The Basic Idea of Jogging, Part 1

Most exercise and fitness authorities regard jogging as not primarily to benefit the legs, but to strengthen the heart and lungs, thus preventing heart attacks.

The secondary benefits of jogging are cosmetics, emotional, and to calm the mind. But the heart is the target organ of a running program.

Heart disease is common among middle-aged people, and it is getting worse all the time. So, we are excited about jogging.

According to Robert Rodale, the jogging route to heart health is dependent on leg strength. Without healthy legs, we can’t stress the heart effectively by running. Therefore, we should all give very serious thought to building the strength of our legs before we take off on the running track. In other words, walk before we run.

Perhaps jogging would come a lot easier and be an instant pleasure if people were told that they should go on a walking program for three to six months first. It is the promise of almost immediate protection against heart attack and a rapid improvement in appearance and vigor that gets people out jogging. And more self-discipline would be required if a prospective jogger knew that those benefits would have to wait half a year, until a conditioning program were completed.

Preventing Injuries. The best way to prevent jogging injuries is to warm up properly and thoroughly. Walking can be very important to even the experienced jogger as a means to warm up before each workout. Advanced joggers tend to forget how important it is to take time to warm up thoroughly before asking the body to perform close to the limit of physical ability.

Some people need more time to warm up than others. So, a 15-minute walk is not too much before a jogging session.

For a young person, jogging itself may be considered so mild an excuse that it is good for warming up. But older people might be well advised to consider a good 10 to 15 minutes of walking as a logical preliminary to jogging.

Cooling Down Period. Just as important as warming up before exercising or jogging is a cooling down period. Keep in mind that walking is important after jogging.

If you run up to your back door and then go in and sit down, blood can pool in your legs as a result of the vigorous pumping action of the heart that is not matched by muscle action to clear blood from the veins.

So, finish up each jogging session with a cool-down walk.

(Part 2 will be posted next Monday, March 19, 2012)