Jogging is a well loved form of exercise that helps boost your energy levels and mood. Yet there are challenging aspects as well, such as sticking to your program day after day, week after week. Getting injured can is another challenge as it will really slow down your progress. Here are some tips to help keep you healthy and motivated to keep jogging.
It's critically important to do a pre and post jogging stretching routine. You'll have a better experience if you stretch the right way, and you will also go far to preventing certain kinds of injuries. Your muscles need to be warmed up, and they need to be as limber as possible before you begin running. It's also important to remind yourself to relax your mind and muscles while you are stretching. Remember that if you are too aggressive when you stretch you can actually cause injuries, so go slow - no bouncing. Never push to the point of pain when you stretch, and if you do feel pain immediately and "slowly" back off.
You really do want to stretch your legs, body, torso, shoulders, and everything so you're all warmed up. For those that haven't exercised in awhile, it's a good idea to talk to your doctor before you start jogging. This is especially true if you are overweight or have any health problems. Almost everyone can benefit from jogging, but your doctor may have certain advice for you based on your medical history. Because jogging can accommodate all fitness levels, you can start as slow or as fast as your comfortable with, which means your doctor will most likely encourage you to give it a try. It's still a good idea to consult with him or her, however, in case there are any special precautions you should take.
Warming up before you run, or walk, and then warming down are both important - as well as proper stretching exercises. The point of warming down is to allow your body to adjust without experiencing extremes of activity. So it's really important so you don't experience tightness and injury to begin slow, run, and then slow down before coming to a walk. Be very sure you get in the habit of a pre-run stretching session, and then do a post-run stretch. Also, if desired, you can sit down and put your feet up so the level of your feet is above your heart, and what that does is it helps your heart return to normal.
Jogging is tremendously healthy and fun to do. You can jog to lose weight or get in great shape, and most people who do it find themselves doing it years later. There are very many more tips you can read about jogging and running, so keep reading and get started.
