Jogging/Walking Tips
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Many of you seem to be talking about your jogging program these days and lots of us like to walk or jog outside for some of our workouts just for the change, for the scenery and just to make it more fun and interesting. I was reading an article in Shape magazine about things to watch out for when jogging so I thought I would talk about my own experiences as well as their suggestions.
For me, when I jog outside, I am always aware of my surroundings whether it is early, midday or late. I NEVER listen to music. I know some of you are not going to like this but it sure is going to be hard to hear a person or car or bike coming at you if you have ear buds in your ears & the music cranked. I take this time to think thru things I want to accomplish in my workouts or life as well as just some peaceful thinking. Give that a try. I also like to enjoy the scenery.
Also, it is less hard on your joints to jog/walk on asphalt versus the concrete of a sidewalk. If you choose to do this, always jog towards oncoming traffic so you can see if a car is coming at you or losing control.
I only jog outside one day per week so I prefer to use the sidewalk to be safe. I like this because I can plan where I might want to go if I feel threatened by a person or animal. I am always on the lookout for that & possible places I can go. You can also try to get to a public place if that is possible. Now, saying that, I do keep an eye on the ground too... I alternate looking down with my eyes (not the neck) & ahead to not only see what is in front/side of me but also down so I don't trip on cracks, stones or anything else on the sidewalk. If you don't want to jog on the street & the pavement is too tough on your joints, try jogging/walking on the grass... a good option!
Now, Shape also discussed if you confront a hostile dog. They say to freeze, yell "NO" and walk backwards slowly to show that you are not a threat. The article says never to turn & run. Well, those that have followed me know that I was attacked by a dog last year, the day after my 51st bday.. UGH! I did not even have a chance. The dog was on a leash, jumped me, the owner fell & could not help me. Not a pretty experience to say the least! I have scars on my right upper thigh & right hand as reminders.
Another suggestion from Shape is if you get injured. If you can move, get to a higher spot like a bench or hill if possible & try to flag someone down. If you can't move, stay stable & also try to flag down a person or car. I usually see similar people on my outside route so hopefully for you, that is the same & you can wait for a friendly face.
I thought I would also share an article from The Diet Detective on tips for a better jog/run. I for one can absolutely attest to the point on swinging your arms. I used to do this side to side swing but read a while back about making sure the arms swing forward. This made a big difference for me. Read the article at this here: Running Tips - Fix Your Form
Hope this all helps & enjoy the jog or walk!
PS: This is a post from my old blog site. The older posts did not transfer over to this new site so I am going to post some of my old ones for my new readers. I apologize in advance to long time readers but hopefully they are good to read again.
Many of you seem to be talking about your jogging program these days and lots of us like to walk or jog outside for some of our workouts just for the change, for the scenery and just to make it more fun and interesting. I was reading an article in Shape magazine about things to watch out for when jogging so I thought I would talk about my own experiences as well as their suggestions.For me, when I jog outside, I am always aware of my surroundings whether it is early, midday or late. I NEVER listen to music. I know some of you are not going to like this but it sure is going to be hard to hear a person or car or bike coming at you if you have ear buds in your ears & the music cranked. I take this time to think thru things I want to accomplish in my workouts or life as well as just some peaceful thinking. Give that a try. I also like to enjoy the scenery.
Also, it is less hard on your joints to jog/walk on asphalt versus the concrete of a sidewalk. If you choose to do this, always jog towards oncoming traffic so you can see if a car is coming at you or losing control.
I only jog outside one day per week so I prefer to use the sidewalk to be safe. I like this because I can plan where I might want to go if I feel threatened by a person or animal. I am always on the lookout for that & possible places I can go. You can also try to get to a public place if that is possible. Now, saying that, I do keep an eye on the ground too... I alternate looking down with my eyes (not the neck) & ahead to not only see what is in front/side of me but also down so I don't trip on cracks, stones or anything else on the sidewalk. If you don't want to jog on the street & the pavement is too tough on your joints, try jogging/walking on the grass... a good option!
Now, Shape also discussed if you confront a hostile dog. They say to freeze, yell "NO" and walk backwards slowly to show that you are not a threat. The article says never to turn & run. Well, those that have followed me know that I was attacked by a dog last year, the day after my 51st bday.. UGH! I did not even have a chance. The dog was on a leash, jumped me, the owner fell & could not help me. Not a pretty experience to say the least! I have scars on my right upper thigh & right hand as reminders.
Another suggestion from Shape is if you get injured. If you can move, get to a higher spot like a bench or hill if possible & try to flag someone down. If you can't move, stay stable & also try to flag down a person or car. I usually see similar people on my outside route so hopefully for you, that is the same & you can wait for a friendly face.
I thought I would also share an article from The Diet Detective on tips for a better jog/run. I for one can absolutely attest to the point on swinging your arms. I used to do this side to side swing but read a while back about making sure the arms swing forward. This made a big difference for me. Read the article at this here: Running Tips - Fix Your Form
Hope this all helps & enjoy the jog or walk!
PS: This is a post from my old blog site. The older posts did not transfer over to this new site so I am going to post some of my old ones for my new readers. I apologize in advance to long time readers but hopefully they are good to read again.
I do worry about the joggers/walkers I see around town with both ear plugs in, especially seeing them jogging down a busy street. If I walk outside, it's usually with my dog, so music is pointless cuz I'm constantly correcting her.. lol, or I'm with a friend. I save the music for the go-nowhere, boring at times, treadmill!!
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I am a gym rat & only do cardio outside 1 day a week so I live by my iPod for m gym cardio workouts!
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I confess I run with an iPod--it turns what would be a dreary slog into an exhilarating experience, at least if the right tunes come up on my playlist!
But I use common sense. I have headphones that allow in at least some outside noise, not earbuds, and since I need a soft surface like dirt or sand, I rarely run when there's traffic any more.
That dog attack sounds awful, by the way! But the Shape advice just sounds kind of confusing. The "No!" sounds aggressive while the backing up sounds submissive. I'm not sure what a dog would do with mixed signals like that. But then heck, I'm not a dog nor a dog trainer, what do I know?
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Sounds like you are using good precautions so that you hear noise or if a person might try to come at you. Being able to hear something is key.
Your points on the Shape advice is something to think about but like you, I know nothing about that... To tell you the truth, I don't get anywhere near a dog when I jog now! I head way around them since I had no chance to even say no when I was attacked & the friggin thing was on a leash too with a "prior bite record"!!!
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