As you can see from the above quote jogging is not everyone’s cup of tea. For some people jogging provides a great mental and physical release. However, other people find jogging boring and unnecessary. If you are one of the people who does not like jogging then this article is for you. Today I am going to discuss five ways that you can make jogging more fun.
1) MIX UP THE PACE:- Jogging along for long periods of time at the same pace can get boring. So why not mix it up by throwing in some sprints? Perhaps you could jog for two minutes then sprint for one minute. If you are listening to music why not jog during the verses and then sprint during the chorus? By mixing up the pace at which you jog it suddenly becomes a lot more interesting as you rapidly change speed at regular intervals.
2) ADD SOME RESISTANCE:- One way to make jogging a lot more challenging is to add some resistance. Adding resistance does make you slower but allows you to build strength as you jog. On top of this adding resistance can be a good way to improve your overall jogging speed. If you add resistance slowly and try to maintain your jogging speed then you should be able to jog faster once the resistance is removed.
There are many ways that you can add resistance as you jog. One of my favourites is to wear a rucksack which contains a few bottles of water. Another method is to wear ankle or wrist weights whilst you jog.
3) MAKE IT MORE PRACTICAL:- One of the reasons people find jogging boring is that they see no purpose to it. They jog from point A to point B and then back to point A again and see this as a pointless exercise. However, if you are jogging to get somewhere you need to be it becomes a lot more fun.
There are a number of ways you can make jogging more practical. One of my personal favourites is to make it part of your weekly shop. If the local supermarket is within jogging distance then take a large rucksack, jog down, do your shopping and jog back. Not only will this save you a little petrol money but it will also add some resistance to your jog on the way back. Whilst this idea is not feasible for everyone (if you are shopping for a full family you probably cannot carry it all in a rucksack) there are plenty of similar methods you can employ to make jogging more practical. For example, if you are meeting family or friends locally why not jog instead of taking the car?
4) DON’T JUST JOG:- If you find jogging boring but really enjoy other exercises why not do both? When jogging outdoors there is plenty of opportunity to do pull ups (just find a sturdy tree branch or use the climbing frame in your local park), press ups, sit ups, crunches, planks, leg raises, squats, stretches and more. So if you really cannot stand long jogs why not jog for five minutes then do a few press ups? After this jog for a few more minutes then do a few squats. Alternatively why not try bodyweight soccer sprints. By adding the above exercises to your jog you will not only make it more fun but you will also get a fuller workout and exercise more of your muscles.
5) MAKE A PLAYLIST:- For me music can really make or break a workout. One of the best ways to add some excitement to jogging (if you do not particularly enjoy it) is to make a playlist of your favourite tunes. You can then listen to these tunes as you jog. I find the time really flies by if you jog along to your favourite songs and it becomes a lot more fun as you jog to the music.
If you are not a fan of jogging then I hope this article appeals to you. All the above are techniques I have used in the past to make my jogging more versatile and fun. So if you find yourself avoiding jogging on a regular basis try one of my ideas. You never know…you might even surprise yourself and enjoy it.
What do you guys think? Are the above good ways to make jogging more fun? Do you have any more ideas for making jogging more exciting. Let me know by commenting on this post.
Sources:
Running Quotes (Quote Garden)