Kenneth Gardner - FITNESS CLUB

The most popular form of aerobic exercising is jogging. Jogging can be done almost anywhere. The major area of concern with jogging is footwear and you must focus on this to protect yourself from injuries.

One of the fastest ways to improve our cardiorespiratory fitness is by jogging three to five times each week. However, jogging increases our risk of injury, especially among beginners. A walking/jogging routine is a prudent method to make the transition from walking into a full-scale jogging programme.

Start by jogging steadily for as long as you can then walking when you are tired. Gradually increase the session to a regular 30- to 60-minute routine. As your fitness improves, walking should gradually decrease as you increase the jogging segment of your session to the point of jogging continuously for the entire session.

Take a 30-minute session

Many people become victims of enthusiasm. Sometimes, they jog too fast or jog for distances which are far longer than they can comfortably manage. The idea that more is better gets the better of them. Thirty minutes of jogging, five times each week is ideal. The benefits derived thereafter are relatively small because of the principle of diminishing returns. Likewise, as the number of miles you jog increases, your risk of injuries increases exponentially, especially with the development of fatigue. You can enjoy an excellent level of cardiorespiratory fitness if you accumulate about 15 miles of jogging each week.

Inspect your jogging shoes

Many of us have sustained some foot, knee or leg discomfort after jogging. This can be attributed to footwear. Jogging footwear should display good lateral stability, in other words, the jogging shoes should not lean to the left or right when it is sitting on a flat surface. The shoe should bend in conjunction with the movement of your feet. The shoe should bend at the ball or transverse arch of your feet, not in the middle.

Shoe that don't provide good shock absorption and arch support are major factors that dampen the fun in workouts. When your jogging session starts to lose its appeal, your footwear is a good place to start your investigation.

Go slowly

National netballer Romelda Aiken (centre) jogs with teammates Nadine Bryan (left) and Christina Solmon during a training session at the National Stadium. - File

Jogging can be performed slowly at a rate of one mile in 11 to 12 minutes or five to five and a half miles per hour. Moderate jogging is accomplished at a rate of one mile in nine to 10 minutes or six to six and a half miles per hour. Fast joggers cover one mile in eight minutes or jog seven to seven and a half miles per hour.

Jog in water

Jogging in water is therapeutic for persons who are injured and cannot jog the conventional way. Those who have chronic back injuries or are obese will find jogging in water quite comfortable. If you have developed the ability of treading water, jogging on the spot in the water will provide you with an excellent workout. When you are able to jog more vigorously in water which is deeper than chest height, the use of your arms and legs, at full range of motion, is the ultimate goal.

It is quite easy to add variety to your jogging routine by changing your route, intensity, duration and distance.

Dr Kenneth Gardner is an exercise physiologist at Holiday Hills Research Center; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.