jogging technique and the benefits of home workout for weight loss 609bc91489393

Jogging Technique and the Benefits of Home Workout for Weight Loss

Running exercises can help you lose weight, improve your health and tighten your muscles. If you can’t do intense outdoor activities, try onsite jogging in your apartment. Do you need to start somewhere?

Advantages, disadvantages, contraindications

Let’s evaluate benefits and harms of “home” running. First, let’s look at the positive aspects of such activities:

  • no sports equipment is needed;
  • you can exercise in any weather;
  • saving time;

moderate stress on the knees and spine;

  • no constraint in front of others;
  • free exercise schedule.

Disadvantages of home jogging:

  • low efficiency (compared to classic outdoor running);
  • monotony;
  • lack of fresh air.

Running on the spot at home is not harmful to the body, but simply less productive than outdoor activities. In defense of home training, we note that it has many useful properties:

  • training of the cardiovascular system;
  • strengthening of muscles, ligaments, tendons;
  • improvement of digestion;
  • normalization of the reproductive system;
  • weight loss;
  • calming the nervous system;
  • getting rid of depressive conditions;
  • study of female problem areas (thighs, buttocks, back of the arms).

Despite the “mild” effect on the body, running at home has some medical contraindications:

  • damage to the spine or joints;
  • varicose veins;
  • coronary syndrome;
  • late pregnancy;
  • period recovery from operations.

If you have health problems, be sure to visit your doctor. Only he decides on the use of physical activity as a preventive measure. Otherwise, you risk worsening your health and accelerating the progression of the disease.

According to statistics, Russia is in third place in the prevalence of hypertension. The disease is characterized by high blood pressure, which damages the cardiovascular system and other internal organs. As a result, the risk of developing irreversible consequences increases.

Moderate sports loads are considered one of the methods of preventing hypertension. Running on the spot is suitable for exercise therapy. It helps to expand blood vessels, relax muscles and normalize blood pressure.

What muscles are involved

Like classic air jogging, running on place makes the whole body work. The legs, abs, back, shoulders receive the load .

Due to the specific technique, the emphasis is on the legs (calf, soleus) and thighs (quadriceps) … Thanks to this, the athlete gets the opportunity to make his legs slimmer.

Of course, we are not talking about any set of muscle mass. Running on the spot helps to reshape the lower limbs by toning the muscles and reducing body fat.

Warm up before running in place

It is necessary to warm up muscles, ligaments, tendons, joints before each workout. First, it reduces the risk of injury. Secondly, it improves the body’s susceptibility to stress. Here’s an example of a simple warm-up for home training:

  1. Squats without extra weight (15-20).
  2. Lunges forward (15 on each leg).
  3. Rotations in the knee and ankle joints (20 times).
  4. Hand swing movements (20 times forward and backward).
  5. Bends forward and to the sides (15–20).
  6. Jumping in place with high hips (10– 12).

If you have a cardio machine at home (ellipsoid, stepper), replace the leg warm-up with 10 minutes of walking at a calm pace. This will be enough to warm up the whole body and prepare for the main part of the session.

Running technique in place

Correct execution technique is the key to efficiency any exercise. The same applies to treadmills. To keep your home workout productive, follow these guidelines:

  • Start with a simple walk in place. You don’t need to raise your knees high. The goal of this stage is to smoothly enter the training regime. Continue for 2 minutes.
  • Then move on to light jogging in place. Keep your back straight. Try not to lower your heels to the floor, move on your toes. When lifting the hip, also raise the opposite arm bent at the elbow.
  • Relax your shoulders, do not bend forward, do not lower your head. If it works, breathe through your nose, if not, use a mixed style (inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth).
  • Some beginners make a gross mistake – “stick” a sock into the floor. It damages the ankle and knee joints. Therefore, when moving, try to lower your foot gently.
  • After completing the main part of your workout, gradually reduce the pace until you reach a step. “Walk” on the spot for a couple of minutes to calm your heart and restore your pulse.

In home training at all it is not necessary to use equipment and, in particular, sports shoes. You can practice barefoot or wearing socks. But be prepared for pain in the toes of the feet after class. If this happens all the time, we recommend running in running shoes. Professional models with cushioning soles are best.

How to reduce running noise

Noise-sensitive neighbors can interrupt your running workout. To prevent this from happening, adhere to the following recommendations:

  • wear shoes with soft soles;
  • land exclusively on toes, leave heels on weight;
  • use special non-slip fitness mat;
  • exercise during the day.

Remember, making noise in the evening is prohibited. Each region has its own legislative rules for maintaining silence. For example, in Moscow it is forbidden to interfere with the rest of neighbors from 23:00 to 07:00 on weekdays, and in St. Petersburg from 22:00 to 08:00.

How to diversify your running on the spot

Music is a faithful companion for runners. Play your favorite tracks to make your workouts more enjoyable. It is advisable that the songs correspond to the rhythm of the lesson. This will make physical activity much easier.

If the music does not stimulate you to move, you can turn on the TV. Note that it is undesirable to watch smart broadcasts during an activity. The brain will try to simultaneously capture the meaning of the information and maintain the pace, which can negatively affect the training.

If you want to diversify the monotonous running, periodically accelerate by 10-15 seconds. This will improve your lower body musculature. You can add jumps – pushing off with one leg while lifting the opposite knee.

Experienced athletes are advised to complicate the exercises with the help of weights. Use lightweight dumbbells or sand weights around your wrists and shins. Additional exercise will help increase calorie expenditure and lose weight.

How to calculate mileage

This question is initially incorrect, since there is no movement in space when running on the spot. It is not the length of the distance traveled that is important, but the time the muscles are under load. This determines the number of calories burned, working out the lower body and strengthening the cardiovascular system.

Running in place and burning fat

Any intense exercise speeds up metabolic processes and burns calories. Therefore, running on the spot is effective for losing weight.

The rapid reduction in body fat while running is associated with the expenditure of calories. Running on the spot burns about 250-300 calories per hour of continuous training. In comparison, classic jogging helps you spend an average of 500 kcal per hour. But those who study at home shouldn’t be upset. To increase energy expenditure, use soft weights or add special exercises to the lesson (more on them later).

A few words should be said about the duration of running sessions. We recommend that beginners train no more than 15–20 minutes in the first month. This is necessary so that the muscles gradually adapt to the stress. After 4 weeks, gradually increase the training time to 30 minutes.

Experienced athletes should run for at least 40 minutes. This is due to the fact that at first the body burns glycogen stores (the main source of energy for muscles) and only then begins to expend subcutaneous fat. Glycogen is enough for half an hour. Therefore, weight loss training should last 40–45 minutes.

The number of sessions is determined individually. Start with three workouts per week. If you don’t feel tired on your rest days, add another workout. The main thing is not to overdo it. Otherwise, you can reach a state of overtraining, which will negatively affect your running results.

Weight loss processes start only when there is a calorie deficit. Actually, running in place is needed to create a negative energy balance (when the athlete spends more energy than he receives from food). But physical activity alone is not enough. It is necessary to revise the diet and refuse food with a high glycemic index (bakery products, sugar, confectionery). The combination of a low-calorie diet and regular running exercise will quickly shed those extra pounds.

Running exercises

Consider exercise options you can use to increase load and fully work out the muscles of the lower extremities:

  • Jogging . The athlete tries to touch the buttocks with the heel with each foot lift. The exercise stretches the quads well and loads the hamstrings well.
  • Running with high knees . When performed, the hips are raised to parallel with the floor or higher. Exercise helps increase calories burned and put more stress on your hips.
  • Swinging your arms . The athlete performs a simple run in place and simultaneously rotates his arms forward. The element additionally strengthens the deltas and accelerates weight loss.
  • Running in place in a lying position . Exercise helps you diversify your workout. In addition, during the execution, not only the muscles of the legs are worked out, but also the arms and abs.
  • Running onto the platform . The exercise uses a step platform. The athlete moves vigorously, moving the feet from the floor to the support and back. The element accelerates the burning of calories.
  • Lateral jogging . The athlete makes quick short steps in place, abruptly shifts to the side by a meter and again takes 3-4 running steps. Then he repeats back. The exercise allows you to develop agility, mobility, speed.

Running in place and jumping

In addition to the elements discussed above, we recommend adding plyometric loads to your running workout. For example, jumping rope can replace a warm-up or increase your calorie expenditure by doing two 10-minute sets before and after running. By the way, when using a rope, an athlete spends the same amount of calories as in a classic jogging (about 500 kcal / hour).

Jumping elements can be included in the lesson itself. We have already said that bouncing helps to diversify the monotonous rhythm of a workout. In addition, using plyometric exercises, the athlete improves the workout of the lower body. For example, jumping out of a lunge with a split load well not only the large muscles of the legs, but also the small muscles responsible for stabilization.

Which is better : running on the spot or treadmill?

The treadmill is definitely better, as it has many advantages:

  1. When moving on the simulator, the athlete performs full running steps, which increases the beneficial effect on body.
  2. The track has the option of changing the load, which is necessary for gradual progression.
  3. The cardiomachine is equipped with additional functions that allow you to monitor the results and condition of the athlete: measuring the distance traveled, calories burned, pulse, etc. .d.
  4. A variety of exercises are performed on the electronic track, which load the leg muscles well.
  5. Variable load and the ability to fully run contribute to quick weight loss.

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Yes, the electronic track is an expensive projectile … If buying such a machine is not practical, then running on the spot will help reduce body fat and improve the appearance of your legs. Although it will take more time.