Jogging

Jogging not only demands the use of 70% of the body muscles, but it also improves fitness, strengthens the articulations and the immune system, and together with the fun factor, jogging has many other advantages.

It should be possible, even for people who aren’t used to run, to start with weekly training of 30 min, twice a week and increase it to 60 min after three weeks.

Jogging could hide the risk of overloading the knee joints zone, especially for out of shape runners. If problems arise in this area, an alternative should immediately be chosen, like bicycling or Nordic walking.

Different studies show that jogging in itself is a form of warm up. However, older people should get an additional preparation before jogging, like stretching and gymnastics. If it is preferred, the stretching exercises could be done after a short light jog. Many runners do the stretching only after jogging. In any case, it is convenient to do some knee flexions and activate the feet articulations through rotating movements.

The recommended posture to be adopted is to look right in front of you while you jog, and thus the trunk is automatically stretched forward. The shoulders must be relaxed - this way you save precious energy!

If you start to feel the side stitch, which is an indication of inappropriate breathing, it is important to extend the expiration phase with regard to the inspiration phase. Raising the arm of the side with the pain should also help.

To take care for the articulations, an elastic, soft surface should be chosen, like paths in the woods and in meadows. The choice of sneakers or trainers is also important. On irregular terrain, especially on rough routes, attention should be paid to keep the load on knee joints as light as possible. On occasions, it is even advised to change from jogging to walking. People with knee problems should eventually desist from practicing this sport altogether and should prefer another variant of endurance sports, like Nordic walking or cycling.

Running shoes, together with the jogging surface, play an important role. The running shoes must be compatible with the runner and with the chosen surface. This doesn’t mean that it is not possible to run on a country road with running shoes designed for asphalt. However, it should be considered the surface in which the main running is done. In specialized stores, the trot movement is analyzed (trotting machine) as well as the position of the foot at the moment of contact with the ground. After running 10 km, the knees receive approximately 6 500 shocks (steps) with the equivalent of twice or three times the body weight. This means a total weight of 500 or even 750 tons. The wrong choice of running shoes could have devastating consequences for the knee joints and the Achilles’ heel. For that reason, shock absorption is fundamental. When buying running shoes, both shoes should be tried on with socks. A good signal that you are in the presence of a competent salesman is when he asks you about your weekly routine, the sport objectives and the surface you have chosen to run on.