If you are looking to take up some sort of activity in order to lose some body fat, you should definitely consider taking up jogging. Running is cheap to take up, your only expense is a decent pair of running shoes, and some shorts/t-shirts. Compare that outlay with the monthly gym membership costs and you can see the obvious financial benefit of taking up jogging. Cost aside, there are numerous advantages to be had with beginning a running program, and this post looks at how to start jogging.
If you haven’t exercised for a while, it might be wise to get a physical check up. Apart from that, the first thing you need to do is invest in a pair of proper running shoes. I say invest, because failing to buy the right shoes can often lead to injury. Head down to your local running shop and ask a salesperson to help you out. If you have never bought running shoes before, then be warned - the salesperson will probably make you run on a treadmill in the shop so they can check out your running style. This is so they can advise on what level of support you need with your shoes. Some shoes have more support than others, and it is important to pick a pair that match your running style. Hence the treadmill ordeal. If you are at all self conscious about this then do what I do, and visit the shop very early in the morning when theres no-one else about…
If you can afford it, buy a heart rate monitor too. The best ones to buy are probably the Polar ones, and they come in the form of a watch and a chest strap. Its useful to be able to monitor your heart rate when you are running. They also measure calories burnt and have lots of other useful features.
So by this point you have all you need to begin your running program. My favorite Google tool is www.gmap-pedometer.com/ which allows you to map out a jogging route and it tells you exactly how far it is. Head over there and find a route near where you live. For the first couple of runs I would start off with a distance of one mile. This is just to get you used to the physical act of running. If you haven’t done any exercise for a few years, you may want to walk the first couple of runs, or maybe walk half and run half of the route. If you are just starting or taking up running after a gap of a few years then you will be using muscles that you don’t normally use. The day after your first run you will probably feel like you can’t walk, as your thigh muscles are screaming in pain. This is good pain, though - it means you have pushed your muscles and they are currently repairing themselves. When the pain goes away, your legs will be stronger.
Don’t go running again until your legs have recovered from the first one - this will be a couple of days. Your leg muscles need time to heal themselves. In your first couple of weeks try and do a couple of one-milers per week. This will help you get into the routine of running, and by the end of week two you will probably find you are less out of breath.
If you are just wanting to run for the purpose of losing body fat, you will probably find that running 10-15 miles per week is enough to make a difference. Its important that you build up to this distance over the course of a few weeks. Maybe add 1 mile per week until you reach your target. This is to avoid injury, such as strains and even stress fractures.
Even if you are a slow runner, 3-5 miles per session will take less than an hour. This is a lot less than a visit to the gym would take, and because of this, you are less likely to miss running sessions. You can even fit a run in before work…