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When most people think of indoor jogging they usually think of a treadmill or a health club. These can usually be expensive options for most people. A cheaper option can be found on your local college campus.

Many colleges and universities have indoor tracks. Most people don’t know that these indoor tracks are open to the public. That’s right, you can just walk in and hit the track. One of the benefits is that these tracks provide safe workout environments. One of the drawbacks is that sometimes the hours of operation may be limited due to student use for intercollegiate athletics or fitness courses.

Some colleges limit the use of their facilities to only students. In cases like this, I do not advocate that you use such facilities.

Chances are, a college or university near you has a track that you can use. I suggest that you check the school’s website for more information about where the track is and its hours .

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I see joggers avoid stretching all of the time and it just makes me shake my head. Stretching benefits your entire body, but many people are ignorant to that fact. One of the reasons why people avoid stretching is because of laziness. In this post, I’ll explain some of the benefits of stretching and why you should incorporate it in your workout.

Range of Motion
Your muscles function best when they are loose. When you sit at a desk all day or have limited physical activity, your muscles tend to tighten up. Stretching makes you more limber allowing your muscles to operate more effectively.

Avoid Injury
When stretching is done right, you will greatly limit your chance of injury. Stretching causes your muscles and tendons to become more supple. This will allow them to absorb and distribute the shock that occurs when your run.

The Bottom Line
You want to place your body in the best possible position for success. Your time to workout may be limited, but I encourage you to take a couple of minutes to stretch. You will get much better performance out of your body when you do.

When do your normally stretch, before or after you jog?

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Think about this. Whatever weight you are or whatever shape your are in didn’t occur instantly. It was a gradual process.

The same can be said for achieving your desired goals through jogging. They won’t happen instantaneously. It is important that you maintain patience. Your weight may not start to drop after the first week or two. You also may not see any noticeable changes to your body.

At this point, it will be easy for you to become discouraged. I encourage you to stick with it. Keep hitting the pavement or the track a couple of days per week. Keep avoiding junk and eat healthy foods that are good for your body.

Before you know it, you will start to see the results you are looking for. One mile per day will begin to turn into two or three. The pounds will start to drop off. It may not happen today or tomorrow, but you will eventually get where you want to be. Your patience and consistency will lead to success.

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We are experiencing extreme cold temperatures all throughout the United States. The cold weather isn’t stopping many joggers from hitting the pavement for their jogging workouts.

As I seen people brave the cold, I am amazed at how many people jog on pavement that is covered in snow. In my opinion, this is very dangerous. I strongly suggest that you never jog on snow-covered ground. The ground may only be partially covered in snow. However, I still suggest that you stay away.

Although you may see snow on the ground, you really don’t know what is under the snow. Many times you will find ice at the bottom. The last thing you want to do is slip and fall on ice. You could do some serious damage to your body.

If you must run in the snow, I would suggest that you stay away from the sidewalks. There are always multiple people in every neighborhood who just do not do a good job shoveling snow off their sidewalks. You may initially find your self on clear terrain for 50 feet, but the next 100 feet may be covered in snow. As a result, you’ll find yourself making extra efforts just to avoid it. You will usually have better luck on the streets. However, that is not always the case.

Remember, your safety is always more important than any workout. Find a route that is safe. You may end up needing to change your normal route temporarily.

Do you currently jog in the snow? What has your experience been?

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We all have different reasons for jogging. For some it is weight loss, while others jog to maintain their current weight. Some people jog in order to develop a healthy heart and lungs. I know other people who jog purely as a means to develop stronger muscles in their legs.

Take a minute and give some serious thought to your “why”. Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to be in better shape so you can play with your kids without gasping for breath after 2 minutes? Do you want to have a more active lifestyle?

Whatever your “why” is keep it in mind every day. Use it as a tool to keep you motivated. It may be beneficial for you to write yourself notes and place them all over your house, car and office.

Motivation is one of the big reasons why people don’t stick with their exercise routines. If you can keep yourself motivated, you’ll experience great success!

What is your “why”? Please let me know what it is.

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1. Safety
In my opinion, indoor jogging is much safer than outdoor  jogging. You don’t need to worry about someone jumping from behind the bushes trying to attack you when your are jogging on a treadmill or on an indoor track. Indoor jogging also allows you to avoid cars and animal attacks.

2. Convenience
When you jog indoors you are not a the mercy of the sun. Daylight is really not a factor. You can jog anytime you want. You can jog at 6 AM or 2 AM.

3. Avoid the Weather
Indoor joggers are not exposed to the elements. Things like rain, snow and cold weather are not factors. You can jog in comfort without worrying about getting cold or wet.

4. Save Money On Clothes
When you jog outside you will eventually need to invest in some clothes for all types of weather. I have seen people spend hundreds of dollars on clothes that protect them from the cold and rain. When you jog indoors, you can wear the same type of clothes every day.

How about you? What do you like about jogging indoors.

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While having someone to jog with can be very beneficial, that is not what I am talking about right now. I know many people who would much rather prefer to jog alone. Jogging gives them that personal time that we all need every now and then.

I suggest you find someone to help keep you accountable. Find a friend and talk to them about your exercise goals. Tell them to ask you about your jogging from time to time. It would be a good bonus if they can give you some extra motivation along the way.

It is easy to skip workouts when you don’t need to answer to anyone. You will be more inclined to keep up with your workouts if you know that you are going to have to face your friend every couple of days. Hopefully you won’t find they person to be a nag. However, if you want the nagging and questions to stop, get out and be consistent with your jogging.

What are your thoughts? Do you have any techniques that help you maintain consistency?

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Do your feet tend to sweat a lot when you jog? If they do, you don’t have to be ashamed to admit it. This happens to many people. Most of us tend to wear the standard cotton socks when we jog. While these socks may feel comfortable they aren’t ideal for dealing with sweaty feet.

When selecting socks to wear for jogging, you may want to ditch the cotton socks and select synthetic socks that have wicking qualities. Socks that have wicking qualities pull the moisture from the inside of your foot to the outside of your foot. These types will keep your foot dry.

There are many different styles of synthetic socks. It may be difficult of you to make the transition away from cotton, but I assure you that you will find great comfort and support in synthetic socks. Synthetic socks are extremely breathable so your foot will stay nice and cool.

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I’m going to let you in on a little known secret. If you want to get in the best possible shape, you should mix in strength training with your jogging. Most people avoid strength training because or ignorance or because they simply view strength training as a means to build muscle and not to loose weight. In this post, I will explain the benefits of incorporating strength training into your routine.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that adults do two or three strength sessions per week. Simply put, strength training makes you a better jogger. Jogging is easier when your whole body is strong, not just your legs. Having a strong upper body will help you get through those jogging workouts.

Studies have shown that having a strong core (stomach and back) will help your legs absorb some of the shock that occurs when jogging. Everybody knows that when you jog, your legs are doing most of the work. If you can decrease the amount of shock they take on, then it will make them much more effective in the long run.

Please keep in mind that I’m not talking about major strength training here. The goal is not to look like a body builder (unless that is what you want). The goal is to help firm and tone your body.

I strongly suggest that you begin incorporating weight training in with your jogging routine over the next couple of weeks. If you do, I’m sure you will love the way your body looks and feels.

Have you thought about strength training before? Is there something stopping you from trying it out?

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I’d like to talk about one of the great jogging benefits that you might not think of. I call it The Mind Makeover.

When you consistently engage in physical activities like jogging, it will literally transform your mind. I’m not saying that you will turn into some hardcore fitness enthusiast that your friends won’t be able to stand. Jogging can change your mind for the better.

Once you start getting active 3 or 4 times per week, you will start to care more about your body. Since you will be using your body a lot more, you will want to make sure that it is well taken care of. As a result, you will make a couple of changes.

What You Eat
It may be difficult to stay on a diet or change the type of foods that you eat. Consistent physical activity will make you want to eat better. You’ll have a desire to fuel your body with foods that will keep it energized and help it perform well.

You’ll soon find yourself reaching for apples, grapes and bananas instead of chips and cookies. Soda will be replaced by water and other low sugar drinks.

What You Wear
Sure you can loose weight jogging and no longer be able to fit your clothes, so you have to go out and buy new ones. While that may be true, that’s now what I’m talking about right now. I’m talking about things that will improve your body and its performance.

Consistent jogging will put a pounding on you feet. You’ll want to make sure that your feet are properly protected by getting the right shoes. When you have the right shoe, you will be a much more effective jogger and your entire body will feel a lot better.

What do you think? Are there any ways that jogging has impacted your mind for the good?

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