today I want to focus on something slightly different – the best time to jog.  If you work full time there are generally two times during the day that you have the opportunity to jog.  You can either jog in the early morning before you go to work or in the late evening after you finish work.  In this article I am going to discuss the benefits of both.

BENEFITS OF EARLY MORNING JOGGING:

1) IT MAKES YOU MORE ALERT:- Most people will admit that they are not fully alert during the first few hours of the day.  A good way to combat this is to do some exercise such as jogging first thing in the morning.  After a few minutes the blood starts to flow and you quickly start to feel a lot more switched on.  When you go for an early morning jog this feeling carries on for the rest of the day and allows you to feel a lot more alert for the rest of the day.

2) THERE ARE NO DISTRACTIONS:- If you get up early to go jogging there is nothing standing in your way.  You wake up, you go jogging and it is done.  However, if you leave it till after work there are many things that can happen to prevent your evening jog.  For example, something might come up at work meaning that you have to stay late and as a result you arrive home too late to go jogging.  Alternatively, your friends or family might pop round for a spontaneous visit meaning that an evening jog is no longer possible.  If you go jogging in the early morning there are almost no distractions and therefore you are more likely to do it.

3) IT GETS YOU OUT OF BED:- Some people (myself included) struggle to get out of bed if they have nothing to get up for.  Whist this is not a huge problem on work days it can mean that on your days off you sleep well into the afternoon.  However, if you stick to a regular jogging routine you have a reason to get out of bed and stay out of bed.

BENEFITS OF LATE EVENING JOGGING:

1) IT ALLOWS YOU TO WIND DOWN:- After a long hard day at work I find that jogging is a great way to wind down.  As I have discussed in previous articles, jogging is a great way to relax your mind.  It is also a great physical release for any stress you have experienced during the day.  Ultimately, an evening jog is a great way to end a tough day.

2) IT CAN MAKE YOUR EVENINGS MORE PRODUCTIVE:- When you get home from work what do you normally do?  Turn on the computer?  Watch some TV?  My first instinct is to do one of these two things.  If I give in to this instinct I quickly find that my entire evening is spent in front of either the TV or my computer.  After spending all day sitting in front of a screen at work I do not find this to be the most productive use of my evenings.  However, if I go for a jog instead it feels much more productive.  Not only am I getting some fresh air and getting my eyes away from the screen but I am also burning some extra calories, improving my physical fitness and much more.

3) YOUR PERFORMANCE IS BETTER IN THE EVENING:- Your muscles perform best when they are warm.  In the evening they are a lot warmer than the morning.  Therefore, by jogging in the evening your endurance will be better, your muscles will be stronger and you will be able to jog at peak performance.

As you can see both morning and evening jogging have their benefits.  Morning jogging can get you ready to face the day ahead whilst evening jogging can help you unwind after a hard days  work.  Ultimately, though the time of day is not important.  Each person will have their own individual preference but the important thing is to get out there and jog.

What do you guys think?  Are the above good ways to make jogging more fun?  Do you have any more ideas for making jogging more exciting.  Let me know by commenting on this post.

Sources:
Motivational Quotes about Running (About.com)

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If you enjoyed this article and want to learn more about jogging you should check out Beginning Jogging and Running?  This in depth ebook discusses how to warm up for a jog, how to stay motivated, how to jog safely and much more:

4 Ways That Jogging Improves Your Mental Fitness

“Everyone who has run knows that its most important value is in removing tension and allowing a release from whatever other cares the day may bring.” – Jimmy Carter

In my recent articles I have focussed on jogging and the related health benefits you can enjoy by practising this activity.  In these articles I briefly covered the benefits jogging could have on your mental fitness.  Today I want to discuss this area in greater detail and provide you with four mental benefits of regular jogging.

1) IT CAN IMPROVE YOUR CONFIDENCE:- When you jog you are overcoming both personal obstacles (running faster, running longer distances etc) and physical obstacles (running up hills, running on tough terrain etc).  By proving that you can overcome these obstacles you build confidence and gain the mental strength to overcome other obstacles in your day to day life.

2) IT CAN HELP YOU OVERCOME ANGER:- Everyone experiences anger.  Anger is a natural emotion and is not inherently good or bad.  However, there are good and bad ways to deal with anger.  A bad way to deal with anger is through physical or verbal aggression towards other people.  A good way to deal with anger is exercise as it allows you to release it physically without impacting other people.

Jogging is a particularly good exercise for releasing anger as it gives you both a physical and mental release.  The actual exercise allows you to physically get the anger out of your system whilst the alone time you get from jogging provides you with an opportunity to think about and deal with the anger in a more calm and collected state.

3) IT CAN IMPROVE YOUR MOOD:- One of the most well publicised benefits of jogging and running is the “runner’s high”.  During a long distance jog or run endorphins are released and attach themselves to areas of the brain associated with emotion.  This causes many runners to experience a state of euphoria which is referred to as the “runner’s high”.  Not only does this improve your mood but it is also an effective way to combat anger, depression and stress.

4) IT CAN HELP YOU BECOME MORE FOCUSSED AND DETERMINED:- In order to constantly push yourself on long runs you need to be focussed on the task at hand and determined not to give up.  You need to be constantly pushing yourself to achieve more.  This brings about improved focus and determination.  These skills can be applied to other areas of your life and make you more successful in these areas.

As you can see jogging is not just good for your body – it is also good for your mind.  So next time you are feeling angry, unhappy or your confidence is at an all time low why not go for a jog and see what it does for you?  At the very worst you will burn a few additional calories but if all goes well you will come back feeling much more happy, confident and upbeat.

Now I want to hear your thoughts.  Are there any regular joggers out there who have experienced the above mental benefits?  Are there any further mental benefits of jogging that I have missed?  Do you agree that jogging is a good way to improve your mental fitness?  Let me know by leaving a comment.

Sources:
Endorphins & The Runner’s High (Wikipedia)
Mental Benefits of Jogging (About.com)
Running Quotes (Quote Garden)

12 Top Health Benefits of Jogging

“Jogging is very beneficial.  It’s good for your legs and your feet.  It’s also very good for the ground.  It makes it feel needed.” – Charles Schulz, Peanuts

In my last article I discussed why you might want to consider doing more jogging this summer.  One of the reasons I put forward was that jogging has many health benefits.  In this article I am going to discuss these health benefits in greater detail.

1) IMPROVED CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS:- Cardiovascular fitness (also known as cardiorespiratory endurance or aerobic fitness) refers to how efficient the heart, lungs and vascular system (the vessels that carry blood and lymph through the body) are at delivering oxygen to the muscles that need it and also how efficient these muscles become at using the oxygen.  As your cardiovascular fitness improves your lung capacity increases meaning that you can take in more oxygen with each breath.  Your heart’s stroke volume also increases meaning that with each pump it can transport more blood and oxygen through the vascular system to the muscles.  Finally, your muscles become more efficient at absorbing oxygen meaning that they can take more oxygen molecules from the blood.

The overall effect is that with each breath you take in more oxygen, with each pump your heart transports more oxygen to your muscles and finally your muscles are able to utilise more of this oxygen.  With improved cardiovascular fitness comes further health benefits such as improved endurance, reduced risk of heart disease and reduced body fat (all of which I will be discussing below).

2) REDUCED BLOOD PRESSURE:- Blood pressure refers to the force with which your blood pushes against your blood vessel walls.  If your blood pressure becomes too high it weakens your blood vessel walls which makes them more susceptible to aneurysms (bulging), atherosclerosis (the build up of fatty substances on the blood vessel walls) and hemorrhage (bursting).

The overall impact is that the flow of blood to and from your heart gets restricted causing it to become weak whilst at the same time having to work increasingly hard to pump blood through these blocked or damaged blood vessels.  Over time this leads to the onset of heart attacks and heart disease.  High blood pressure can also cause significant damage to your brain, your kidneys, your cardiac muscles and your eyes.

No one knows exactly what causes high blood pressure.  However, there are a number of risk factors and one of these is poor cardiovascular fitness.  Therefore, by improving your cardiovascular fitness through jogging you can reduce your blood pressure and avoid the associated complications.

3) INCREASED HDL (HIGH DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN) CHOLESTEROL:- HDL cholesterol (also known as good cholesterol) helps control your overall cholesterol levels by scraping your blood vessels for excess cholesterol and then carrying it to the liver where it can be processed and excreted.  If this excess cholesterol is not removed it may form plaque on your blood vessel walls which causes them to harden and become blocked.  This then restricts the flow of blood to and from your heart which (as discussed above) ultimately causes heart attacks and heart disease.  Improving your cardiovascular fitness increases your HDL cholesterol levels and in this way exercises such as jogging support a healthy heart and vascular system.

4) REDUCED RISK OF HEART DISEASE:- By improving your cardiovascular fitness your heart becomes stronger and more efficient.  A strong heart is more resistant to disease and is also under less pressure as it does not have to work as hard to pump blood around the body.  Improving your cardiovascular fitness also lowers your blood pressure and increases your HDL cholesterol levels which further protects you from heart disease.  Therefore, by jogging regularly you can increase your cardiovascular fitness and lower your heart disease risk.

5) IMPROVED ENDURANCE:- In simple terms oxygen allows your body to release and use the energy that you get from food.  The more efficient your body is at using oxygen the more energy you can produce during exercise.  As discussed above, improving your cardiovascular fitness increases the volume of oxygen you can take in with each breath, increases the amount of oxygen pumped with each heartbeat and increases the volume of oxygen your muscles absorb.  Therefore, regular jogging can increase the amount of energy your body produces which improves your overall endurance and allows you to jog for longer.

6) STRONGER BONES:- When your bones are placed under stress they are forced to adapt and this leads to an increase in bone mineral density.  Weight bearing exercises such as walking, jogging and weight lifting all stimulate an increase in bone mineral density.  The benefit of this is stronger bones that are less likely to bend, fracture and break.

7) REDUCED CANCER RISK:- Regular exercise such as jogging can significantly lower your risk for a number of cancers.  It is thought to reduce your colon cancer risk by as much as 50% plus it also lowers your chances of contracting breast cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer and prostate cancer.

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF DIABETES:- Jogging can act as a great defence against diabetes.  Although no one knows what causes diabetes a sedentary lifestyle and being overweight are two of the main risk factors.  Both of these risk factors can be negated by jogging regularly.  Pre-diabetes can also be prevented from developing into full type 2 diabetes by doing more exercise.  Even if full diabetes develops exercises such as jogging are a very effective treatment tool.

9) STRONGER IMMUNE SYSTEM:- There are a number of studies which link regular exercise with a strong immune system.  There are a number of reasons behind this.  First, regular exercise is thought to stimulate the production of lymphocytes (white blood cells) and macrophages (cells which attack bacteria).  Secondly, consistent exercise is believed to make immune system cells circulate through the body more quickly and also make them more efficient at fighting bacteria and viruses.

10) IMPROVED MENTAL FITNESS:- Jogging does not just impact your physical fitness – it has a positive effect on your mental fitness too.  First, it can build confidence and self image because you are constantly challenging yourself and changing the way your body looks.  Secondly, it can help you overcome anger and stress by giving you an escape from the pressures of day to day life.  Thirdly, it can boost your mood through the release of endorphins (hormones which produce a sense of happiness and well being).  Finally, it can help you become more focussed and determined as your will to succeed with your jogging becomes a skill that can be transferred to other areas of your life.

11) REDUCED BODY FAT LEVELS:- An average person burns about 150 calories per mile jogged.  So if you go for a five mile jog four times per week you will burn approximately 3000 extra calories each week (750 calories per jog).

Furthermore, cardiovascular exercises such as jogging can also increase the number of calories you burn whilst resting.  According to this article you can burn up to 15% more calories than normal in the 48 hours after you exercise.  So if your metabolism dictates that you burn 2000 calories a day you can potentially burn an extra 300 calories per day (2100 calories per week) from this post exercise boost.

The overall impact is a notable increase in calories burned per week.  Jogging can help you burn calories as you jog and whilst you rest.  Provided that you carry on eating the same as you were before you started jogging this should equate to a reduction in body fat levels.

12) IMPROVED SLEEP:- According to this article exercise (particularly in the morning) can help improve your sleep.  The study suggests that exercising in the morning helps people set their circadian rhythms to be awake during the day and asleep during the night.  Exercise also has a number of positive effects on your mental fitness (as discussed above) which are believed to help you relax and free your mind, making you ready to fall asleep at night.

As you can see jogging can be very good for both your mental and physical health.  If you go jogging a few times a week you can protect yourself from various diseases, improve your cardiovascular fitness, clear your mind and more.  So next time you have a spare half an hour or more why not grab your trainers and give it a go?

Now I’d like to hear from you guys.  Are there any health benefits I’ve missed?  Are you a jogger or not?  Let me know by leaving a comment.

Sources:
Cardiovascular Fitness (ASMI.org)
Exercise and Bone Density (My Food Diary)
Exercise and Immunity (About.com)
Exercise and Sleep (About.com)
How to Increase Endurance For Sports (Associated Content)
Hypertension and Heart Disease (Memorial Hospital)
Mental Benefits of Jogging (About.com)
Raising Your HDL Levels (About.com)
Running (Jogging) (Medicine.net)
Running Quotes (Quote Garden)

5 Reasons To Do More Jogging This Summer

“I always loved running… it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power.  You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs.” – Jesse Owens

“I believe that the Good Lord gave us a finite number of heartbeats and I’m damned if I’m going to use up mine running up and down a street.” – Neil Armstrong

In my experience jogging is like marmite.  Some people love it whilst others hate it.  I personally am one of those who loves jogging.  Not only is it a great way to keep fit but it I also find it quite relaxing and invigorating.  However, I understand that not everyone feels the same way about jogging.  A lot of people find it boring, repetitive and just cannot face it for long periods.  Whatever your opinion of jogging is I think summer is the perfect opportunity for everyone to do a little more.  In this article I am going to explain why and provide you with five reasons to do more jogging this summer.

1) YOU WILL GET SOME VITAMIN D:- One of the main reasons to try and do more jogging this summer is the sunshine.  If you live in the UK like me then you will know that sunshine is a very rare commodity.  So why not make the most of it by doing some jogging instead of hitting the gym?  Not only does it feel nice to be out in the summer sunshine but it also gives you a good dose of vitamin D.  Your body needs vitamin D so that it can properly absorb calcium and phosphorous which both support strong, healthy bones and teeth.

2) YOU CAN RELAX YOUR MIND:- In today’s modern, fast paced world there are very few opportunities for you to be alone with your thoughts.  When you are at work you are largely focussed on the tasks at hand.  Then when you get home there are various distractions such as the television, the Internet, family, friends and flatmates.  Even at the gym I find I can never truly relax my mind as there are other people to talk to and my mind constantly wanders with thoughts such as; “What exercise should I do today?”, “The machine I wanted to use is taken.  What should I do now?” etc.  However, when I go jogging I am completely free from distractions.  My mind is completely free to think about the day and any thoughts I have with no external distractions.  I personally find this is a great way to unwind, reflect, collect my thoughts and de-stress.

3) YOU CAN ENJOY YOUR MUSIC:- You might listen to music everyday.  Perhaps you listen to it in the car on your journey to and from work.  Maybe you are allowed to listen to it whilst you work.  However, in these situations do you really enjoy the music or do are you just using it as background noise whilst you concentrate on what you are doing?  I find that when I listen to music whilst doing other things it is nothing more than background noise.  Sure it is nice to listen to but I find in these situations the music is simply a tool to make the task I am doing more bearable.  However, when I go jogging and put my music on I really engage with the tunes.  I genuinely enjoy actually concentrating and listening to the songs as I jog and find that there are very few other times in the day when I can engage this much with my music.

4) IT HAS NUMEROUS HEALTH BENEFITS:- Jogging has numerous health benefits.  Although a lot of people argue that jogging has long term health implications others believe the risks are minimal and that the benefits far outweigh the risk.  So what are these benefits?  The most recognised benefit of jogging is that it increases your cardiovascular fitness.  This means your heart, lungs and muscles all become more efficient at using oxygen and experience less strain when doing so.  Jogging also increases your HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels and reduces blood pressure which combined with the cardiovascular benefits lowers your risk of heart attack and heart disease.  Furthermore, jogging helps you burn fat and tones your leg muscles.  On top of this jogging can help prevent a number of health ailments including cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis.  Finally, jogging can boost your immune system by promoting a higher concentration of lymphocytes (white blood cells).

5) IT’S FUN:- Some people may not agree but I find jogging a really fun exercise.  In fact it is probably my favourite exercise.  I definitely prefer it to lifting weights, cycling or swimming.  Personally, I think there’s not much that beats the feeling of satisfaction you get from running that extra mile, shaving a few seconds off your previous time, exploring a new jogging route or just the overall sense of mental freedom you get whilst out jogging.  In fact I think the quote from Jesse Owens at the start of this article perfectly summarises the feeling that jogging can give.

So there you have it.  If you are a jogging fan hopefully these reasons spur you on.  If you are not a jogging fan then hopefully this article has opened your mind (at least a little) to the possibility of participating in this exercise.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic.  Are you a jogging fan or not?  Do you agree with these benefits?  Do you have any other jogging benefits you would like to add?  Also what do you think of starting the article with a quote or two?  I think it’s quite a nice touch but you guys are the readers so please let me know.

Sources:
Benefits of Jogging and Running (Motley Health)
Running (Jogging) (Medicine.net)
Running Quotes (Quote Garden)
The Health Benefits Gained From Running And Jogging (24 Hr Fitness)
What is Running? (About.com)