Jogging is one of the finest exercise programs, as it yields a lot of benefits. You can do it independently and it helps you build a good physique by stimulating your heart rate, relieving stress, toning your muscles and also prevents a number of aging problems. It increases your energy level and it brings a sense of discipline and is more result oriented than any other type of workout. It helps burn calories and stay fit.

There are a few disadvantages that jogging yields such as muscle or joint strains and injuries. It is advisable to meet a physician before beginning this workout. Firstly, you need to confirm if you have any other health problem that could cause you physical stress if you exercise too hard.

There are actually so many benefits to jogging that it would be impossible to list them all. At the top of the list would have to be how great jogging is for losing weight. Now, let me say right off, if you are obese, jogging is something that you want to do slowly as it can be very taxing on an extremely overweight person. But there is no better way, over time, to lose those pounds than with a good two mile jog in the park. If you're first starting out, try a mile or even a half mile. Start slow, but get started.

Another benefit to jogging is that is tones the muscles and bones. This is critical in preventing muscle and bone loss. You will find very few joggers who end up suffering from osteoporosis later on in life.

It gets very challenging to run on a daily basis because we may need longer to recover. Even if equipped with the right clothing for the weather or the right sneakers to jog with, the body just says no However, we should ask ourselves, What can we do if we cant run In my opinion running is the most effective exercise for burning fat. In turn, Im less optimistic with my weight loss goals when I cant run. However, we can always choose an alternative exercise.

If you want a formidable workout with lower impact, give elliptical machines a try. Elliptical machines became popular because they provide much less impact on the legs when training and give you a good work out (if used correctly).
Elliptical machines can challenge the determined trainee to get an intense work out. If you decide to use an elliptical machine as an alternative to jogging, you wont need to worry about the payoff (or lack of) for skipping your daily run.
Well if you're jogging and losing muscle because it's eating away your muscles for energy (happens to a majority of joggers), then you're actually slowing down your metabolism (thus making it harder to lose fat since you have less muscle).

The way to jog to preserve muscle and increase your fat burning rate is to do intervals.

What you do is run fast for 10-15 seconds. Then you slow down to either a walk or a very slow jog for 20-30 seconds. And you keep repeating that sequence over and over for about 20 minutes. This is ideal for burning fat and maintaining muscle.

To avoid injuries increase your activity for only 1-2 minutes per day. After several weeks, review your progress and then increase or decrease the activity accordingly.