Jogging has been considered as the best cardiovascular exercise because it can be performed for longer duration and without tiring yourself like in case of running. It is also known as an effective fat loss exercise because it is a high impact exercise. Well, both claims about this popular practice are very true, but if you jog daily and feeling yourself strained or joint aches then it is possible that jogging is the reason of that. Just like every exercise, jogging has also many benefits along with drawbacks and it is in us that how we are using it in our favor.
In order to do that, we have to familiarize ourselves to its pros and cons of Jogging
PROS
Increase life span
One hour jogging per week can increase your life for several years. A report from the Copenhagen City Heart study states that regular jogging can add five to six years to the lives of both genders. But strenuous jogging can decrease your life expectancy as well, therefore one should take precautionary measures while performing this exercise.
Weight management
If you jog at a moderate speed of ten minutes per mile regularly, then you can burn approximately 4.2 calories per hour for every pound of your body weight. As you get used to it, then you can take up running as well which can enhance the fat burning effect.
Improved metabolism
Jogging can improve your metabolic rate (the efficiency of the body to burn out calories) not only during the exercise but even after several hours of the exercise.
Reduce heart related problems
Jogging helps in maintaining a healthy heart by cutting down the risk of heart diseases by fifty percent, strengthening the cardiovascular system, improving blood circulation and increasing the capacity of the heart. A study from British Heart Foundation states that almost ten thousand cases of heart attacks can be prevented if people take up aerobic exercises like jogging.
Increased lung capacity
Our lungs are required to do more work whenever we do any exercise, especially in case of dynamic ones like jogging, running etc. to meet the oxygen requirements of the muscles. With a regular practice of aerobic exercises like jogging, your lungs become stronger, efficient and their oxygen holding capacity has also been increased.
Prevents osteoporosis
Regular jogging gives enhanced endurance to the bones and also helps in maintaining the thickness as well as building up the bones. As per the National Osteoporosis Society, jogging can make your bones stronger in spine and hip regions. But it can negatively affect in the case of those who are already suffering from osteoporosis.
CONS
Over exercise
Although, jogging has a positive effect on the muscles and joints, but only when, it is done in moderation. If you make it a compulsion and do it on a daily basis, then your body will not get time to repair the wear and tear of the tissues and thus you can experience muscle soreness, stress fractures, joint aches and shin splints. To avoid such situation, you can perform jogging for 30 minutes three times a week on alternate days.
Prone to injuries
You can injure yourself if you do not perform this exercise in a correct way as it is a high impact exercise. This practice requires good support for upper body, especially chest and great footwork. Choose your jogging shoes carefully and go for those ones which provide optimal support to your foot strike. Jogging with worn out shoes or improperly fitting can cause injuries like runner’s knees, blisters, shin splints and stress fractures.
Demands commitment and motivation
This exercise requires lots of motivation and commitment to get longer lasting effects. If you enjoy the exercise then it is good, but if you feel bored or discouraged then you are more likely to give it up. Therefore, you can ask your friends or family to accompany you in your jogging session. The other alternate is listening music while jogging, but don’t do it while running on the road.
Premature wrinkles
Some studies blame jogging for premature aging and wrinkles. It is believed that the constant bouncing of muscles and skin during the exercise cases the damage to the elastic tissue that is responsible for the firmness in the skin.