How Long Do I Have To Jog To Lose Weight?

When you are trying to lose weight, you have to use more calories than you eat. One way to do this is to exercise. Aerobic exercises use more calories than sitting around the house. Jogging is one such exercise that you can choose to meet your daily exercise requirements.

Time Frame

The American Academy of Sports Medicine recommends that adults who are trying to lose weight exercise for 60 to 90 minutes each day, on most days of the week. As such, you can jog for a total of 60 to 90 minutes daily. However, this time doesn't have to be all in one session. Instead, you can jog for six to nine sessions that last at least 10 minutes per session. In order to burn off 1 lb. of fat, which is equal to 3,500 calories, you must burn 500 calories more than you eat each day. According to MayoClinic.com, jogging 5 mph, or a 12-minute mile, burns 728 calories per hour for a 200-;b. person. This equates to 12.13 calories per minute, so to burn 500 calories, a 200-lb. person must jog for 42 minutes.

Identification

When you jog, the intensity of the workout should be moderate. This means that when you jog, your heart rate should increase and you should sweat, but you should still be able to hold a conversation. The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics recommends that people who aren't used to jogging start out with walking and slowly work up to jogging to avoid injury.

Benefits

Jogging provides the benefits of regular exercise. These include an improved blood pressure level and a reduced risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes. As you develop more stamina and endurance, you will notice that your energy also increases.

Considerations

Jogging by itself probably won't lead to weight loss. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute notes that a healthy diet is necessary to lose weight. A healthy diet involves eating nutrient rich foods that don't contain a lot of calories. The American Academy of Family Practioners' website FamilyDoctor states that foods that contain a lot of fat or sugar likely have a lot of calories. Your healthy diet should include whole grains, lean protein, vegetables, fruits, a small amount of oils, and low fat or fat free milk and milk products.

Warning

If you have any health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes or arthritis, jogging may not be appropriate, so be sure to talk to your doctor before you start jogging. If your doctor doesn't want you to jog, you may still be able to do fast paced walking or swim laps to get your daily exercise.