Cardiovascular workouts improve your heart and lungs, burn calories and aid in weight loss. Cardio workouts are rhythmic, repetitive and continuous in nature. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 30 minutes of daily cardiovascular exercise to improve health and between 60 and 90 minutes for weight loss or weight maintenance. Jogging in place for 45 minutes fits the requirements for a cardiovascular workout.
Cardiovascular
Your heart and lungs cannot tell which style of exercise you perform. Your heart and lungs respond to the increased need for oxygen from your muscles. As you jog in place, your muscles require oxygen to convert calories into energy in your cells. The faster you jog, the faster your body breathes in and circulates the oxygen. The more often you participate in cardiovascular exercise, the more efficient your heart and lungs become. As training occurs, your heart is able to pump out more blood with each beat, allowing your heart to beat less often.
Jogging Options
Use your personal preferences to determine your jogging-in-place style. Lift your knees toward your chest as you jog, or lift your feet toward your backside as you jog. Vary the tempo of your runs from slow to moderate to fast feet, similar to a football run. Expand the distance between your feet for a wide-leg jog, turn around in circles or move slightly forward and backward to change your stationary jog and avoid boredom.
Benefits
Your muscles perform similar movements when you jog in place or jog outdoors. You are not pushing forward off the floor when stationary jogging, but your muscles are bending, lifting and straightening your legs. Jogging in place at home is a safe alternative if the weather is uncooperative or if you are in an unsafe neighborhood. You will not need any equipment, other than a pair of supportive shoes, and you are able to jog at any time of day. Forty-five minutes of stationary jogging is a lengthy goal, so listen to music or watch your favorite television show to pass the time.
Comparison Exercise
If you still have questions regarding the value of jogging in place because it is a stationary exercise, compare in-place jogging to jumping rope. Jump-rope exercises are performed in place, improve your cardiovascular system and are one of the highest calorie-burning activities you can do. The difference between jogging in place and traditional jump rope is you keep one foot on the floor when jogging in place. However, you still increase your heart rate for an intense cardiovascular workout.
Member Comments