Learn How to Jog with These Simple Jogging Tips

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14. Do you have appropriate clothing? Lay in a supply of cotton or wool athletic socks. Clean, good socks are a must for comfort and in order to avoid blisters. You will notice that some joggers wear no socks, and this is fine if it is comfortable for you. Make sure your clothing doesn't bind you. An expensive warm-up suit may help your motivation, but an inexpensive sweat suit is just as appropriate. Many men prefer an athletic supporter. Many women prefer a bra. If you are comfortable in one, fine; however, jogging without them is in no way dangerous, does not lead to sagging, and is not unhealthy unless you have a special need for support.

If it is a hot day dress coolly and loosely. If it is cold, dress in layers so you can add or subtract as the temperature changes. The lone woman jogger should jog with a heightened consciousness of the weirdos of the world. Perhaps jogging is best restricted to daylight hours. When this isn't possible, skipping rope or running in place is an excellent jogging substitute.

Warming up

A warm-up should have two parts, the first being to stretch muscles and joints before taking your first jogging step. The second part of a good warm-up involves using the muscles that are going to be involved while jogging: the cardiovascular system and legs. This is done by beginning your jog slowly, allowing your body to become adjusted to the new demands you are putting on it before picking up your pace. This will usually take 5 — 10 minutes.

There are some generalizations about warm-up: The better shape you're in the longer it will take to warm up and really stretch; the colder the day the harder it will be to warm up; warm-ups are usually too short and too lazy rather than too long and too vigorous. The better you warm up the better you will be prepared to have a safe, enjoyable, injury-free jog.

Beginning a Twelve-week Jogging Program

The jogging program outlined here can be performed by most males and females of all ages. Perhaps the most difficult skill to learn in jogging is that of pace, discovering exactly how fast to jog and how rapidly to progress. Because individuals are at different levels of fitness, some will be able to progress through an entire 12-week program in a few weeks, others may take months before they can successfully complete our minimum definition of fitness. This is up to you. The important thing is not to hurry. Hurrying and rushing are the building blocks of failure. Don't hold yourself back if you're ready for the next step, but don't feel compelled to move to the next step if you're not thoroughly familiar and comfortable with your current schedule. Knowing when to speed up, when to slow down, and when to stop is the essential art of jogging and physical well-being.

Getting What You Want from Jogging

As strange as it may seem, the body adapts to stress during your rest periods, not during the jogging itself. Because rest and relaxation are so important to successful jogging, we recommend six days of work a week and one full day of rest. The schedule of your six work days should alternate between hard (long) and easy (short) days, thus allowing plenty of rest between your longer workouts.

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