3 Reasons Why Jogging Doesn’t Work

Jogging (or any other type of long, slow, long-distance exercise) is not an optimal training method. It can be downright bad for you. I’ve said it. Here’s why.

1. it doesn’t help you look good (that’s an important point, right?)

Let’s face it, the main reason people start an exercise program is to look good. There’s nothing wrong with that.

Of course, most people don’t want to look like a professional bodybuilder, and most people just want to be well-toned. I would guess that an ideal “well-toned” physique for most people would be something like the bodies of the models in health magazines like “Men’s Health” or “Shape.”

And now for the reality check: how many people who jog (on the treadmills in gyms or as joggers on the street) look like the models on the covers? That’s right, not many (if any!). In fact, most joggers look tired, bored and unhappy (oops, that’s just their faces). Their bodies look soft, wobbly, and not particularly impressive. Wholesale Mens Joggers UK

“Oh, but maybe they’re just getting started”. Look at the people who have a jogging routine. Same people, same route, same place, same gym, etc. Look at those people 3 months or even 12 months later. Right. Same look or even fatter! I would guess that we all want RESULTS for our hard work. Fair enough! But that’s not what jogging offers.

What do most people need to look better than they do now? 2 simple things. More muscle (yes, women too – in the right places) and less fat. Scientific studies and the real world show us that jogging offers neither. Without getting too scientific (which I actually enjoy), here are some results from those studies. You can empirically prove these results with your friends who jog, just as I do with my clients who used to jog before they learned the truth.

Result A: Jogging does not contribute to fat loss any more than a good diet. Eating healthy is great for fat loss. Jogging contributes NOTHING to it. Shocking!!! It’s not 10 minutes a week either. It’s 30-50 minutes 3 times a week! More than most joggers do. 

Result B: Jogging does nothing to build muscle. Jogging puts your entire body into “starvation mode.” The body thinks, “I’m lost in the jungle, that’s why I jog so much to find my way out”. What is the best way to survive in the jungle? By consuming as few calories as possible so we can get by on less food. How do we accomplish this? The body commands its calorie-consuming parts to get rid of them. Only muscles consume calories! Oops, there goes the fat-burning, calorie-consuming, good-looking muscles.

So far, jogging is a zero out of two when it comes to good looks. And it gets worse! When you jog, you become more efficient. Efficiency in gas mileage in a car is good. Efficiency in jogging to look good is bad! It means you burn LESS calories when you jog “better”. No, in reality, you have to run farther and longer to burn the same amount of calories as before. This not only means that jogging doesn’t work, it works the other way around!

2. jogging does not help you in the “game” of life

OK, more real life. I just got back from serving in the Army Reserve. All men in Singapore have to do this service for our nation. I am an army engineer. We build stuff and blow stuff up. In our training, we NEVER had to jog to accomplish our missions. All of our critical missions were force related. At no time would jogging have helped my men or me successfully accomplish those tasks.

When was the last time you got up and ran a 10K? Never? Yep, me neither. But just like my army story, real life is about strength! Carrying a growing child is a strength task. So is changing a car tire, moving furniture, carrying groceries, sprinting after the bus when you’re running late, climbing stairs when the elevator is crowded – the list can get very long.

Another important aspect in life is posture. Most people have poor posture. We sit way too slouched because we spend a lot of time in front of the computer at work and school. This can lead to headaches, neck pain, back pain (and not looking as good as we could). Unfortunately, this head-forward posture is efficient for oxygen intake when jogging, and many joggers do this. So jogging makes a bad situation worse! Wholesale Jogger Pants Men UK

The next point is sobering. I spent some time helping out at a place where older people get together to get social support and play simple games. It was quite clear that the happy and healthy older people were the ones who were strong, mobile, and able to take care of themselves without help. I could tell by their handshake who was still in good shape and who was in failing health. I want to be strong until my last breath, and I assume you do too.

The game of life is a long one. And many older people are bedridden or lack mobility due to debilitating health problems. Aerobic capacity is not a determining factor in our quality of life as we age. Two important factors in the quality of life of older people are leg strength and grip strength. These are indicators of upper and lower body power and strength (power and especially strength are lost quickly if we do not train specifically for them as we age). They are maintained through resistance training, not slow jogging. Many older people become immobile due to falls and accidents that result from lack of strength, not because they ran out of breath climbing stairs.

3. jogging is not so good for health

There is a saying that I like, “You don’t run to get fit, you get fit to run”. It is true that more than half of all people who start jogging suffer an injury within 6 weeks. That’s more than most contact or high risk sports like rugby, American football or car racing!

First of all, there is the problem of foot strength. Most people wear shoes all day and therefore have weak feet. Ankle, heel and sole injuries like plantar fasciitis are common because most people’s feet are not ready to withstand the stresses.

Let’s move on to the knees. Each foot strike has an impact equivalent to 3-6 times the body weight. All of this depends on the running mechanics, the shoe, and the running surface. 3 times is a low estimate. Often we have poor mechanics, poorly chosen shoes, and surfaces that are too hard. Combine this with poor technique and muscle tension (which in turn is caused by poor posture and an inactive lifestyle), and the knees are more than adequately stressed. In women, knee problems are even more common than in other joggers due to their naturally wider hips and less ideal biomechanics.

Poor pelvic alignment means that the lower back also takes too much of the ground load. With proper training, rehab, and a modified exercise routine, these problems not only go away, but they produce great results (i.e., they look good and are pain-free).

So what can we do? Well, I always recommend sprints (with quick strides or faster) to my more experienced clients. Or sprints on a stationary bike for the ladies and less experienced clients. These are done in intervals, e.g. 30 seconds running/sprinting. 90 seconds walking. This is easier on the joints (fast running stresses the muscles, not the joints, and the overall number of shocks is less) and produces great results (again, results! They matter!).

Jogging is certainly better than watching TV or surfing the web all day. But it’s really a low benefit activity compared to the potential risks. There are far better alternatives such as sprint cycling, fast running (if you are a well-trained athlete), and full-body resistance training with short rest breaks. All of these alternatives offer far greater benefits than jogging, require less time (VERY important for long-term success), and are more fun (also important for long-term success).

Conclusion:

I hope joggers don’t take this article as a personal attack. I certainly didn’t mean it that way. It’s just that in a fast-paced culture (with so little time for exercise) and given the current levels of inactivity, obesity, and other lifestyle-related health problems, we can’t afford to do less than optimal workouts. Even if we are blessed with plenty of time, why would we do less than what is ideal! Get off the treadmill and start a well-designed resistance and interval training program. Also Check that: Wholesale Clothing Supplier in UK