This is a guest post by David Ingram, a writer specialising in fitness, street fashion and travel.
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Jogging strengthens the muscles, fine tunes the cardiovascular system, relieves stress and reduces blood pressure, but despite the variety of benefits it can also be known for its monotony, or as my mother would put it – “it ain’t half boring!”
Yes, jogging can be tedious work but you don’t have to give up on this cheap and cheerful method of exercise. Check out these 7 ways to spice up your morning (or evening) jog…
1) A Change of Pace
Keeping your routine fresh is the secret to enjoying any exercise so don’t just jog, add some additional exercises into your workout. Get the results you want and curb boredom by completing regular intervals of walking, jogging and running. Move from a walk to a slow-paced jog and then a fast-paced sprint every 2-3 minutes to really make your jogging pattern that bit more interesting.
2) Buddy Up
Sharing the burden can really ease the tedious nature of jogging so if you have an athletic friend or family member, or more interestingly, a not so athletic counterpart then workout together. As well as having another person to chat to to make time fly, roping someone else into your routine that maybe isn’t as fit as you also means that you can play personal trainer and pass on your wisdom! Don’t be afraid to get competitive with your partner either, turn your jog into a race or aim to beat each other’s personal bests.
3) Join the Club
When is one jogging partner not good enough? When you have many of course! Joining a running club is a great way to meet new people and keep jogging fun. Running clubs also offer coaching and camaraderie that makes jogging more of a hobby than a mundane chore that goes with a trim body; you can improve your own personal bests and perhaps outdo your fellow members’ bests too. Whatever your level of fitness or whatever your reasons are for taking up jogging, joining a running club will keep you sharp and progressive with the bonus of being accompanied by like-minded people.
4) Location, Location, Location
Running in the same place every day can reinforce this idea of monotony so change it up every now and again. Even though there’s certain benefits to running in the same place, i.e. your body gets used to the terrain thus reducing the risk of injury, a change of scenery can work wonders and turn a lack lustre jog into a focus-fuelled workout.
5) Play it by Ear
Having a playlist worth listening to can make your jog worth getting up for so grab your iPod before you head out. Having a specific playlist full of motivational and adrenaline inducing music, or heavy rock as it’s also known, can really get your body and mind pumped for the jog ahead so hit shuffle and enjoy!
6) Ready, Aim, Fire
Having certain goals whilst exercising can boost your confidence and ability so whether this is setting milestones or personal bests, or on a grander scale by signing up for a fun run or marathon, aim high! Having something to work towards is an excellent way to push yourself, but be as realistic as you can, don’t make the mistake of signing up for a 10K run when you only have a month or two to train. Set steady steps for yourself and focus.
7) Get Creative
Having a great imagination can really pass the time during your jog, many joggers imagine someone chasing them to get their juices flowing and really pick up the pace! Be as creative as you can and setting yourself games or challenges to keep things entertaining.