We ALL can start jogging if we want to. All you need is to decide that you WANT to start and figure out why you WANTED to jog.
Are you doing this because you want to lose weight? Relieve stress? Improving your health? Or do you want to have FUN with jogging?
Once you decide and know why you want to jog, getting started is easy.
So not only is it easy to start jogging, but you can keep on jogging as part of your healthy lifestyle – Once you’ve taken the first step.
And that is, to strap on that jogging shoes and get going!
6 Steps to Help You Start
YOU are ready to start, aren’t you?
Now let me show you how you can get going…
1. You Should Consult Your Doctor First
Can you jog or run without consulting your doctor? You could, but I recommend talking to your doctor first about your decision to start jogging.
Especially if you…
- Have been living in a sedentary lifestyle or have NOT been exercising (basically, you’re couch potato)
- Have past or present medical illnesses such as – High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease, Diabetes, etc
- Are overweight and have difficulty in breathing when doing strenuous activity
- Are pregnant
- Are recovering from injuries
2. Get the Right Pair of Jogging Shoes
So what’s the deal with all this “Getting the right jogging shoes” anyway? Can you wear any sports shoes to jog?
Again – you could, but I am sure you want to start jogging and have a pleasurable jogging experience, right? In that case, you need to invest some time in getting the right pair of shoes that fit your needs.
Your “Investment” would really take care of you when jogging when you are pounding away the pavement or hitting the track, as it protects you from getting an unnecessary injury.
Get this – Good jogging shoes don’t have to be expensive either.
3. Wear Something Comfortable
You can wear just about ANY-thing that you feel comfortable with, and that does NOT restrict your movement. It doesn’t have to be fancy if you don’t want to.
But even so, getting yourself good clothing meant for running or jogging is worth your money as these clothes are designed to keep you cool and comfortable during jogging. This makes a HUGE difference in your mood and can even improve your performance.
And while we are into that, why not get yourself a nice portable mp3 player? Jogging while listening to your favorite songs can really give you motivation and makes you feel GOOD!
4. Eat and Drink Before You Start Jogging
Like a car, it needs fuel in the tank and water in the coolant. Without it, your car wouldn’t move or might overheat, right?
You wouldn’t last long or go very far when you ran out of energy, right? And if you dehydrate, this could lead to heat injury.
So, PRE-jogging meals and hydration plan is important.
I suggest eating…
- A Bowl of Cereal or
- Low Fat Yogurt or
- Banana or
- Light sandwich
…At least 1 – 2 hours before jogging.
And eating gives you fuel that you need, that really helps you during your last 5 minutes or 800 meters of jogging.
5. Warm Ups Before Jogging
Ever wonder why top athlete or even regular jogger warm up their body before jogging? Why couldn’t you jog straight away?
Two problems may occur if you did that…
One is, you’ll soon be out of breath, as your heart and lungs are not yet ready (warmed up) for the sudden activity.
And number two is that you will get injured because cold and tight muscles are prone to injury such as pulled or tear.
Warming up and stretching helps to loosen up those muscles and improves blood circulation throughout your body.
It’s really easy to do, and it only takes a couple of minutes. The easiest way to warm up your body is walking for 2 – 3 minutes and adding other light exercises like jumping jacks, push-ups, etc… And don’t forget stretching.
So whatever exercise you want to start, ALWAYS and ALWAYS warm up your body and stretch those muscles first.
6. Begin to Jog (Or Walk for That Matter)
This is where it all gets exciting. This is where you BEGIN to jog. All of your preparation comes to this. Go ahead start jogging now.
Enjoy Jogging
As you jog…
FEEL the wind brushing against your face. FEEL your heartbeat begin to increase. FEEL your legs usher your forward. FEEL the feelings that you are on your way to living a much healthier lifestyle and start to feel GOOD about yourself…
Your “Maiden Jog” can be an enjoyable experience if you LET IT. You can jog as fast or slow as you like. The main thing is to feel good and enjoy every moment of it.
This is where jogging can turn into PASSION! So, enjoy it…
Jogging Tips For Beginner
If you are a beginner, jogging on flat terrain can feel much easier on your body than jogging on rocky ground, steep hills, or very soft ground.
Side stitches can be a bit painful. It’s a sharp pain, usually felt below your rib cage.
This cause by jogging in a rush, not breathing properly, and/or jogging immediately after a heavy meal.
Luckily it’s not dangerous. If you encounter one, slowly come to a stop and start walking. Start taking D – E – E – P breaths and exhale forcefully through your mouth. Your stitch will start going away.