History of Jogging

You may ask yourself, "Where did jogging come from and how did it all begin?" Well the history of jogging is thought to goes back to the time when we were hunters and gatherers. Early man was well aware that once the sun had set he and his fellow men could easily fall prey to all kinds of animals and beasts. Naturally, they knew they had to get to their habitat quickly and safely. This was also true where jogging is believed to have helped hunters follow their prey and kill them to feed their families.

From Hunter to Food Producer

As man transformed from a food hunter to a food producer, he started settling down near riverbanks and other fertile areas. Nevertheless, he still had to travel from one place to another on foot. Possibly, in order to cover longer distances in a limited time, he resorted to jogging.

Over time the history of jogging changed and acquired a new form. The ancient Greeks and Romans recognized the cardio benefits and used it to train and exercise their troops. Slow running over a long distance helped to increase their stamina and keep their men fit. It is the same with the world's first athletes, who used jogging to increase their agility and endurance. If you really think about it, the ancient marathons were perhaps the first of their kind as far as mass jogging or even formal jogging is concerned.

The Middle Ages

The middle ages saw the advent of fitness as a national phenomenon for the first time in the history of the world. New games, sports, and track events slowly captured everyone's attention. However, there was none of the specialized equipment like we have today that could help with the training for such events.

Hence, they used weights for building up their muscles, and jogging was the unanimous choice as far as cardio and stamina building was concerned. Almost everyone was fascinated with this sport. Whether it was fencing for pleasure, dueling, or war, jogging helped increase stamina and endurance.

Shakespeare?

Reference to jogging can be found in English literature. Shakespeare talks about it in his play "The Taming of the Shrew", which was written in 1593. With the advent of the 17-century, people in England started using this sport to keep fit as it was inexpensive, and needed no extra gadgets and could be done anywhere.

An American term for formal jogging was "roadwork" and it was coined in the 19th century. It was a popular component of training particularly for the sports such as baseball, football, and boxing.

Today

The history of jogging has changed and today jogging is still very popular. A whole market has developed as many companies are manufacturing specialized equipment for jogging and joggers, such as, jogging shoes, jackets, strollers, GPS watches, heart rate monitors, specialized programs for mp3's and iPods. There are even new jogging nighttime clubs in many regions to help people jog once they get off work.

When Bill Bowerman, who was the coach at the University of Oregon, saw people in New Zealand using jogging for their personal fitness and relaxation, he advocated the idea back home. It didn't take long for jogging to become a popular exercise. The popularity of jogging has been ever increasing. To date, the popularity of this sport continues to reach new heights across the world. It needs no equipment and no tracks. All it requires are a pair of decent running shoes and a spirit of adventure!

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