Some people have a near-religious approach to jogging, while others perform it grudgingly. Whether you run out of love for the activity, or you merely pound the pavement to lose weight, you'll want to know how many calories you're burning in the process.
Calories Burned While Jogging
It's difficult to know exactly how many calories a person burns while jogging because there are so many variables involved. What some people call jogging, others might call light running. A person might burn between about 400 and 600 calories running for one hour. Why the inexact numbers? It all has to do with each individual's body size and the level of exertion during a run.
Body Mass
A person's individual size can influence the total amount of calories they might burn while jogging. It takes a lot more energy to move a bigger body down the road. A smaller individual might breeze down a jogging trail with ease, expending relatively lower levels of energy. How big of a difference does body mass make? A person weighing 130 pounds typically burns about 413 calories, while a person weighing 155 pounds will burn 493 calories, and a person weighing 190 pounds will burn 604 calories in an hour.
Adjusting The Pace
Obviously, jogging burns a good deal of calories and represents a great way to lose weight. But, what if you pick up or lower your pace? This will make a big difference in the amount of calories you burn. Running can burn between 500 to 1000 calories depending on speed and intensity, while very brisk walking will burn between 236 and 345 calories, depending on a person's overall body mass.
Avoiding Injuries
High-impact exercises such as jogging and running can potentially lead to injuries to knee ligaments and cartilage. Most of the time, a proper warm-up can help prevent such problems. Make sure to stretch for several minutes before jogging. And, if you're new to this sort of exercise, take it slow.
Alternatives
Those with joint pain or knee problems are going to have a hard time with jogging. Any high-impact exercise can exacerbate existing conditions and can lead to new more-severe injuries. If you have joint pain or nagging leg injuries, you might consider a low-impact form of exercise instead. Swimming can burn between 300 to 800 calories depending on whether you're swimming vigorously or gently treading water.
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