If you’re someone who’s always wanted to be a runner but didn’t have the right plan to get started, that’s about to change. It is not difficult to start jogging. You need a program to help you make it easy, by making sure that…
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don’t start overtraining,
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becoming sore and sore, or
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end up burning
and end up disliking the idea of jogging altogether. As with any exercise routine, slow and steady is the key. Too many people who start jogging start doing too much too soon and end up on the sidelines.
Here are some tips to help you prevent that…
1. Walk briskly first. Before you start jogging, you’ll want to make sure you build a solid cardiovascular foundation. Building a solid base will help you get out and about without making yourself too uncomfortable.
Your solution? Walk briskly. When you can walk briskly for at least 30 minutes at a time, then you know you’re ready to start jogging.
2. Alternate jogging with walking. When you start jogging, you’ll want to alternate jogging with walking. Don’t think you need to jog for 10 minutes out of doors when you first start. You don’t need to do this.
Try to jog for just 30 seconds and then walk for 2 minutes. Repeat this ten times. That will give you five straight minutes of jogging total. Then, once you’re comfortable with that, start jogging for a minute straight and walk for two. Do this ten times.
From there, the rest time begins to decrease. Jog for one minute and then rest for one minute. After you’re comfortable, jog for one minute and rest for 30 seconds. Once you can do this ten times or more, you’re ready to start jogging in a straight line.
3. Take at least three days off each week. As you start doing longer jogging intervals, you’ll also want to make sure you’re getting enough rest into the equation. Getting enough rest means taking at least three days off each week. Ideally, initially you’ll want to have a day off after each jogging day. Taking a day off will give your joints a chance to heal and all of your tendons and ligaments a chance to recover without overworking themselves.
Stretch out and relax on those days. Consider some form of cross training like weight lifting.
4. Start slowly with a steady jog. Now start jogging slowly. You should be able to jog for 10 straight minutes at this point, so focus on increasing your total time from here. Add one minute each session you do until you hit the 20-minute mark. Then take a few extra days off. From there, keep doing the same thing. Add another minute. Once you’re in 30 minutes, take a full week off. If you want to keep increasing your jogging intervals, go for it, but be sure to balance your rest time with your work time.
Keep in mind that once you get to the point of running 30 to 60 minutes at a time, you’re now ready to consider a formal race plan if that’s what you want to do.
There you have your guide on how to start jogging. It doesn’t need to be as challenging as you once thought and it’s something you can do if you put your mind to it.