Jogging is one of the most popular forms of physical exercise there is. The fact that it is simple in nature and requires almost no equipment to get started, attracts all different kinds of people. From those who want to lose fat to those who just want to stay healthy and fit. However a lot of people tend to overlook a few important details.
The story
About three years ago, I had started a physical exercise routine which consisted of a 10Km morning jog that lasted close to 2 hours per session. When I first started I was obviously out of shape since I had not engaged in any kind of physical activity for about a year or two. I had no stamina, poor breath control and my muscles were definitely not in shape.
Day 1 was hard I could barelly complete 5KMs, I stopped every few meters to rest, cough and take deep breaths. However by the end of the first week 5KMs were a "piece of cake". Second week came and I stepped up a notch and I was doing almost 8KMs.
When I least expected I was doing 10KMs+ every single day with no rest days from Sunday to Sunday. I was amazed by how quickly my body had adapted to this routine. After one or two months, when it was getting boring and repetitive I decided to include small drills like running uphill, downhill, on the beach sand and even doing short sprints in between. This was very addictive, and I didn't feel right when I missed a day or two.
I repeated this routine for more than 6 months without noticing. It had become a part of me. Wake up at 4:00am jog until 6:00am for 10KMs, go back to sleep. After those 6 months+ I had lost a lot of weight. I overlooked a lot of important factors like proper rest, nutrition and even sleep(which at times I was only getting 4 hours per night) simply because I was ignorant and did not know much about the importance of it.
Eventually after those 6 months+ I had to stop due to a change of location, I was going to live in another country.
Fast forward two years after I had learned about the importance of a proper nutrition and rest, I decided to start jogging again but now I was only doing at most two times a week getting enough sleep and eating healthy. However, the consequences of your foolish actions will likely come later in time when you least expect them. While standing at the kitchen I felt a "snap" sensation on my knee. I had the impression that the knee had snapped backwards(it was just a feeling) I fell to the ground in pain.
Later I came to learn about the damage that my excessive jogging routine had done to my knee cartilage.
The Knee CartilageÂ
Jogging is an activity that puts a lot of stress on the legs. Depending on your jogging posture or the type of shoes you use, most of this stress could be put on the knees. For this reason people who jog are more likely to experience knee cartilage damage overtime.
The knee cartilage is a tissue that acts as a cushioning in the joints. Unlike muscles and bones, the cartilage in the joints does not self heal overtime due to the low circulation of blood in the region. So once you reach your late teens and your bones stop growing, the cartilage in the joints will also stop developing and from that point onward it's permanent. So imagine, if you jog every single day for high intervals of time you're just increasing the risk of damaging this tissue. If you're overweight, the risk is even higher since the stress on the joints is also high.
Other factors that can contribute to cartilage damage may include accidents and any heavy blows on the region caused perhaps by a fall.
But the Pros Do it!!!
You might be wondering, if jogging can be that dangerous why do people still do it? And why do professional athletes still do it?Â
Well the answer is simple. Moderation, variation and nutrition. If you think about it, most professional athletes don't run or jog every single day. Some may jog once or twice a week, go to the gym three times a week and rest for the remaining days.
Imagine if those 30Kms+ marathon runners had to train by doing 30Kms+ everyday, they would certainly be destroyed.
Basically what I am trying to say is that there are exercises(i.e interval training) that will give you the same benefits of jogging with half the work and not causing as near as much damage as jogging does.
Besides moderation and variation most professional athletes have nutritionists who basically track almost every single calory they ingest on a daily basis.Â
So even for the ones who do jog every day, still follow a proper nutrition plan.
If you're going to jog like a pro, then you must eat like a pro.
Actually, anyone who does any kind of physical exercise must take nutrition seriously.
To JOG or not to JOG?
So you might be wondering, is jogging a big "No No"?Â
Anything done excessively can be prejudicial. So if you're someone who loves jogging or is considering starting, I would just recommend keeping in mind the MVN(Moderation, Variation and Nutrition) in mind.Â
Moderation - Don't overdo it! Take rest days. Try to keep it under 2 hours. 30mins-1:30h is usually enough.
Variation - Do different types of workouts. From time to time increase the pace and decrease the distance.
Nutrition - Eat clean! Eat healthy!
Do a proper research, know your body, and if possible seek advice from an experienced person in the field.
A Word of wisdom
Jogging is simple and fun, however if done the wrong way it can be very prejudicial. Although our bodies have the ability to change to better adapt to new environments and conditions, we must remember that we do not have super powers. So if misused, overused and abused, our body can eventually shut down.
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Picture credits: www.pixabay.com user: komposita