When people are looking to burn fat and get in shape, cardio is often the first port of call.
This is quite appropriate for today’s article because today we’re going to be looking at the benefits of jogging.
Jogging is one of the easiest and most effective forms of cardio in existence, yet people often overlook just how beneficial and efficient it really is.
As you probably know, getting in shape can be tough, and losing weight can be even harder.
This is why there are so many fad diets out there and it’s why the weight loss industry is currently valued at billions of dollars and is one of the most lucrative and competitive in the world.
Despite all of these so-called miracle cures and solutions for obesity, the simple fact of the matter is that if we eat less and exercise more, we’ll lose weight very quickly and very effectively.
Forget about fad diets, complex workout routines, and expensive gym memberships, all you need to get fitter and healthier is a good pair of running shoes and the great outdoors (although a treadmill will also work well if the weather sucks).
The Health Benefits Of Jogging:
Here’s a look at several awesome benefits:
1. Get Some Fresh Air
One of the main benefits is the fact that it allows you to get out of the house and to get some fresh air.
Once 2020 is up, it’s safe to say that pretty much all of us will be in need of some fresh air as we’ll have seen way too much of our homes for one year, and jogging is therefore ideal.
Getting outdoors is good for your mental health, it helps you to get some fresh air, you can enjoy pleasant scenery whenever possible, and you can get more active.
2. Burn Fat
We won’t beat the bush here, when talking about the benefits, one of the most popular benefits is the fact that it allows you to burn fat.
How much fat you burn will depend on how much you jog, how hard you work, how far you travel, and your metabolism.
One hour of jogging, however, can potentially burn off upwards of 400 – 600 calories, which is certainly not to be sniffed at.
If you are overweight and looking to lose weight, jogging is perfect.
3. Jogging Can Be Fun
If you’re sick and tired of doing the same workout every single week, you might want to consider trying your hand at a spot of jogging.
Jogging is great because it’s different and so it allows you to mix up your training and try something you probably weren’t previously used to before.
Jogging can be more enjoyable than a regular workout on the treadmill, and if your training is fun, you’re likely to work harder as a result.
4. Jogging Builds Up Your Muscles
We’re not trying to pull the wool over anybody’s eyes here, so we won’t claim that jogging will magically transform you into a musclebound bodybuilder because it won’t.
If you’re looking to build serious muscle, you’ll need to train with weights.
If however, you’re looking to simply tone up your muscles and increase lean muscle mass slightly, jogging is ideal.
Jogging builds lean muscle, especially in the legs, so you can build a set of toned and powerful, muscular legs in no time at all.
5. Jogging Tones The Muscles
Not only does jogging help to increase lean muscle, but another of the many benefits is the fact that it helps to tone the muscles too.
If you want to look leaner, more ripped, and more defined, jogging is the perfect activity to do precisely that.
Jogging will help to burn fat so the rest of your body will look leaner, though as far as muscle tone goes, jogging is great for toning your leg muscles and leaving them looking leaner and more toned than ever.
6. Jogging Is Great For The Heart
If you’re looking to improve your cardiovascular health, jogging is the perfect exercise and activity to do precisely that.
The heart is one of the most important organs in the body and heart disease is the world’s biggest killer. Therefore, keeping your heart fit and healthy is more important than ever.
Jogging is a wonderful cardio exercise that boosts circulation, reduces blood pressure, strengthens the heart, and a whole lot more besides too.
7. Jogging Helps Reduce Harmful Cholesterol Levels
Another of the many benefits is that it has been found to help reduce dangerous LDL cholesterol levels in the body.
LDL cholesterol is the harmful cholesterol that can clog your arteries and lead to heart disease, heart attack, stroke, blood clots, hypertension, renal failure, and a whole lot more besides.
Jogging helps to reduce LDL cholesterol and boost healthy HDL cholesterol which has been found to help lower LDL cholesterol in the body.
8. Great For Your Mental Health
Right now, mental health issues are more serious than ever before, and if we aren’t careful, that is only going to get worse in the foreseeable future.
Mental health disorders are estimated to affect 1 in 4 people at some point in their lives, and regardless of how strong you may feel, they can affect you at any time without warning.
Exercise such as jogging is one of the most effective ways of dealing with mental health issues as it can help to boost endorphins which make you feel happy, relaxed, and content.
Not only that but as you begin to look better, you’ll feel more confident as well, which is hugely beneficial.
9. Jogging Can Boost The Immune System
Keeping your immune system strong and healthy is important regardless of current events in the world, yet when it comes to jogging, this is another relatively unknown benefit that we’re going to highlight today.
Though experts are not quite sure why this is, it has been found that jogging and exercise, in general, can significantly improve your immune system, helping to protect you against illness and disease.
10. Jogging Promotes A Good Night’s Sleep
Insomnia can leave people feeling miserable, as well as physically and mentally drained.
If you aren’t sleeping, life, in general, becomes a real struggle which is why it’s so important to get enough sleep each night.
Jogging is ideal for people who can’t sleep because it’s so physically demanding, meaning that the more you do, the more energy you’ll burn and the more exhausted you will feel.
Not only that, but jogging also boosts endorphins and hormones which promote a good night’s sleep.
11. Great Way To Meet People
If you’re looking to meet new people, make new friends, or simply socialize a little bit more, jogging is a great way to meet people.
If you head online you’ll find a series of jogging groups whereby you meet up and go jogging around various routes, either local or further afield if you so wish.
The great thing about meeting people in this way is that you’re already sharing similar interests, so the ice is already broken and you’ll have something to talk about right off the bat.
12. Jogging Can Protect The Joints
If you jog with improper form, and/or wear the wrong type of footwear, you will likely find that you experience some pain and discomfort.
However, with that said, jogging if done right, can be very beneficial for the joints as it can help to strengthen them and protect them.
13. No Gym Needed
During lockdowns and quarantines, a lot of people found that their local gyms were forced to close for several weeks, meaning that a lot of people had to find an alternative way of exercising.
Over the last several months, the number of people jogging has increased dramatically, due largely to the fact that people tried it and enjoyed it.
The good thing about jogging is the fact that there is no gym needed when you jog, so if you want to get a workout in you needn’t worry about traveling to the gym, or fighting through large crowds to get to a specific piece of kit.
You can go jogging anywhere, at any time, making it ideal for people who don’t always have access to a gym.
14. Jogging Can Help You To Save Money
Another lesser-known benefit is the fact that it can save you money.
If you take up jogging as a hobby, it’s one of the more affordable hobbies out there, especially compared with something such as cycling or mountain biking for example, which can cost thousands.
Really, for the basics, all you need is a decent pair of sprinting or running shoes and some comfortable running clothes and you’re all set.
If you choose to make jogging your primary source of exercise, you also won’t have to worry about gym memberships or fuel expenses for traveling.
15. Jogging Increases Your Stamina And Endurance
Sick and tired of getting winded after walking a few yards?
If so, jogging is ideal.
Jogging increases your lung capacity which will allow you to utilize more oxygen and exercise for a longer duration of time before you begin to feel tired and fatigued.
Jogging is great for building up your fitness levels, endurance, and your stamina, so you’ll be able to physically exert yourself for longer before you begin to tire.
16. Jogging Will Improve Athletic Performance
Another awesome benefit of jogging is the fact that it will help to improve your athletic performance as well.
Just take a few moments to stop and think about just how many different sports out there actually require you to run?
Seriously, you probably can’t even name them all, we know we can’t, but what we do know is that there are a lot.
Jogging will help to increase your speed, stamina, and endurance which will carry over into countless different sports and activities.
17. Jogging Helps Reduce Blood Pressure
Even though we’ve looked at the cardiovascular benefits, we haven’t yet looked at how jogging helps to reduce blood pressure, but we’re about to now.
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is one of the world’s biggest killers as it can lead to heart attacks, strokes, heart disease, organ failure, and more besides.
To make matters worse, it is very difficult to detect unless you have your blood pressure checked.
Jogging has been found to significantly reduce blood pressure, which in turn could potentially save your life and help you to avoid a life on medication, which itself can provide some very nasty side effects.
18. Jogging Can Improve Flexibility
Finally, another of the amazing benefits that we’re going to look at today is the fact that jogging has been found to help improve flexibility.
Jogging can help to persevere the size, structure, and health of vertebrae discs in your back which would ordinarily begin to wear out as you age, resulting in a lack of flexibility and mobility.
Therefore, if you suffer from back issues or if you simply just have flexibility issues, jogging is the perfect activity to help ease your pain and discomfort.
Final Thoughts:
So, that just about brings us to a close today.
We hope that you’ve enjoyed this look at the many benefits of jogging and we hope that we’ve inspired you to lace up your running shoes and take part in more jogging when you’re looking for an effective fasted cardio workout.
Jogging is easy, it’s free, and it’s super good for you, so what are you waiting for?
