Posted April 13, 2011
With sunny springtime weather comes the temptation to dive into sport and open-air activities. Beginner joggers, however, should not get overly enthusiastic, but approach it slowly.
Professor Ingo Froboese from the Centre for Health at the German Sport High School in Cologne recommends beginning with a mixture of jogging and walking: “Do not preoccupy your time with rules about heart rates in the first few weeks. Instead, just listen to what your body is telling you.” Take a break if jogging gets too difficult.
If you plan to increase your performance level you should go jogging at least three times a week.
“Your body will also train itself if you only go once a week but it will take longer,” says Froboese. As a rule of thumb, a training session’s intensity and length should not increase by more than 15 or 20 per cent from week to week. The important thing is not to run out of breath.
To prevent any unpleasant surprises during training, Froboese recommends undergoing a medical examination before beginning jogging. “An examination is the only way to make sure your body will be able to take the strain.”
If you fall ill you must take a break from running. Fatalities that occur during training sessions are often caused by a pre- existing illness.
Aside from a couple of considerations it must be remembered that jogging is a very healthy activity. “Running is good for our cardiovascular system, it strengthens muscles, ligaments and tendons, is good for our mental health, creates an overall attractive body and helps you lose weight.”
Do not forget that taking a break is also important, as only by giving your body a rest can it increase its performance.