Introduction
Your daily jogging routine improves cardiovascular health, helps build muscle and make up for that occasional extra dietary intake. For ages, people have been reaping benefits from all sorts of routine exercises. Jogging is one of the simplest, easiest and healthiest options of all. The benefits that jogging does to your body have been known for ages. What is less known to many, are those that jogging does to our minds. As the famous saying goes- with a sound mind in a healthy body, the benefits of exercise on your body are reflected in your mind and soul!
In the early morning or late in the evening, whenever you jog, your heart rate increases, pumping blood at a faster pace. Your respiratory system functions better, preparing your body and mind for vigorous exercise. When jogging reaches an optimum point, the body releases endorphins. This stimulant hormone takes your body to what is commonly termed as a ‘natural high’.
Apart from attaining natural high, there are various other less known benefits that running on a routine basis does to your mind. Let’s check out some of those mental benefits from daily jogging.
- Stress Management: Jogging helps in stress management. It boosts physical ability in coping up with mental tension. Norepinephrine, a chemical moderating the brain’s stress response is released during exercise.
- Vitamin D: Vitamin D is known to be effective in reducing depressive symptoms. Jogging in the morning before it’s too hot, can ensure your daily supply of sunshine vitamin.
- Minimizes Cognitive Decline: Running does not directly have an impact on conditions such as Alzheimers. After the age of 45, cognitive decline is quite common. However, routine running helps minimize the decline to some extent. Exercise accelerates chemical functions in the brain, prevents degeneration of the hippocampus. Hippocampus is that part of the brain associated with memory and learning.
- Peace and Serenity: During and after running, certain chemicals are released in the body. Anxiety can be controlled to some extent with these chemicals. When you jog on a natural track at a nearby park, garden or by the lakeside, a sense of peace is established. It is thus better to jog outside rather than on a treadmill at home or gym.
- Power Boost for Brain: Cardiovascular exercise helps create new brain cells and enhances overall performance of the brain. Brain-derived proteins increase during jogging which helps with learning, higher thinking and decision making.
- Great Productivity: It is a proven strategy that exercise of some sort on a daily basis can increase productivity. If you are a routine jogger, jogging before work everyday can help you stay alert, creative and active at work.
- Gives the Perfect Sleep: For some people, a moderate run can have the effect similar to that of a sleeping pill. Core body temperature increases during the jog and adjusts the biological clock naturally when the time comes for rest.
Conclusion
Jogging can be made into a routine for 45 minutes to 1 hour. It is ideal to jog during the early morning even though some believe that midday can be a good choice because of the body’s circadian rhythms. If your workspace needs a lot of creativity or if you face stress and anxiety often and find it difficult to cope, all you need is a jog! Yes, jogging everyday for 4 to 6 months continuously can cater to all these needs. Keep jogging, stay healthy and live happily!
