Diamond Enthusiast
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Hi There,
Just remember before we walked we crawled, therefore beforr a jog warm up with a walk first - and end your jog with about 5 minutes of walk as well.
These walks are called Warm Up and Cool Down - doing both may help with that stich in your side. Further this gets the body to pump blood which will pull out the toxins that occure when muscles are worked.
I reccomend stretching before the jog as well, a couple of slow toe touches, not forced - no bouncing to touch your toes, but bending over and allowing gravity to push your upper body down, stretching out the muscles slowly.
The cramp could be any number of things really, I think that maybe in your case it is a need to warm up and cool off - if it persists even after warming up and cooling off, consult a physician.
Eating - Eat a carbohydrate rich food 20 minutes before you start out your routine. Carbohydrates are found in grains; bread, muffins, rice, etc.
Carbohydrates are converted into sugars which are released into the blood stream - sugars are the energy source the body runs on. Eating a candy bar, which is loaded in sugar, releases too much sugar over a short period of time - this is sugar rush. Carbs on the other hand release a trickle of sugar into the blood stream over a period of time. This slow release will provide you with the needed energy to perform the exercise for a longer duration without running out of energy.
To keep your body happy, wear comfortable (already worn and broken) shoes. If you are forced to wear new shoes, double up on the socks. And if you haven't done much walking lately, I still say double up on the socks - this will protect your feet from blisters.
Set a pace. Pacing oneself means that you are moving at the same rate, a lazy bouncing feeling should be there, if you push to hard you are running.
Breathe - During your warm up walk and your cool off walk, do not be afraid to inhale deeply, exhaling completely - get an oxygen rush if possible just before you step up the speed into a jog. Breathing is the most important aspect of any exercise routine - and so many fail to breathe deep.
The Muscles need oxygen in order to perform correctly - the reason why we start breathing harder when we do exercise is to get more oxygen into the system. If you start out flooding the system with oxygen before the stress of a work out, you will find that it is easier to keep the level of oxygen up during the routine.
It will take a while to find the right rate of breathing, how deep and the pace of your jog. If you're panting, you are jogging to hard or you are not breathing deep enough. Breathing in and out of mouth is fine, you are exercising, not going out for a beauty contest.
Drink plenty of water. Before, during and on long jogs, even during.
8 Tall glasses a day are the minimal that everyone should be drinking, I strongly suggest more. Personally, I drink over two gallons of water a day - Not at the same time, but oer the period of a day. I freeze a milk container of water and another half one. In the morning I fill up the half ice gallon with water - I sip and drink at that during the day (I work mainly outside) by the time I finish that one off, a majority of the ice is thawed in my second container. When I get home, I still drink out of my water supply - I keep track of my water intake.
Do I potty more? A little, but I also sweat a lot more as well, due to work and work outs. It evens out.
The cramp in the feet may be because you have improper arch support. You can get arch supporting insoles at any drug store for around 8 to 12 dollars. I would reccomend changing them every two months since jogging is a high impact type of sport. I change my insoles in my work boots every month, but then I am on my feet every day doing some heavy lifting, breaking down the insole rather fast.
High Impact sports can do damage to the joints and the bone. Shin Splints, Joint Damage are common in jogging. Read up on these ailments, learn how to know early on when you have injured yourself, continual jogging on injurded legs will lead to permanment damage.
A good web search would have key words like 'Shin splints' 'High Impact Sports Injuries'
Any exercise that is more movement than what yo have been doing will cause the body to change it's shape.
However, be fairly warned, your appeitite will increase in relation to the new exercise. This is a natural and good thing, that means your body is responding to the exercise and understands that it needs more fuel (food) to accomodate that exercise.
If you start any diet, be mindful that that diet doesn't reduce the calories that you are already taking.
Sounds hard? Not really.
I always push the Low Added Fat Added Suggar diet. It is my favorite because by substituting the fat and the sugar with good things, you can really eat more, while maintaining or even reducing the calories.
Six smaller meals a day is a good thing, this provides your body with a constant, steady fuel supply. Eating six servings of fruit or vegetables a day is highly reccomended. A piece of fruit is a serving, a 1/2 cup of vegetables is a serving. Trust me, you can get those 6 servings into your daily routine.
Why six servings? Six smaller meals - fruits and vegies will fill you up (taking care of that hunger pang) while keeping the calories low.
You may threfore desire to follow your exercise program with a dietary habit which will provide your body with all the fuel (food) it needs.
Wear loose fitting clothes that will allow your body to move and to breath - if it is hot outside, wear clothing that will allow your perspirtation to evaporate. If it is chilly, make certain to have with you a jacket that you can wear before and after the jog - something that is light enough to tie around your waist, but heavy enough to keep you from getting a chill after your jog.
Have fun with it. The old adage No Pain No Gain is falsely interpreted to mean that it has to hurt. Yes, until your body adjusts, there will be stiffness and soreness after the work out and the next day - if that stiffness and soreness persists for more than three days, something is wrong and should be attended too.
Enjoy the scenery, take your time - jogging is not a race - that is running. Be mindful were you put your feet, a twisted ankle is no fun at all.
Since you are aiming for three days a week, I strongly urge you to work up to that slowly. Perhaps jogging one day a week for 2-3 weeks, then jogging twice a week for another 2 - 3 weeks, and then jogging 3 times a week.
Get plenty of rest between jogs - that means sleep 8 hours, and take it easy if you feel any pain. If the next jogging day comes and you find you are still stiff and sore, opt for a walk instead of a jog.
Lastly, Consult a physician before starting any diet or exercise program
Cheers
David
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