Health Benefits of JoggingThe health benefits of jogging are incredible! You may be able to reduce or eliminate the risks of some cancers and other diseases while improving your overall fitness. If you're feeling better physically and mentally you may no longer need to take medication (check with your doctor first) and you can reduce or eliminate hospital and doctor visits. There has been a great deal of research done about the benefits of aerobic activity and how it reduces or eliminates cardiovascular disease. What exactly is heart disease? Heart disease is when the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle become hardened and narrowed, because of plaque buildup on the arteries' inner walls. Plaque is the accumulation of fat (one too many cheeseburgers and side order of fries), cholesterol, and other substances. As plaque continues to build up in the arteries, blood flow to the heart is reduced. Heart disease often leads to a heart attack. A heart attack happens when a cholesterol-rich plaque bursts and releases its contents into the bloodstream. A blood clot forms over the plaque blocking blood flow through the artery and preventing vital oxygen and nutrients from getting to the heart. The good news is heart disease is preventable. The catch is you must exercise to prevent it. But you can by jogging regularly for 30 or more minutes each day and you will enjoy two of the most important health benefits of jogging to prevent heart disease: you'll reduce your blood pressure and allow your blood vessels to be more flexible so that they won't harden and become narrowed because of plaque buildup. (If you have suffered a heart attack be sure to consult your doctor before beginning a jogging routine.)
The Diabetes Prevention Program has conclusively shown that diet and exercise can prevent diabetes. Again, a great health benefit of jogging is that if you do it regularly for 30 minutes a day between four to five days a week you can reduce your risk of diabetes. Considering there are one million new diabetes cases each year in the United States, it's worth trying not to become a statistic. Jogging can also improve insulin resistance, which is a condition where the body's cells do not properly utilize the hormone insulin to convert glucose (sugar) to energy. The effects of jogging regularly can help prevent pre-diabetic candidates from developing Type 2 diabetes.
Research shows that exercise performed for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week contributes to lower the LDL ("bad" cholesterol) and raising the HDL ("good" cholesterol). Aerobic exercises like jogging are an effective way to reduce cholesterol. A good diet, regular jogging and elimination of smoking (if you smoke) will positively reduce your cholesterol by up to 10 percent.
Regular jogging has yet another terrific health benefit which includes reducing your risk of catching a cold. Jogging on most days of the week can stimulate immune cells responsible for targeting cold infections. The cells are not necessarily stimulated for long periods of time, but the idea is routinely stimulating them with regular exercise will help reduce your chances of getting a cold.
Certainly one of the biggest health benefits of jogging is weight loss. It helps to burn calories and fat and thereby allow us to lose weight that may be causing health problems, back aches, or other joint related problems. Getting the weight off is a key component to reduced doctor and hospital visits and improved mental, physical and emotional well being. Health Benefits of Jogging Back to Jogging101 Source: (Opens a new window.)
MedicineNet.com (diabetes prevention)
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