Beginning an Aerobics Routine? Start Jogging For Weight Loss

This is a brief guide on how to start jogging for beginners or anyone interested in beginning an aerobics routine. You may not have jogged before, but you may be interested in learning and practicing an effective form of exercise. This guide should be helpful to those joggers who have tried jogging before, but lost motivation, injured themselves or simply didn't start off correctly and gave up.

As you learn more about jogging you may get excited and think you can go from couch to trail and enjoy a light jog. Not so. You'll hurt yourself if you start off to quickly. Your body will not be prepared for the challenge you're asking of it. Instead follow the steps below:

See Your Doctor or Nurse Practitioner First.

This is an important first step to your success. Why? Because your health care provider knows enough about your fitness level to advise you if jogging is the right activity for you. He/she may tell you that because of pre-existing health conditions (perhaps you've suffered a stroke or heart attack), or prior muscle and/or bone injuries, if you have any, that you should not start jogging as it may not be an appropriate fitness activity for you. You may be advised to take up swimming, walking or some other kind of low impact exercise that's more in line with what your body can handle.

Eat a Balanced Diet.

Think of your body like a furnace. In order to keep the fire burning longer you want to choose the best wood or fuel to burn. Your body is similar to a furnace in that it, too, needs good fuel to get it going and keep it going.

Eating a balanced diet of foods is similar to stoking your body's furnace with the good kind of wood, i.e., good, nutritious foods. You want plenty of whole foods because whole foods are nutrient and vitamin rich. The closer you keep foods in their natural state the more nutritional benefits you'll receive.

• Limit or eliminate processed foods. Filling your body with junk food high in sugar, fat, salt, oil and preservatives only makes your body work much harder with little to no reward for doing so. This is especially true when you start jogging since your body will need the good fuel to burn.
• Incorporate vitamin and nutrient rich foods like nuts, fruits, vegetables and berries in your daily diet. Strive to cover three quarters of your plate with vegetables and the rest with lean protein meats (e.g., turkey or chicken).
• Variety will keep your palate guessing and keep you motivated to try different foods. Learn basic cooking recipes that won't take up too much of your time, but that you enjoy eating and experimenting with.
• Get your family involved, too! Find and create simple recipes together that you can all enjoy. You'll help your children learn good eating habits, how to cook (with your supervision) and best food choices that please their palate and their stomachs.

Get the Right Running Shoes.

The beauty of jogging is that it's a low cost sport. You really don't need to spend much money to get started. However, when you do start jogging you need to get the right running shoes. This isn't an area to skimp on. Poor running shoes lead to injuries.

• Realize that the first pair you buy may or may not suit you. I went through a few pairs of running shoes before discovering New Balance. I found wearing the wrong pair of shoes caused me to experience blisters and shin splints until I finally found what worked for me.
• Go to the store and try on several types of running shoes to see if you like them. Things may seem to fit well in the store, but you won't really know until you start jogging with them and find out if they suit you. Unfortunately after you buy the shoes and wear them for a jog you may not be able to return them. I ended up with a pair of shoes that I wore for two weeks before deciding they were not the right ones for me. Unfortunately, I couldn't return them so take your time when you're looking for the right pair.
• You'll need to determine if your flatfooted or high arched. You may know this or not, but don't worry if you're unsure. Shoe stores that specialize in running will be happy to assist you so that you choose wisely.
• You may also need to consider inserts for further support. You'll find that bad running shoes equal pain and lead to poor jogging experiences. When you start jogging you'll know if you made the right choice for your feet or not.
• Keep in mind that running shoes are only good for so long. After 300 or so miles they offer less support. It's a good idea to keep a log book. Write down how far you're jogging or track it electronically using Excel or use a program online so you know approximately when you'll need to retire your shoes and purchase a new pair.
• You can keep your old shoes for walking around, etc., or possibly consider donating them if they're are not completely beat up. I wash down my shoes and scrub them with a brush after going on very long jogs of six or more miles. I like to keep my running shoes clean and in good shape. Don't put your shoes in the washing machine, however. This will cause the material to break down and you won't get the same performance out of your shoes.
• Buy running socks. They are designed to conform to your feet, minimize blisters, their seamless and wick away sweat. It's a good idea to purchase a few pairs after you start jogging and have gotten some miles under your belt. Cotton socks tend to cause blisters. They also hold moisture. Two bad things to have while jogging. Check out the running socks while you're looking for your running shoes.

Wear Proper Clothes.

You want and need to be comfortable on your jogs. Otherwise you won't enjoy your jogging experience. Clothes that are too tight, ride up, chafe or bind you will become very unpleasant very quickly.

• When you start jogging, wear comfortable exercise pants, t-shirts or shorts. It's best to purchase shirts with fabric that allows your skin to breath and wicks away sweat. Also consider light colored clothes that reflect light. There's no need, however, to run out and spend a fortune on jogging clothes. Simply wear what feels comfortable.
• Wear a sports bra. Some overweight men may need to consider chest support also such as a compression t-shirt. It's extremely uncomfortable to jog with all kinds of unrestrained upper body movement. Do what you need to in this regard so that you're comfortable.
• Dress for the weather. When it's very warm outside you want to dress lightly with light colored clothes. Conversely, if it's cold outside be sure to wear mittens or gloves to keep your fingers warm, a hat or headband to cover your ears, a light scarf (not only to wear around your neck but to cover your mouth if it's really cold and you want to breathe in warm air), long sleeved shirt and light weight jacket.

Protect Yourself from the Sun

• Wear a hat. I wear a baseball hat, but I find it doesn't provide necessary coverage of my cheeks, ears and back of my neck. I've purchased a hat with a wider brim, still lightweight made of breathable fabric that will keep the sun's ultraviolet rays off my face. Once you start jogging, be sure you don't leave home without a hat. It's one of the best lines of defense against the sun's damage.
• Slop on the sunscreen! Do not jog without it. Sunscreen is your second best defense (after covering up) to prevent sun damage which not only includes wrinkles, aging, sun spots or freckles, but also (and most importantly) skin cancer. Even on cloudy days, the sun's ultraviolet rays are out and they will damage your skin.

Think Safety.

• While jogging always keep your personal jogging safety in mind. Let friends and family know where you're jogging, how long you'll and wear identification in case you get hit by a car. You never know what to expect so be prepared with a way for first responders to reach your family.

Take Care of Yourself

• Drink water. Heat exhaustion has a way of sneaking up on joggers since exercise can lead to dehydration because a jogger may not be drinking enough. Even though it isn't terribly hot outside you still want to hydrate and frequently. If you jog for more than six miles get Cytomax (I like the grape one), Gatorade or some other kind of electrolyte replacement and drink it often.
• If the weather is extremely hot (triple digits for example) or bitingly cold, don't jog outside. Make use of an indoor treadmill since weather of either extreme can lead to injury, hypothermia or heat stroke.
• Be realistic about your own expectations. You're starting a new exercise routine. When you start jogging realize it takes time and patience. Don't try to go over the top expecting great results and then hurt yourself. Take your time and begin slowly. If you do find when you start jogging that it hurts then back off of it and walk instead. Let your body dictate how long to jog so that you don't tear a ligament, sprain an ankle, pull a muscle or otherwise do something that will put you out of the jogging game.

Start Jogging

• Warm up. You should warm up your muscles for at least five minutes. They need to get prepared for the work you're going to demand of them. The warm up gets the oxygen moving to the muscles which will allow them to work longer while also helping to prevent injuries. This is a very important pre-jog tip to practice.


• Practice good form. Start jogging. You may feel a little uncomfortable at first, but with time you'll get better and feel more confident. Keep the form in mind. There's a lot written about proper running form, but you're really going to need to do what feels good to you. You should keep some basic things in mind, however:
  1. Your arms should be relaxed, no clenched fists. Easy swinging motion.
  2. Try to land on your heels and let your foot roll forward and then push off with the ball of your foot. Don't think too much about this just let it happen naturally.
  3. Don't shuffle your feet or drag them. Conversely don't let them slap against the ground either. Neither movement is desirable and both can cause foot pain, shin splints and other trouble.
  4. Don't look down...too much. You do need to see where you're going but it's best to keep your head up and shoulders back. Hunching forward will hurt your back and shoulders. You may also be pushing too hard so relax and slow down.
  
  


• Let your body be the boss. When you start jogging let it happen slowly. This means you may only jog for a minute or five minutes. But take a break. Breathe. You want to have a good experience so that you return to jogging feeling encouraged not discouraged. Stop well before you begin to breathe too heavily. You don't want to pass out. Remember, you're introducing a new activity to your body so take your time.


• Recover. Take a breather and walk for a little while to build up your energy again. How long this takes is entirely up to you and your body. I like to use a marker such as a tree or sign or person that once I pass it or him/her I'll start jogging again.


• Try again. Start jogging again but just until you feel you've had enough. This may only be a few minutes or seconds. That's okay. You're building up endurance and that takes time. Don't give up on yourself. Not yet. Continue trying for at least 30 days so that you're more likely to make this a habit. One you'll want to do.


• Cool down. The last part of your exercise should always include a cool down period. This tells your body it's job is done and it can begin slowing down the blood flow to the muscles and focus it back on your internal organs.


• S-T-R-E-T-C-H. Thank your body for its performance by giving it a nice long stretch. Your neck all the way down to your feet really need a good stretch so that you'll feel better, have less tightness in your muscles and increase flexibility.

After your workout be sure to rest your muscles. You'll be tired from your efforts and from trying something new. Your body needs to recover from the demands you've placed on it so go to bed and get eight hours of sleep. Your body will take this time to repair and strengthen your muscles. You will increase your performance by getting enough regular rest between workouts.

Expect a few days of discomfort. You shouldn't experience serious pain unless you've hurt yourself but check in with your doctor just to be sure. Address any injuries early so you recover sooner and to avoid making things worse. Walk, swim or ride a bike on your recovery days to rest your muscles. Also try to incorporate two days of strength/resistance training to help build up your muscles. Stronger muscles are less prone to injury.