Jogging is one of the oldest and easiest form of exercise known to mankind.The main purpose of jogging is to maintain one’s tempo of a light run without causing much strain to the body. This is less taxing on the body, consumes much lesser energy and thereby, helps to sustain for a longer time.
Benefits of Jogging may be as follows:
#1. Warm up :
Ask any fitness fanatic, and they would vouch what a good warm up could do. And ask the same fanatic what’s the best and most simplest way to warm up? Voila a 10-15 minutes jog. There is nothing like a nice jog either on the threadmill or open ground to warm your body up for the rigours of more intense exercises.
#2. Helps in weight loss:
In this helter skelter world where burning calories is all that counts, a half an hour jog can easily burn upto 300 calories. Add to that it boosts ones Metabolism which is the fundamental reason behind weight loss. A healthy diet alongside regular jogging would help in shedding those extra kilo’s .
#3. Keeps the mind healthy:
Ever wondered why you almost always feel rejuvenated after a jog? The answer to that is, the body releases hormones called “Endorphins” that help in lifting the spirit and positivity. An early morning jog also lets one to breathe fresh air that is not tainted by external pollution.
#4. Good for the heart:
A healthy mind leads to a healthy heart. Jogging is an excellent cardiovascular workout that boosts the health of your heart. It helps to keep heart problems and diseases at bay. Jogging ensures that blood is pumped faster to the heart and, thus, maintains blood pressure. Cholesterol and blood glucose levels are also under control.
#5. Enhance Lung capacity:
Working alongside the heart is the lungs. When one jogs, substantial amount of oxygen is needed when compared to being sedentary, for example sitting idle on a couch. If respiratory functions are to be improved and strengthened then getting up and moving around is the way to do it. With consistent jogging, you will increase the lung’s intake capacity over time, meaning that eventually, you will be able to complete the same amount of exercise with less effort.
#6. Anti-ageing benefits:
Speaking of increasing lung capacity, jogging also requires that your whole body, including the skin requires you to take in more oxygen. This process happens with opening of the pores and sweat glands pushing out the unwanted liquids and taking in oxygens. The whole process keeps your skin glowing and ageing process is slowed down.
#7. Friendship:
Not a health benefit but hey, who doesn’t want to make new friends? A morning jog to the neighbourhood park on a consistent basis will get you aquainted with the other joggers and give you invaluable knowledge about the exercise routines they follow. If you are lucky you may even get yourself to be a part of a joggers/runners club.
#8. Motivation, Confidence and Great looks:
It takes a lot of effort to get yourself to the gym or get yourself out of the bed to make that jog a possibility. Motivating oneself is key and for that. Once that’s on track the next target is ‘Confidence’. A consistent schedule to jog will allow oneself to grow in confidence about oneself. Confidence goes hand in hand with a feel good factor. A person who feels good about oneself will always have a glow to them which in turn contributes to great looks.
#9. Helps in protecting one from negative effects of Stress:
There is something that a jog ticks in one’s brain that, it helps in better responses when put under a stressful situation. Studies have shown on testing mice who regularly are made to run on a wheel respond better to stressful situations than those that don’t get onto a wheel.
#10. Keeping spine flexible:
Now at the ripe old age of 50 who wouldn’t want to be a flexible band? You my ask how jogging is related to flexibility. In between the vertebrae in one’s back, there exists small and flexible discs which act like protective pads. The discs are nothing but sacs filled with fluid, that can shrink and wear out as one ages. This is especially true if the person in question leads a sedentary lifestyle. Also, sitting for long periods can really add to the pressure on these discs over time. An encouragement to get oneself out for a jog is that it preserves the size and flexibility of the said discs.
Do let us know how was the experience of your first morning jog ?
