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Make Exercise Fun and Eliminate Stress

 

July 18, 2010 By Tom Leave a Comment

A woman on a pink exercise ball in an empty field.

Hello everyone.  Today’s article is a guest post from Jim Rollince.  Jim currently oversees all creative writing at http://www.gymsource.com/ and is an expert in home gym equipment.

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For years now it’s been the same routine- get up; go to work; drive straight to the gym and follow simple, mundane weight lifting instructions on a notepad. This was up until about a year ago, when I discovered that this habitual practice was demoralizing and ultimately making me miserable. Sure, life can be routine, but it’s in that routine that we can exercise our creativity to conjure up new ways to make fitness exciting.

For some people, this could mean simple tweaks in their written/routine free-weight exercises, starting with chest and ending the week with arms. For others, it’s about hopping on that bike and/or treadmill and running that extra five miles a day. It’s my strong recommendation that you immerse yourself in a solid mix of cardio and free weight exercises as not to create boredom, or lack of will. BUT, don’t make your schedule the same each week; spontaneity is key! Sure, there are those who say they’ve come to learn to love what they do, charming the same weight-lifting regimen weekly while avoiding anything irregular as not to “tarnish” their workout. Learning to love however, is different from naturally engaging in something that’s enjoyable.

Routines can be easy, and not very strenuous; but after all, they are just routines. So it’s with my dear advice that as practitioners of exercise and fitness we teach ourselves new things, while also teaching our body the same. This is inherently true with things like dance. More specifically, Zumba is an excellent example of something different, fun, and unique. The ability to genuinely enhance cardiovascular function and endurance, while practicing muscle memory routines effectively exercises the whole body. And simply put, it’s fun.

The most practical and enjoyable way to stay in shape undoubtedly is by playing sports. Joining a soccer league on Sundays or perhaps playing something as simple as intramural dodge ball or kickball can successfully burn thousands of calories in just one day. The sheer competitive nature of these athletic activities drives the body further and beyond, and although strenuous at times, people crave the struggle and willingness to become better. There comes a certain rush that comes with fast paced activities, which brings me to my next point.

These could include anything from dance to karate and MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). Again, most of these practices are very difficult to mimic at an ordinary gym.  You can certainly find out more from top trainers/classes at pristine establishments like MMA Industries.

Things like mountain climbing, biking, quad-racing, fishing, golfing, etc… – These are all great ways to actively stay in shape, and they’re quite enjoyable as well! A sudden increase in endorphins will surely make anybody’s day brighter. Also, almost all of these activities take place outdoors, which captures much needed vitamins from the sun, further enhancing the overall experience. Keep in mind however, it is important to get your heart rate up every now and then, so switching on and off amongst these and cardiovascular exercises (i.e. – treadmills) will keep your body guessing while enhancing overall fitness.

Sports and Dance are both a leisurely and/or competitive practice, but can also be the most effective way to exercise. Treadmills and ellipticals will shed weight and enhance muscle strength/endurance, but will never capture the soul and rhythm that dance makes so enjoyable. Meanwhile, the competitive nature and drive that comes with playing sports will always be an important part of everybody’s lives.  But again, it’s important to diversify your fitness, and be able to incorporate pleasure and strain. Attempt to pull one’s self away from everyday fitness equipment and home gyms; pick up a class of Zumba and/or sign up for an intramural softball league and you’ll be on your way to a healthier, more enjoyable lifestyle.

Jim Rollince is a representative from the web relations department of Gym Source. He currently oversees all creative writing efforts and is an expert in home gym equipment.

Filed Under: Fitness Training, Guest Posts Tagged With: , , , ,

 

Top 7 Most Common Sports Injuries

 

May 8, 2010 By Tom 1 Comment

An injured runner sitting on a track.

Hello everyone.  Today’s article is a guest post from Andrew Salmon.  Andrew is an Amazon featured freelance writer who writes on a number of products including health and fitness.

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Being active is essential to living well and feeling good and playing sports is a great way to maintain one’s fitness level. But exercise is not without its hazards. Here is a list of the top seven most common sports injuries.

1. Muscle Pull

This is the #1 most common sports injury because it can happen to almost any muscle in the body. A ‘pull’ occurs when some of the muscles fibres stretch and tear. Proper warm ups can help prevent these from happening.

2. Shin Splints

This painful injury occurs in the muscles near and around the shinbone. Shin splints are usually caused by running or jumping on hard surfaces, though simple overuse is also a cause.

3. Tennis Elbow

Improper technique while playing tennis over-stresses the forearm tendon or if the arm has atrophied due to disuse, this type of injury can occur. Strengthening the forearm muscles is the best treatment. Also taking lessons in the sport causing the injury will prevent it from re-occurring.

4. Runner’s Knee

The most common form of sports-related knee pain is runner’s knee and it is due to a misalignment of the kneecap in its groove where the kneecap pulls off to one side, wearing out the cartilage at the side of the knee. Strengthening the quadriceps (thigh) muscles will alleviate the problem.

5. Ankle Sprains

These can occur while exercising or stepping out of the car. Prevention is by means of merely strengthening the foot and ankle area by exercising the muscles and maintaining flexibility.  However, once the injury occurs, one has to simply ride it out.

6. Lower Back Strain

Evolution hasn’t quite caught up with the fact that humans now walk upright rather than on all fours. Using four limbs to get around spreads stress along the entire length of the spine, whereas walking upright on two limbs localizes the majority of the stress on the lower back. Throw in sports-related activity and that stress increases dramatically. Strengthening the back and abdominal muscles reduces risk. Also stretching and flexibility are the remedy here.

7. Cramps

Everyone is familiar with this sports-related injury. And, although they can be debilitating, they are usually the easiest injury to treat as they are mostly caused by simple dehydration. The cure: drink lots of water while exercising. Cramps can also be caused by a lack of flexibility.

As you can see with most of the items on this list, a low level of overall physical fitness causes common injuries. Stretching and flexibility keeps the muscles ready and able to endure the demands put upon them by your sport of choice. Also, the best treatment is prevention. Always warm up and stretch before any form of exercise. These injuries are minor annoyances but can escalate over time and cause much more serious and debilitating injuries down the line.

Remember your body has to get you from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’ for the rest of your life so it’s in your best interest to keep it free of break downs.

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Andrew Salmon is a freelance writer, who, in addition to writing on health and financial topics like disability insurance, is also a published author who has been featured on Amazon.

Filed Under: Guest Posts, Sports Injuries Tagged With: , , , ,

 

Stationary Exercise Bikes: The Best Bikes For Losing Weight

 

April 9, 2010 By Tom 3 Comments

A group of women working out on stationary exercise bikes.

Hello everyone.  Today’s article is a guest post from Scott Gray.  Scott Gray is currently a fitness enthusiast who enjoys providing health and fitness tips to people looking to lose weight and get in shape. He maintains a fitness web site where you can find tips to help reduce your belly fat and find the best stationary exercise bikes.

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Not everyone can get outdoors for the perfect run, walk or the perfect bike ride. That’s why most exercise tips include the buying of an indoor piece of exercise equipment like a stationary exercise bike.

Stationary exercise bikes are an excellent source of exercise and fit in a fairly small space. They don’t stress the feet and they keep your back posture good while you’re exercising. Using an exercise bike can be fun and can provide you with an excellent workout without ever having to leave your home.

Your best bet in choosing an exercise bike is to go to a big store where you can try out the different brands and styles. It can even be a new and used exercise equipment shop if you want to save money.

There are stationary bikes with magnetic resistance, bikes with mechanical resistance and recumbent exercise bikes. An upright cycle looks like a regular road bike in which the rider is upright and vertical. A recumbent bike has the rider leaning against a backrest with the legs sitting out in front. You get a better workout on an upright cycle.

An upright cycle allows the rider to move more and they can ride while standing up or be seated in a racing position. Try out both the recumbent and upright exercise bicycle at the store and see how your back and legs feel while riding the equipment.

Buy the bike you like but before you do be sure to check out online for the best deal. In the world of stationary exercise bikes, it doesn’t pay to buy the cheapest one and expect it to do the job of one of the higher end bicycles. In most cases, you should buy a higher quality upright or recumbent bike and allow it to give you a long life of safe riding.

You will pay for quality but it will be worth it when you exercise. If you start having fun on your exercise bike, you will want to exercise more.

A few tips when buying stationary bikes include the following:

  • Anytime you have small children in your home, you should strongly consider having a shrouded wheel and a shrouded chain so that kids’ fingers can’t get into the mechanics of the bicycle.
  • If your model has a monitor, you need to be able to reach the monitor very easily so you can do things like adjust the tension when you need to. The model should show you the distance, speed, calories expended, resistance level and time. Fancier models will have more things on the monitor like preplanned exercise routines.
  • The better bikes are sturdy and heavier but even those should have wheels to move the bike around when necessary.
  • You should consider stationary bikes with magnetic resistance, which are quieter than those with mechanical existence.
  • Having a heart rate monitor is a good idea because it lets you set a pace for yourself which is the best for fat burning or cardio levels. A good bike will have a cordless strap for your chest that measures heart rate. This is more accurate than bicycles that have a hand-grip monitor. Cheaper bikes may offer a cordless chest trap as an option.

Buying a stationary exercise bike takes a lot of time and research. You need to pick out one that best suits your needs and budget but one that’s not to cheap. Exercise bikes take a lot of pounding so you’ll want a bike that holds up under pressure.

Filed Under: Cycling, Guest Posts Tagged With: , , , , ,

 

The Key To Keeping Your Joints Healthy

 

November 25, 2009 By Tom 3 Comments

Hey everyone.  Today I have a guest post for you from Scott Wood.  Scott works with Natures Best – a supplement company with a difference.  Not only are they UK based but they stick to GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards which means you can be sure you are purchasing a quality product.

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As you grow older you may start to feel the effects of day to day exercise on your joints. Whether it is your runner’s knees or creaky tennis elbow, all can cause discomfort, especially if untreated. Without proper care these problems could snowball into conditions such as osteoarthritis and severe joint pain.

Luckily though, there are numerous preventative courses you can take to lessen the damage caused to your joints by your daily activity. In this article, I hope to give some simple tips that you can put into practice to lessen the load on your joints and keep those creaks at bay.

Maintain gentle exercise to maintain supple joints

By keeping your joints active (but not overdoing it…) you keep the fibres and tendons around the joints supple, which will help to improve the overall flexibility of the joint. If your muscles can cope with more stresses and forces, then this will naturally take this impact away from your joint, this helping to preserve its precious cartilage. Cartilage is the compound found within joints, which acts a lubricant to prevent the bones from rubbing together and causing pain.

You could strengthen your joints by perhaps trying to walk more. A walk that lasts 30-60 minutes is a good level of exercise for each day. Alternative if you have trouble with your mobility, why not take up yoga classes or swimming, which are both a great way to develop your core strength without too much strain on your body. Swimming for example helps to develop your strength gradually, as your muscles are put under slight resistance by the water every time you move.

Keep on top of your diet

We have numerous nutrition based articles on the site that may be of value, but i cannot stress enough how much a well rounded diet can help your joints, but also your overall wellbeing. Take care to eat plenty of grains, vegetables, fruit and fresh fish. The essential oils in oily fish like mackerel for instance are high in Omega 3s, which are great for your joints.

Failing that, you could also top up your daily fish oil intake in supplement form or go for a glucosamine equivalent. Glucosamine is actually the compound found within your cartilage, which helps to keep your joints well lubricated.

It can be difficult to reverse the effect of long term joint problems, but with enough care and attention, small changes to your lifestyle can impact greatly on the health of your joints and overall wellbeing. Be sure to keep active, eat well and get plenty of rest and your body will thank you later in life!

Filed Under: Guest Posts, Joint Care Tagged With: , , , ,

 

10 Reasons You Should Walk 10 Miles A Week

 

October 25, 2009 By Tom 13 Comments

Hey everyone.  Today I have a guest post for you from Mary Ward.  Mary operates in the field of nursing and has a website dedicated to helping you get a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).  If you want to start a career in nursing I highly recommend you check out Mary’s website after reading her informative article.

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Walking is one of the gentlest workouts, yet so very approachable. That’s what makes so many people turn to this form of exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and here are some excellent additional benefits.

1) GENTLE ON THE BODY:- Though walking can burn some serious calories, it is also pretty gentle on the body.  So for those wishing to engage in some form of cardio or working through an injury, walking is an excellent activity.

2) ANYBODY CAN DO IT:- It doesn’t matter if you’re an avid workout worshipper or if you’re just starting out.  If you have a lot of weight to lose or just want to keep in shape—walking is great for everyone!  It helps to tone you up, burn some calories and it’s so approachable that anybody can do it.

3) EXCELLENT CARDIO:- If you need to get in your cardio throughout the course of a week but aren’t sure how to do it, turn to walking.  You just don’t realize how much cardio walking can offer, and if you shoot for a goal such as 10 miles a week, you are sure to fill in your cardio requirement.

4) HELPS TO CLEAR YOUR HEAD:- If you maintain a cardio activity such as walking each and every week, it can help not only with your physical health but your mental as well.  Getting out and walking, particularly on a regular basis such as 10 miles a week, can help you to clear your head and focus on your health.  That’s always good for every aspect of well being!

5) GREATLY BENEFITS WEIGHT LOSS EFFORTS:- Many people turn to power walking for big weight loss results—and it really works!  If you make your goal reachable yet something to work for, then you are sure to burn some major calories in the process.  Walking is a great exercise to turn to if you want to burn some major calories, and aiming for 10 miles per week is an excellent way to accomplish your weight loss goals.

6) PREVENT HEALTH CONDITIONS:- Exercise combined with proper diet as part of a healthy lifestyle can help to prevent certain health conditions.  If you turn to walking as part of your healthy regimen, you can help in the prevention of high cholesterol and even cancer.  So walk to your health!

7) BUILDS UP THE ENERGY:- We all know that if you exercise, you will get instant energy.  If you work towards the goal of walking 10 miles per week, you will be amazed at the amount of energy it provides.  You will feel a natural energy that keeps you going all day long!

8) GOOD FOR GOAL BUILDING:- If you’ve always wanted to be better about exercise but were intimidated, use a regular walking regimen to help you create goals.  Working towards the goal of 10 miles of walking each week ensures that you have a realistic and very reachable goal for a solid week, and you may just build upon that as time goes on.

9) YOU CAN DO IT ANYWHERE:- Walking doesn’t require fancy equipment or a gym membership, because you can do it anywhere!  If it’s nice out, you can take your walks outside.  If the weather isn’t cooperating you can hit the mall.  There is always a way to walk it out!

10) KEEPS YOU HEALTHY:- If you want to look good, feel good, and stay healthy, then walking is an excellent way to do so.  Walking keeps you feeling good, helps to prevent you from getting sick, and ensures that you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

If you needed a good reason to start a regular walking regimen, pick from any on the list.  Walking is an excellent form of exercise, and anybody can do it!  So try it out, keep with your goal, and see how regular walking can change your life.

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M. Ward writes about how to get a BSN online.

Filed Under: Guest Posts, Walking Tagged With: , , ,

 

The Key To A Successful Workout

 

September 27, 2009 By Tom 3 Comments

Hey everyone.  Today I have a guest post for you from Rafi Bar-Lev.  Rafi previously wrote articles for his blog The Fitness Adviser – http://thefitnessadviser.com/ but has now expanded his online presence and created the online fitness community Passionate Fitness – http://www.passionatefitness.com/.  At Passionate Fitness you can upload picutres, make friends, submit and read articles use the forums and more.  It’s a really great place to meet like minded people and I recommend you check it out after reading his article.

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Do you ever wonder what really makes your workout successful? Why sometimes you hit the gym for 20 minutes and feel like you accomplished more than when you spend two hours there? In this article you’ll find out out how to make every workout a successful one.

The Importance of Getting Your Heartbeat Up

Have you ever seen people at the pool who are overweight despite swimming for an hour a few times a week? Do you ever notice that they tend to be very good swimmers and never really exert themselves too much? The only way to really get your metabolism going and to really make your workout work is to get your heartbeat going during the exercise. If you’re not breathing hard at least during part of your workout, then you’re doing something wrong.

Using Interval Training to Enhance Your Workout

A great way to ensure you get your heartbeat going and maximize your workout is to use interval training, which studies have shown to be extremely effective. Interval training is essentially doing short bursts of intense exercise, taking a rest, and repeating in sets. It can be applied to pretty much any kind of workout, whether sprinting, swimming, or even body weight exercises. Here’s an example of how you might apply interval training to body weight exercises:

With no rest in between the exercises, do:

- 20 push ups
- 1 minute plank
- 4 pull ups

After that set of those exercises done quickly, rest for 1 minute, and while your still tired continue to the next set. Repeat for a total of 3 sets.

The example that I gave you is actually a variation of one of the workouts recommended to do before trying out for the navy seals. It works so well by applying interval training and combining physical strength with cardiovascular strength and stamina. Essentially…it gets your heart beat up which is the key.

Putting Your All Into Your Workouts

When it comes down to it, you get the most out of your workouts when you put the most into your workouts (seems logical, right?). To make sure that your workout is a successful one, put your all into it and push yourself to do that one extra repetition.

So what are you waiting for? Go out there and give it your all!

Filed Under: Fitness Training, Guest Posts Tagged With: , , ,

 

5 Ways To Make Jogging More Fun

 

August 22, 2009 By Tom 18 Comments

“I don’t think jogging is healthy, especially morning jogging.  If morning joggers knew how tempting they looked to morning motorists, they would stay home and do sit-ups.” – Rita Rudner

As you can see from the above quote jogging is not everyone’s cup of tea.  For some people jogging provides a great mental and physical release.  However, other people find jogging boring and unnecessary.  If you are one of the people who does not like jogging then this article is for you.  Today I am going to discuss five ways that you can make jogging more fun.

1) MIX UP THE PACE:- Jogging along for long periods of time at the same pace can get boring.  So why not mix it up by throwing in some sprints?  Perhaps you could jog for two minutes then sprint for one minute.  If you are listening to music why not jog during the verses and then sprint during the chorus?  By mixing up the pace at which you jog it suddenly becomes a lot more interesting as you rapidly change speed at regular intervals.

2) ADD SOME RESISTANCE:- One way to make jogging a lot more challenging is to add some resistance.  Adding resistance does make you slower but allows you to build strength as you jog.  On top of this adding resistance can be a good way to improve your overall jogging speed.  If you add resistance slowly and try to maintain your jogging speed then you should be able to jog faster once the resistance is removed.

There are many ways that you can add resistance as you jog.  One of my favourites is to wear a rucksack which contains a few bottles of water.  Another method is to wear ankle or wrist weights whilst you jog.

3) MAKE IT MORE PRACTICAL:- One of the reasons people find jogging boring is that they see no purpose to it.  They jog from point A to point B and then back to point A again and see this as a pointless exercise.  However, if you are jogging to get somewhere you need to be it becomes a lot more fun.

There are a number of ways you can make jogging more practical.  One of my personal favourites is to make it part of your weekly shop.  If the local supermarket is within jogging distance then take a large rucksack, jog down, do your shopping and jog back.  Not only will this save you a little petrol money but it will also add some resistance to your jog on the way back.  Whilst this idea is not feasible for everyone (if you are shopping for a full family you probably cannot carry it all in a rucksack) there are plenty of similar methods you can employ to make jogging more practical.  For example, if you are meeting family or friends locally why not jog instead of taking the car?

4) DON’T JUST JOG:- If you find jogging boring but really enjoy other exercises why not do both?  When jogging outdoors there is plenty of opportunity to do pull ups (just find a sturdy tree branch or use the climbing frame in your local park), press ups, sit ups, crunches, planks, leg raises, squats, stretches and more.  So if you really cannot stand long jogs why not jog for five minutes then do a few press ups?  After this jog for a few more minutes then do a few squats.  Alternatively why not try bodyweight soccer sprints.  By adding the above exercises to your jog you will not only make it more fun but you will also get a fuller workout and exercise more of your muscles.

5) MAKE A PLAYLIST:- For me music can really make or break a workout.  One of the best ways to add some excitement to jogging (if you do not particularly enjoy it) is to make a playlist of your favourite tunes.  You can then listen to these tunes as you jog.  I find the time really flies by if you jog along to your favourite songs and it becomes a lot more fun as you jog to the music.

If you are not a fan of jogging then I hope this article appeals to you.  All the above are techniques I have used in the past to make my jogging more versatile and fun.  So if you find yourself avoiding jogging on a regular basis try one of my ideas.  You never know…you might even surprise yourself and enjoy it.

What do you guys think?  Are the above good ways to make jogging more fun?  Do you have any more ideas for making jogging more exciting.  Let me know by commenting on this post.

Sources:
Running Quotes (Quote Garden)

Filed Under: Featured, Jogging Tagged With: , , , ,

 

Early Morning or Late Evening – What is the Best Time to Jog?

 

August 19, 2009 By Tom 8 Comments

“You have to wonder at times what you’re doing out there. Over the years, I’ve given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement.” – Steve Prefontaine

In my last few articles I have been looking at jogging in detail.  I’ve covered the mental benefits and the physical benefits.  Today I want to focus on something slightly different – the best time to jog.  If you work full time there are generally two times during the day that you have the opportunity to jog.  You can either jog in the early morning before you go to work or in the late evening after you finish work.  In this article I am going to discuss the benefits of both.

BENEFITS OF EARLY MORNING JOGGING:

1) IT MAKES YOU MORE ALERT:- Most people will admit that they are not fully alert during the first few hours of the day.  A good way to combat this is to do some exercise such as jogging first thing in the morning.  After a few minutes the blood starts to flow and you quickly start to feel a lot more switched on.  When you go for an early morning jog this feeling carries on for the rest of the day and allows you to feel a lot more alert for the rest of the day.

2) THERE ARE NO DISTRACTIONS:- If you get up early to go jogging there is nothing standing in your way.  You wake up, you go jogging and it is done.  However, if you leave it till after work there are many things that can happen to prevent your evening jog.  For example, something might come up at work meaning that you have to stay late and as a result you arrive home too late to go jogging.  Alternatively, your friends or family might pop round for a spontaneous visit meaning that an evening jog is no longer possible.  If you go jogging in the early morning there are almost no distractions and therefore you are more likely to do it.

3) IT GETS YOU OUT OF BED:- Some people (myself included) struggle to get out of bed if they have nothing to get up for.  Whist this is not a huge problem on work days it can mean that on your days off you sleep well into the afternoon.  However, if you stick to a regular jogging routine you have a reason to get out of bed and stay out of bed.

BENEFITS OF LATE EVENING JOGGING:

1) IT ALLOWS YOU TO WIND DOWN:- After a long hard day at work I find that jogging is a great way to wind down.  As I have discussed in previous articles, jogging is a great way to relax your mind.  It is also a great physical release for any stress you have experienced during the day.  Ultimately, an evening jog is a great way to end a tough day.

2) IT CAN MAKE YOUR EVENINGS MORE PRODUCTIVE:- When you get home from work what do you normally do?  Turn on the computer?  Watch some TV?  My first instinct is to do one of these two things.  If I give in to this instinct I quickly find that my entire evening is spent in front of either the TV or my computer.  After spending all day sitting in front of a screen at work I do not find this to be the most productive use of my evenings.  However, if I go for a jog instead it feels much more productive.  Not only am I getting some fresh air and getting my eyes away from the screen but I am also burning some extra calories, improving my physical fitness and much more.

3) YOUR PERFORMANCE IS BETTER IN THE EVENING:- Your muscles perform best when they are warm.  In the evening they are a lot warmer than the morning.  Therefore, by jogging in the evening your endurance will be better, your muscles will be stronger and you will be able to jog at peak performance.

As you can see both morning and evening jogging have their benefits.  Morning jogging can get you ready to face the day ahead whilst evening jogging can help you unwind after a hard days  work.  Ultimately, though the time of day is not important.  Each person will have their own individual preference but the important thing is to get out there and jog.

What do you guys think?  Are the above good ways to make jogging more fun?  Do you have any more ideas for making jogging more exciting.  Let me know by commenting on this post.

Sources:
Motivational Quotes about Running (About.com)

*****

If you enjoyed this article and want to learn more about jogging you should check out Beginning Jogging and Running?  This in depth ebook discusses how to warm up for a jog, how to stay motivated, how to jog safely and much more:


Filed Under: Jogging Tagged With: , , , ,

 

4 Ways That Jogging Improves Your Mental Fitness

 

August 16, 2009 By Tom 16 Comments

“Everyone who has run knows that its most important value is in removing tension and allowing a release from whatever other cares the day may bring.” – Jimmy Carter

In my recent articles I have focussed on jogging and the related health benefits you can enjoy by practising this activity.  In these articles I briefly covered the benefits jogging could have on your mental fitness.  Today I want to discuss this area in greater detail and provide you with four mental benefits of regular jogging.

1) IT CAN IMPROVE YOUR CONFIDENCE:- When you jog you are overcoming both personal obstacles (running faster, running longer distances etc) and physical obstacles (running up hills, running on tough terrain etc).  By proving that you can overcome these obstacles you build confidence and gain the mental strength to overcome other obstacles in your day to day life.

2) IT CAN HELP YOU OVERCOME ANGER:- Everyone experiences anger.  Anger is a natural emotion and is not inherently good or bad.  However, there are good and bad ways to deal with anger.  A bad way to deal with anger is through physical or verbal aggression towards other people.  A good way to deal with anger is exercise as it allows you to release it physically without impacting other people.

Jogging is a particularly good exercise for releasing anger as it gives you both a physical and mental release.  The actual exercise allows you to physically get the anger out of your system whilst the alone time you get from jogging provides you with an opportunity to think about and deal with the anger in a more calm and collected state.

3) IT CAN IMPROVE YOUR MOOD:- One of the most well publicised benefits of jogging and running is the “runner’s high”.  During a long distance jog or run endorphins are released and attach themselves to areas of the brain associated with emotion.  This causes many runners to experience a state of euphoria which is referred to as the “runner’s high”.  Not only does this improve your mood but it is also an effective way to combat anger, depression and stress.

4) IT CAN HELP YOU BECOME MORE FOCUSSED AND DETERMINED:- In order to constantly push yourself on long runs you need to be focussed on the task at hand and determined not to give up.  You need to be constantly pushing yourself to achieve more.  This brings about improved focus and determination.  These skills can be applied to other areas of your life and make you more successful in these areas.

As you can see jogging is not just good for your body – it is also good for your mind.  So next time you are feeling angry, unhappy or your confidence is at an all time low why not go for a jog and see what it does for you?  At the very worst you will burn a few additional calories but if all goes well you will come back feeling much more happy, confident and upbeat.

Now I want to hear your thoughts.  Are there any regular joggers out there who have experienced the above mental benefits?  Are there any further mental benefits of jogging that I have missed?  Do you agree that jogging is a good way to improve your mental fitness?  Let me know by leaving a comment.

Sources:
Endorphins & The Runner’s High (Wikipedia)
Mental Benefits of Jogging (About.com)
Running Quotes (Quote Garden)

Filed Under: Jogging, Mental Fitness Tagged With: , , , ,

 

12 Top Health Benefits of Jogging

 

August 12, 2009 By Tom 58 Comments

“Jogging is very beneficial.  It’s good for your legs and your feet.  It’s also very good for the ground.  It makes it feel needed.” – Charles Schulz, Peanuts

In my last article I discussed why you might want to consider doing more jogging this summer.  One of the reasons I put forward was that jogging has many health benefits.  In this article I am going to discuss these health benefits in greater detail.

1) IMPROVED CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS:- Cardiovascular fitness (also known as cardiorespiratory endurance or aerobic fitness) refers to how efficient the heart, lungs and vascular system (the vessels that carry blood and lymph through the body) are at delivering oxygen to the muscles that need it and also how efficient these muscles become at using the oxygen.  As your cardiovascular fitness improves your lung capacity increases meaning that you can take in more oxygen with each breath.  Your heart’s stroke volume also increases meaning that with each pump it can transport more blood and oxygen through the vascular system to the muscles.  Finally, your muscles become more efficient at absorbing oxygen meaning that they can take more oxygen molecules from the blood.

The overall effect is that with each breath you take in more oxygen, with each pump your heart transports more oxygen to your muscles and finally your muscles are able to utilise more of this oxygen.  With improved cardiovascular fitness comes further health benefits such as improved endurance, reduced risk of heart disease and reduced body fat (all of which I will be discussing below).

2) REDUCED BLOOD PRESSURE:- Blood pressure refers to the force with which your blood pushes against your blood vessel walls.  If your blood pressure becomes too high it weakens your blood vessel walls which makes them more susceptible to aneurysms (bulging), atherosclerosis (the build up of fatty substances on the blood vessel walls) and hemorrhage (bursting).

The overall impact is that the flow of blood to and from your heart gets restricted causing it to become weak whilst at the same time having to work increasingly hard to pump blood through these blocked or damaged blood vessels.  Over time this leads to the onset of heart attacks and heart disease.  High blood pressure can also cause significant damage to your brain, your kidneys, your cardiac muscles and your eyes.

No one knows exactly what causes high blood pressure.  However, there are a number of risk factors and one of these is poor cardiovascular fitness.  Therefore, by improving your cardiovascular fitness through jogging you can reduce your blood pressure and avoid the associated complications.

3) INCREASED HDL (HIGH DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN) CHOLESTEROL:- HDL cholesterol (also known as good cholesterol) helps control your overall cholesterol levels by scraping your blood vessels for excess cholesterol and then carrying it to the liver where it can be processed and excreted.  If this excess cholesterol is not removed it may form plaque on your blood vessel walls which causes them to harden and become blocked.  This then restricts the flow of blood to and from your heart which (as discussed above) ultimately causes heart attacks and heart disease.  Improving your cardiovascular fitness increases your HDL cholesterol levels and in this way exercises such as jogging support a healthy heart and vascular system.

4) REDUCED RISK OF HEART DISEASE:- By improving your cardiovascular fitness your heart becomes stronger and more efficient.  A strong heart is more resistant to disease and is also under less pressure as it does not have to work as hard to pump blood around the body.  Improving your cardiovascular fitness also lowers your blood pressure and increases your HDL cholesterol levels which further protects you from heart disease.  Therefore, by jogging regularly you can increase your cardiovascular fitness and lower your heart disease risk.

5) IMPROVED ENDURANCE:- In simple terms oxygen allows your body to release and use the energy that you get from food.  The more efficient your body is at using oxygen the more energy you can produce during exercise.  As discussed above, improving your cardiovascular fitness increases the volume of oxygen you can take in with each breath, increases the amount of oxygen pumped with each heartbeat and increases the volume of oxygen your muscles absorb.  Therefore, regular jogging can increase the amount of energy your body produces which improves your overall endurance and allows you to jog for longer.

6) STRONGER BONES:- When your bones are placed under stress they are forced to adapt and this leads to an increase in bone mineral density.  Weight bearing exercises such as walking, jogging and weight lifting all stimulate an increase in bone mineral density.  The benefit of this is stronger bones that are less likely to bend, fracture and break.

7) REDUCED CANCER RISK:- Regular exercise such as jogging can significantly lower your risk for a number of cancers.  It is thought to reduce your colon cancer risk by as much as 50% plus it also lowers your chances of contracting breast cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer and prostate cancer.

8) PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF DIABETES:- Jogging can act as a great defence against diabetes.  Although no one knows what causes diabetes a sedentary lifestyle and being overweight are two of the main risk factors.  Both of these risk factors can be negated by jogging regularly.  Pre-diabetes can also be prevented from developing into full type 2 diabetes by doing more exercise.  Even if full diabetes develops exercises such as jogging are a very effective treatment tool.

9) STRONGER IMMUNE SYSTEM:- There are a number of studies which link regular exercise with a strong immune system.  There are a number of reasons behind this.  First, regular exercise is thought to stimulate the production of lymphocytes (white blood cells) and macrophages (cells which attack bacteria).  Secondly, consistent exercise is believed to make immune system cells circulate through the body more quickly and also make them more efficient at fighting bacteria and viruses.

10) IMPROVED MENTAL FITNESS:- Jogging does not just impact your physical fitness – it has a positive effect on your mental fitness too.  First, it can build confidence and self image because you are constantly challenging yourself and changing the way your body looks.  Secondly, it can help you overcome anger and stress by giving you an escape from the pressures of day to day life.  Thirdly, it can boost your mood through the release of endorphins (hormones which produce a sense of happiness and well being).  Finally, it can help you become more focussed and determined as your will to succeed with your jogging becomes a skill that can be transferred to other areas of your life.

11) REDUCED BODY FAT LEVELS:- An average person burns about 150 calories per mile jogged.  So if you go for a five mile jog four times per week you will burn approximately 3000 extra calories each week (750 calories per jog).

Furthermore, cardiovascular exercises such as jogging can also increase the number of calories you burn whilst resting.  According to this article you can burn up to 15% more calories than normal in the 48 hours after you exercise.  So if your metabolism dictates that you burn 2000 calories a day you can potentially burn an extra 300 calories per day (2100 calories per week) from this post exercise boost.

The overall impact is a notable increase in calories burned per week.  Jogging can help you burn calories as you jog and whilst you rest.  Provided that you carry on eating the same as you were before you started jogging this should equate to a reduction in body fat levels.

12) IMPROVED SLEEP:- According to this article exercise (particularly in the morning) can help improve your sleep.  The study suggests that exercising in the morning helps people set their circadian rhythms to be awake during the day and asleep during the night.  Exercise also has a number of positive effects on your mental fitness (as discussed above) which are believed to help you relax and free your mind, making you ready to fall asleep at night.

As you can see jogging can be very good for both your mental and physical health.  If you go jogging a few times a week you can protect yourself from various diseases, improve your cardiovascular fitness, clear your mind and more.  So next time you have a spare half an hour or more why not grab your trainers and give it a go?

Now I’d like to hear from you guys.  Are there any health benefits I’ve missed?  Are you a jogger or not?  Let me know by leaving a comment.

Sources:
Cardiovascular Fitness (ASMI.org)
Exercise and Bone Density (My Food Diary)
Exercise and Immunity (About.com)
Exercise and Sleep (About.com)
How to Increase Endurance For Sports (Associated Content)
Hypertension and Heart Disease (Memorial Hospital)
Mental Benefits of Jogging (About.com)
Raising Your HDL Levels (About.com)
Running (Jogging) (Medicine.net)
Running Quotes (Quote Garden)

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