Jogging is a simple form of exercise that requires minimal equipment and helps burn calories, build muscle, maintain a healthy weight, and boost your mood.
To maximize the benefits and reduce the risk of injury, it's important to understand the proper techniques for starting jogging as a beginner.
This simple routine is also known to be effective in supporting heart health while helping reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and stroke.
So, don't just start running without preparation. Prepare properly to maximize the benefits. Check out the tips below!
How to Start Jogging the Right Way for Beginners
Being overly enthusiastic at the start often causes beginner runners to tire quickly and increases their risk of injury. To build a strong fitness foundation, follow these tips for starting jogging the right way as a beginner.
1. Go to Bed Earlier
To keep your body feeling refreshed and energized, make sure you get 7–8 hours of sleep each night. Try going to bed earlier so you can start your jogging session around 5–6 a.m., when the air is still cool and refreshing.
2. Warm Up Before You Jog
When you're just starting to jog, avoid jumping straight into a run. Spend 5–10 minutes warming up to prepare your muscles and help reduce the risk of injury, cramps, or sprains. Here are a few simple warm-up exercises you can try:
- Leg swings: Stand on one leg, then swing the other leg forward and backward in a controlled motion. Don't forget to rotate your ankles as well to improve flexibility.
- Easy walking and small jumps: Start with a relaxed walk, then every 10 steps, do a small jump in place and lift your knees to waist height. Hold the position for 5–10 seconds, then repeat the movement 4 times.
- High knees: As you walk, lift your knees until they reach waist height, alternating between legs. Perform 10 repetitions on each leg.
3. Start with a Short Route
As a beginner, avoid setting overly ambitious distance goals right away. Instead, ease your body into the routine by breaking your jogging session into shorter intervals.
Don't hesitate to alternate between jogging and walking to give your body time to recover. For example, you can try 2 minutes of jogging followed by 2 minutes of walking, and repeat the cycle throughout your workout.
As your fitness improves, gradually increase your jogging time by 1 minute with each workout while reducing the amount of time spent walking. Eventually, you'll be able to run continuously without stopping.
4. Practice Proper Jogging Technique
If you're new to jogging, start by alternating between jogging and walking. This approach gives your body time to adapt, helps conserve your energy, and reduces the risk of muscle and joint injuries.
Begin by walking for a few minutes to warm up your body. Then, ease into a short jogging session using a 1:7 run-walk ratio, 1 minute of jogging followed by 7 minutes of walking. Repeat this pattern several times based on your fitness level and comfort.
5. Maintain Proper Posture and Breathing Technique
To make your jogging sessions more comfortable and reduce the risk of injury, maintain proper posture by leaning your body slightly forward, swinging your arms naturally, and keeping your head upright so your neck and back stay relaxed.
As you run, inhale through both your nose and mouth, then exhale slowly through your mouth. This breathing technique helps ensure your body gets enough oxygen while reducing the risk of side stitches.
6. Cool Down After Your Run
Just as important as warming up, cooling down should never be skipped after your jogging session. Simply walk at a relaxed pace for 5–10 minutes, then finish with light stretches for your legs, arms, and neck to help your body gradually return to its resting state.
This helps your body recover more comfortably by allowing your heart rate and breathing to gradually return to normal. Once you've finished cooling down, be sure to drink enough water to replenish the fluids lost during your workout.
7. Follow the Recommended Jogging Frequency and Duration
You don't need to jog every day, as your body needs adequate time to rest and recover. For beginners, the recommended frequency is 2–3 sessions per week, with a total of 1–2.5 hours of jogging per week.
To optimize the benefits, make jogging a regular part of your routine and complement it with other forms of exercise, such as swimming, cycling, yoga, Pilates, strength training, or fartlek training.
When done correctly, jogging carries a relatively low risk of injury. However, it's normal to experience some muscle soreness in your thighs, calves, or back, especially when you're just getting back into jogging.
Tips for Beginners to Get the Optimal Jogging Experience
To get the most out of your jogging routine and ensure a more comfortable workout, there are a few important things you shouldn't overlook before you start jogging. Be sure to prepare the following:
1. Wear Comfortable Running Shoes
Choose a pair of running shoes that fit well and feel comfortable to help reduce the risk of injury. If your current shoes are worn out, no longer fit properly, or have become uncomfortable, it may be time to invest in a new pair.
2. Choose the Right Workout Clothes
For a more comfortable jogging experience, wear lightweight workout clothes, such as a T-shirt paired with shorts or jogging pants made from moisture-wicking fabrics like cotton, spandex, or polyester. Women may also choose to wear leggings and a sports bra for added comfort and support.
3. Choose the Right Time and Place to Jog
It's best to jog in the morning, when your body feels more refreshed and your workout is less likely to interfere with your sleep at night. Choose a safe location with a flat, non-slippery surface, such as a park or running track. To keep your routine enjoyable, don't hesitate to switch up your route from time to time.
4. Meet Your Body’s Nutrition and Hydration Needs
Eat a meal rich in protein and complex carbohydrates at least 3 hours before your run to ensure your body has enough energy, especially if you plan to jog for more than 60 minutes.
Avoid foods that are high in fiber or fat before your run, and make sure to drink enough water before and during your jogging session to help prevent dehydration.
Health Benefits of Jogging
Jogging not only helps improve your overall fitness but also offers a wide range of physical and mental health benefits. Some of the key benefits of jogging include:
- Helps support weight loss and reduce the risk of obesity.
- Improves stamina and overall endurance.
- Helps maintain healthy cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure levels.
- Reduces the risk of diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.
- Boosts your mood, relieves stress, and may help lower the risk of depression.
- Enhances memory and concentration.
- Helps tone and strengthen the thighs and calves.
- Promotes better sleep quality.
Those are some practical tips to help beginners start jogging safely and effectively, allowing you to enjoy its full range of health benefits.
AQUA also continues to promote a healthy, active lifestyle through sports, including its partnership as a sponsor of the Maybank Marathon.
When you start a jogging routine, your body loses a significant amount of fluid through sweat. To stay hydrated and maintain your performance, be sure to bring AQUA 600 ml, a convenient bottle that's easy to carry wherever your run takes you.
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This advantage gives you the refreshing experience of AQUA Sejuk Alami. Not only that, AQUA stays naturally cool without being refrigerated, making it a practical choice to help refresh your body after an energizing jogging session.
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The steps are simple. Just purchase AQUA Gallon to fulfill your household’s daily hydration needs, then find the unique code under the gallon cap. Collect points from the code and redeem them for various exciting rewards for the benefit of your Keluarga SehatAQUA.
Enjoy the refreshing taste of AQUA Sejuk Alami every day and bring home exciting rewards today! AQUA 100% Pure, 100% Indonesian, and 100% Halal.
