Pick Up the Pace for Great Workout Results
The words “Let’s go for a walk” sound so much easier than “Let’s go for a jog”. The simple act of being air-borne for a split second can totally change the dynamics of the workout.
And that’s the whole point, according to Sheena Terro, exercise specialist with Dynamic Dimensions. “The health benefits increase as you ramp up your workout. As I train members here, they’ll tell me they’ve hit a plateau. They work out regularly, but they’re not seeing results like they used to. More times than not, I’ll increase their pace on the treadmill, even if it’s just for a few minutes, to get them up to a light jog. After a week or two, they see results.”
Many people think of jogging as unattainable or out of their league. They’re worried it’s too hard on their joints, or that they’re too overweight to jog. Terro says it’s always good to get a doctor’s approval before beginning any exercise program. “In my experience, most physicians are glad to hear their patient is being pro-active and doing something to better their health. Jogging, especially when mixed with walking, is a great way to increase the heart rate while still staying within a manageable workout for most people.”
Combining a brisk walk with brief bouts of jogging is often the best way to ease into a higher impact workout. Similar to interval training, where the type and intensity of exercise changes frequently, a mix of walking and jogging helps keep the heart rate up but is still manageable for most people.
Terro says bones are like muscles: use ‘em or lose ‘em. Because jogging is a moderately-high impact form of exercise, it does put stress on muscles and bones, and that’s what helps to strengthen them. “If your bones aren’t consistently stressed, they’ll become weak and brittle. Bones will respond to a moderately-high workout by growing stronger,” she explained, “and reducing your risk for osteoporosis.”
In addition to strengthening bones, jogging also strengthens muscles; an important one is the heart. As you jog, the heart must keep muscles supplied with oxygen. This effort strengthens the heart and helps reduce the risk of heart disease. Arteries, too, benefit from the increased pace. During a jog, the heart pumps harder to keep up with the body’s demand for oxygen. This increases the pressure flowing through the arteries and flushes them out, getting rid of fatty cholesterol deposits that may be clinging to the walls of the arteries. “Jogging regularly can keep arteries in good working order,” said Terro.
One of the biggest drawbacks many people have when it comes to jogging is how out of breath they get after a short time. Terro says this is because their respiratory system is out of shape. “Capillaries are small blood vessels that supply blood to the lungs. As you continue to jog consistently over time, the number of capillaries will increase, making your respiratory system more efficient. You’ll notice you don’t get out of breath as you move throughout the day.”
She advises starting with short bouts of jogging and gradually increasing over a period of weeks. Some soreness is expected, since muscles will be used in a different way, but won’t last as the exercise continues and fitness levels increase. “From a fitness perspective, it doesn’t make much of a difference if you jog on a treadmill or jog around your neighborhood. In our climate, it’s much more comfortable to exercise indoors. You’ll be more consistent, since weather isn’t a factor. But, on nice days, it’s great to enjoy the scenery by being outside. It’s a good idea to vary your work out to avoid boredom so a combination of both indoor and outdoor workouts can help.”
Pick up the pace during your next workout by add a little hop to your step. The results will speak for themselves.
