The Pros and Cons of Jogging

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Jogging has now reached the ultra popularity zone. Pretty much every person out there has participated in at least a 5k, and quite a few have gone all the way to tri-athalons and half to whole marathons. Yea, you know jogging is a pretty big deal, but is it good? Depends. There are tons of variations in where, when, and how we jog that can take it from being great to not that great at all.

Pros

One of the biggest arguments against jogging is issues with joints. Well, new research has shown that the risks of osteoarthritis relating to jogging is much less than we initially thought. Those without any current joint issues run (punny, I know) very little risk of increasing joint pain or issues associated with the joints in the future.

People who do currently suffer from joint pain, arthritis, previous joint damage, or those who are overweight still need to be careful.There are two ways to help our joints when it comes to running: the first is to run on a treadmill. Treadmills have more shock absorption than sidewalks or roads. This shock absorption means less pressure on your joints. Second, take a glucosamine supplement. This will keep joints lubricated and healthy, but remember, not all supplements are created equal. Look for one that is organic.

When it comes to our heart, jogging is one of the best forms of exercise we can do, according to Peter Schnohr, MD. Jogging is a massive cardio workout, meaning that it can make our cardiovascular system stronger. When our cardiovascular system is strong, so is our heart. Strong cardiovascular systems have less of a chance of heart attacks and health issues relating to a weak heart and weak arteries and veins.

According to the British Medical Journal, joggers who are consistent with their jogging will be healthier than those who only jog intermittently. To get the greatest benefits of jogging, most health professionals including the American College of Sports Medicine recommend jogging between 2-3 times for 30-50 minutes through out week. It is important to stagger these cardio workouts to reduce the risk of injury. Those that fit all three 50-minute cardio workout into 2-3 days run a much higher risk of injury due to fatigue.

Since jogging is a weight bearing exercise, it causes our bones to become stronger from the constant downward force upon them. The increased bone mass density, or BMD, will decrease the risks of osteoporosis as we age.

Working in jogging with your usual fitness routine throughout the week is one of the best ways to stay fit. Check out a few of these past articles to get a good idea of how to start running, what shoes to buy, and what every runner should have.  

Cons

The biggest cons of jogging relate to where you jog and how you are jogging. Jogging one mile in a heavily populated area with lots of cars and pollutants is as damaging for our lungs as smoking a cigarette. This is from all of the micro-debris that we are breathing in. Although some of this is filtered out before reaching the lungs, some will reach the lungs and form micro-scratches on that delicate tissue. Fortunately, we can reduce the risks to our lungs by running in parks, away from cars, or in doors.

Jogging outside has a few more health related issues as well, one of the biggest is skin cancer. According to recent studies, long distance runner have more skin legions related to basal and squamous cell carcinomas. Anytime we are outside without sunscreen (driving in our car included) we are increasing the sun's damage on our skin and our risk of skin cancer. This can be avoided by applying UVA/UVB 15+ SPF to any bare area of your skin.

Since we are on the topic of skin, let's talk one of the other most conned cons of jogging for women... Sagging. Every time we jog we are increasing the sag in our chest. Jogging without a sport bra will increase the sag, but jogging with a sport bra will reduce the sag by 78%. If only it was 100%...  

Overall, the benefits of jogging far outweigh the risks. If you are new to jogging, take it slow and start with intervals of jogging slow and walking. For some, walking may be the better option until a healthy weight has been reached and jogging will not cause damage on the joints. Most of us can enjoy jogging safely without any massive health risks as long as we wear the right clothes, SPF, and jog in safe, less polluted areas.