The Effects on Your Body of Jogging for 21 Days

The Effects on Your Body of Jogging for 21 Days
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Jogging on a regular basis can improve your overall health. After three weeks of jogging at least three days a week, you should notice some improvements in the health of your heart, lungs, joints and muscle. However, if you are not in good health, you should not take up jogging without first consulting your doctor. Jogging can cause a drop in blood pressure and promote arrhythmias if you participate in intense training sessions.

Cardiovascular Health

When you jog for three weeks, you are working the heart as well as the other muscles in the body. The heart muscle can benefit from aerobic exercise by getting stronger and able to endure longer and harder jogging sessions. Blood flow to the heart improves with exercise and you may notice a lower reading when you take your blood pressure after 21 days of a jogging routine. Additional benefits include decreased resting heart rate, increase in red blood cells, better clotting and more efficient delivery of oxygen.

Bones and Muscles

Jogging on a regular basis for 21 days can promote stronger bones and muscles. Benefits of aerobic conditioning, according to Weber State University, include increased muscle strength, improved flexibility, an increase in calcium deposits to build up bone density, muscle endurance gains and protection against injury during jogging. Since jogging is a high impact form of exercise, speak to your doctor if you suffer from any muscle and joint problems.

Weight Loss

If you are looking to lose weight, jogging sessions can help you reach your goals. According to MayoClinic.com, if you weigh 200 lbs., you'll burn approximately 728 calories during one hour of jogging at 5 mph. If you jog for a total of five hours per week, that is a whopping 3,640 calories burned. This helps you toward your weight loss goals since it takes about 3,500 calories burned to lose 1 lb. of fat.

Mental Health

Exercise increases the amount of endorphins released in the body. An endorphin boost can help diminish pain symptoms and reduce stress levels. Jogging for three weeks will also give your self-esteem a boost if you begin to notice positive changes in your body, such as weight loss and muscle toning.

References

Article reviewed by Christine Brncik Last updated on: May 26, 2011

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