Slim Down and Get Toned With This 15-Minute Jogging Workout
If you've ever seen a competitive runner, you probably noticed they don't tend to carry a ton of fat. Even recreationally active runners tend to have an easier time keeping a trim waistline and fighting off the seemingly-inevitable creep of gaining body fat that occurs during aging. Jogging, which basically just means running at a less-than-all-out pace, is an accessible and straightforward form of aerobic exercise that torches calories, improves aerobic fitness, and gives a great boost to your mood. You don't have to be competitive to look great, though. You can slim down and get toned with this 15-minute jogging workout.
All you need to do for a killer addition to your fat loss training plan is complete the following workout three times each week. Gear up for a lean physique! And next up, don't miss The 5-Minute Standing Ab Workout for a Strong Core.
How to perform jogging workouts:
If your goal is to slim down and get toned, you're going to jog your way there! To perform jogging workouts, all you need is an open path, road, or track, and a solid pair of running shoes. If environmental factors are a concern, a treadmill works as well. The main "target" for an effective jogging workout is to make sure your heart rate sustains somewhere between 120 and 160 beats per minute, depending on your age, biological sex, and current fitness level.
That being said, a good gauge of whether you are in the right range is the "talk test." Basically, you should be at an intensity where stringing together seven to 10 words is somewhat difficult, but not impossible.
If you have no experience jogging, you should consider starting with brisk walking and then building up to jogging to avoid any overuse injuries. Once brisk walking becomes easy enough that you can perform it without coming close to the talk test threshold, start jogging. Begin with just 60 seconds of jogging, and work your way up to the full 15 minutes over several weeks.
You can gauge your progress by how much distance you cover in 15 minutes. More distance at the same perceived difficulty means your cardio is improving. Additionally, if you start finding 15 minutes feels "easy" even at a decent pace, you should consider increasing the total running time.
How often should you perform jogging workouts?
If you are just starting out and are walking, I recommend shooting for three workouts per week. To speed up your progress, you can increase the duration of each jogging session, or even consider a daily walk!
Once you build up to a jogging/running pace, you can drop it down to two days per week initially as the muscles and tendons adapt to the increased stimulus. It's important to start slowly but keep consistent. Overuse injuries are common in running—especially for novices—so avoiding knee, ankle, and hip issues is vital to keep you consistent for the long-term duration needed for sustainable weight loss.
Once you are comfortable with two 15-minute workouts per week, I would advise bumping up the duration of each training session, or you can add additional workouts per week. Until you are advanced, I recommend doing a maximum of two consecutive workout days before taking a rest day.
Regardless of your current fitness level, adding jogging to your regimen is a massive opportunity to rocket-propel your weight loss to new heights. (Or rather, lows!) Now that you know what to do, just start jogging to slim down and get toned, and don't forget to have some fun!
