The surprising effects of slow jogging on health should not be overlooked by people who are losing weight

Running long distances at a slow pace is truly a physical activity that brings many positive effects on health.

1. What is slow jogging?

Although difficult to define, slow jogging can be defined as moving while keeping your heart rate below 70% of your maximum heart rate and being able to hold a conversation without feeling "out of breath". gasp" in the process.

The maximum heart rate is calculated according to the formula of 220 minus the person's age. For example, if a person is 60 years old, their maximum heart rate is 160. When first starting an exercise program, the practitioner needs to slowly increase the intensity of the exercise so that the heart rate gradually reaches the heart rate range. target heart rate, especially if they have not exercised regularly before.

2. Health benefits of slow jogging

According to Health, below are the health effects of slow jogging that you can refer to:

- Physically

Because running slower can help you travel longer distances, this keeps your heart rate elevated for a longer period of time and thereby promotes burning more calories.

Burning more calories is key if you want to lose weight, lose excess fat or simply control your weight. Not only that, but running at a slow pace also causes the body to use stored fat for energy - as opposed to relying on stored carbohydrates that come from the food we eat. This means slow joggers will use less energy - be less fatigued and be able to run faster.

Slow jogging can also improve maximal oxygen consumption during exercise, also known as VO 2 max. This refers to your muscles' ability to absorb oxygen when you exercise. Increasing the ability to maximize oxygen consumption can promote the body to develop more capillaries or smaller blood vessels, making it easier for oxygen to enter the muscles, increasing the density and size of mitochondria and helping to supply oxygen to the muscles. More energy for muscles. Both of these keep the body functioning well during exercise.

- About health

Slow jogging helps condition joints, ligaments, tendons and bones through the pressure of running while also promoting cardiopulmonary health.

Jogging at any speed has long been known as a healthy physical activity, helping to reduce the risk of heart disease, control blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes as well as other diseases.

In addition, slow jogging also helps build endurance when requiring longer movements.

Once overall health improves, the immune system also benefits, thereby helping the body fight infections more effectively, such as flu, colds, etc.

- About psychology

Running is a natural stress reliever by increasing the production of happy hormones like endorphins, which help reduce stress and anxiety.

- Injury

Slower jogging puts less stress on muscles and joints, thereby reducing the risk of injury. Of course, just jogging slowly doesn't mean you won't get injured because you're still at risk of overtraining. It's important to make sure you wear the right clothes, wear the right running shoes, pay attention when moving, and learn how to combine rest and strength training to avoid injury.

- About longevity

Slow jogging is not only good for your health but can also help increase longevity. Many studies have shown that regular jogging can reduce the risk of premature death by 25% to 40%.

According to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in 2015, people who maintained a moderate pace of jogging had an even lower mortality rate than non-joggers or those who did not. lemon runner.

3. Pay attention to slow jogging properly

First, whether you have just started doing slow jogging or any form of running, you need to warm up your body before running. Take 5 - 10 minutes to warm up your muscles with warm-up exercises such as brisk walking, running on the spot or flexible stretching movements.

Learn to breathe deeply through both your nose and mouth to maximize the amount of oxygen your body gets.

Slow jogging is simply reducing your running speed. When jogging slowly, instead of landing with your heels like running fast, you will land with the soles of your feet more naturally. Avoid sudden changes in speed, maintain a steady pace throughout the run.

The stride when jogging slowly will also be about 2/3 shorter than the stride when running fast.

Finally, when jogging slowly, try to maintain a normal breathing rate. You can hum and sing while running to ensure that you don't lose your breath.

4. Is slow jogging or fast jogging better for weight loss?

Jogging fast or jogging slowly are both good for weight loss. While fast jogging helps the body burn calories continuously and continue to burn more calories after stopping, slow jogging with longer distances helps burn fat as well as train endurance. muscle.

Accordingly, to lose weight effectively, you can consider combining both fast jogging and slow jogging. At the same time, it needs to be combined with a healthy diet, reasonable rest and effective stress management, thereby supporting the weight loss process more effectively.