Jogging is enjoyed by millions of people in the United States who use it to improve their health and fitness. Jogging on a treadmill is a convenient way to get an effective physical workout without having to worry about weather or traffic. Health benefits will vary according to how much you jog, but the more you stick with it, the more results you'll experience.
Identification
Jogging is a form of running at a more leisurely pace, usually between 3 mph and 6 mph. Most motorized treadmills have speed settings that allow you to adjust the rate at which you run, and many also include inclines to simulate jogging up a hill outdoors. Some treadmill models have heart-rate monitors that you can use to monitor your cardiovascular intensity as you jog, as well as caloric-burn counters.
Cardiovascular Results
Jogging in place like on a treadmill is more vigorous than the traditional graded exercise test used by health care providers to measure heart rate, ventilation, oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide production. A study in Japan, published in February 2004 in the journal "Aging Clinical and Experimental Research," found that jogging was the most beneficial form of exercise in older men for improving coronary heart disease risk factors and physical fitness.
Musculoskeletal Results
Electromyography testing, which checks the health of the muscles and nerves that control the muscles, shows that jogging provides a measurable workout for quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteal muscles, with the most significant effects on the calf muscles. A study published in the "American Journal of Public Health" in 2001 also found that individuals who jog on a regular basis have higher bone mineral density. However, because runners subject their lower bodies to a stress equal three times their body weight, running can lead to more exercise-related injuries than walking.
Weight Results
In order to lose one pound of fat, you need to either eat 3,500 fewer calories, burn off that same amount through exercise, or a combination of both. Jogging burns 584 calories per hour for someone who weighs 160 pounds, 728 calories per hour for someone who weighs 200 lbs. and 872 calories hourly for a 240 lb. individual. Researchers in Canada tested the effects of treadmill exercise on obese rats with metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that increase the risk for coronary artery disease, stroke and type two diabetes. They found that exercising on the treadmill reversed this syndrome, lowering blood pressure, reducing fat and improving glucose levels, insulin levels and blood lipids.
References
- "Clinical Cardiology"; Comparison of Respiratory Response of Jogging in Place and Bruce Treadmill Exercise Test; N. Papazaglou, et al.; 1991
- "Gait and Posture"; Averaged EMG Profiles in Jogging and Running at Different Speeds; G.J. Marnix, et al.; 2007
- Harvard Health Newsletters: Walking Your Steps to Health
- "Aging Clinical and Experimental Research"; Health Benefits Associated with Exercise Habituation in Older Japanese Men; K. Tanaka; February 2004
- "American Journal of Public Health"; Jogging and Bone Mineral Density in Men: Results From NHANES III; Michael E. Mussolino, et al.; 2001
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