Options For Jogging In Place

Jogging in place is low-cost and convenient cardio exercise that can be done at home or outdoors. As with any aerobic exercise, adjusting intensity and duration of jogging in place will affect the impact and benefits. Adhere to a program of consistency and use jogging in place to reach your fitness goals.

Variety

Most days, you may jog at a stead pace, but consider changing your intensity. Doing so not only prevents boredom to help you stay consistent, but also yields additional fitness benefits. Consider interspersing bouts of fast jogging followed by longer bouts of moderate pace. For example, work 2 minutes of quick jogging into a 20 minute routine every 5 minutes. A 2007 study from the Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that interval training with quick intense bursts of activity significantly improved aerobic capacity.

Monitoring

Wear a heart rate monitor or physically take your pulse during the peak of your workout to track your intensity. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends working at a moderate intensity, or 50 to 70 percent, of maximum heart rate for 30 minutes. For 20 minute jogging sessions, aim to work at vigorous intensity or 70 to 85 percent of maximum heart rate. For the average person, maximum heart rate can be roughly estimated as 220 minus your age.

Location

Another way to prevent boredom and challenge yourself while running in place is to periodically change the scenery. Jog in place indoors, or choose different surfaces such as asphalt or dirt, outdoors. Add music or work along with an exercise video to stay motivated.

Cross-training

The American Society of Sports Medicine recommends combining strength training with cardio for total fitness. Consider wearing ankle weights while you jog in place or interspersing your jogging routine with resistance exercises. In between bouts of jogging, you can perform squats and lunges for the lower body or biceps curls and triceps dips for the upper body.