Jogging is a form of aerobic exercise. Most people equate jogging and running as the same thing, but jogging is not competitive and is a leisurely form of running to improve health and fitness. It is a high-impact form of exercise and can be challenging. During jogging, your respiration, or breathing, rate increases to supply oxygen to your working muscles.
Normal Respiration
Respiration involves both your nose and nasal cavities, with the air that you breathe in distributed to the lungs by the way of your trachea, bronchi, bronchioles and alveoli. The primary function of your respiratory system is the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide gases, according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association. All the cells in your body, including muscle cells, need oxygen to function properly. These cells create carbon dioxide as a waste product that is exhaled from your lungs. At rest, your respiration rate is slow and steady.
Intensity
There is a positive correlation between intensity of activity and your respiration rate, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. As you begin an activity or increase the intensity of your exercise, your body needs more oxygen because you are demanding it to work harder than it does at rest. This increased need for oxygen causes your heart rate and breathing rate to increase in order to supply oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide. During an activity such as jogging, your body will reach a steady state where your breathing rate is constant but still higher than it was at rest.
Fitness Level
As you become more fit from jogging regularly, you will find that you do not breathe as heavily as you once did. This is a normal adaptation to exercise and is a sign that your program has improved your health and fitness. Your entire cardiovascular and respiratory system has become stronger and more efficient at exchanging gases to provide the necessary energy for your working cells. To stimulate more adaptation, you will have to increase your intensity by jogging more intensely.
Other Considerations
Other factors can affect your respiration while you are jogging. Air temperature and weather conditions can change your breathing rate. When it is hot outside, your body temperature increases during your jog more so than it would normally. This causes an increase in the need for oxygen and your breathing rate increases. Fatigue can also cause your respiration rate to increase because your body is tired and is not functioning optimally at rest. If you try and jog, your normal workout will be harder than usual, with your body working harder to meet the energy demands.
References
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2008
- Jogging Exercise: What Is Jogging?
- Military.com: Breathing During Exercise
- Normal Breathing: Effects of Exercise on the Respiratory System (Part 1)
- "ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2010
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