Jogging is one of the quickest ways to get your cardiovascular system in shape. Your heart won't be the only part of your body that benefits, however. You'll gain lower-body strength and lung capacity, and you will probably lose a few pounds.
Jog every day for 15 minutes, and eventually, you may find that you want to challenge yourself even more.
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Read more: The Effects of Jogging Every Day
Tip
Weight loss requires a calorie deficit. The number of calories burned by a 15-minute jog every morning depends on your current weight and workout intensity.
Principles of Weight Loss
No matter what kind of exercise you do, you must burn more calories than you eat in order to lose weight. Each time you create a deficit of 3,500 calories, you will lose 1 lb. of excess weight. Making dietary changes can help you accomplish your goal so that you get faster results.
Eat a diet rich in complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, vegetables and legumes along with lean protein sources. This will give you the energy you need to work out, and it will eliminate the empty calories that can lead to weight gain or weight loss stalls.
Weight and Calories Burned
The number of calories that you burn while jogging depends on your weight. The more you weigh, the more energy in the form of calories your body must expend during activity. If you weigh 155 lbs. and jog at a pace of 5 miles per hour for 15 minutes, you will burn approximately 145 calories each day. If you weigh 185 lbs. and jog at the same pace for 15 minutes, you will burn 175 calories, according to Harvard Health Publishing.
The heavier you are, the faster you will lose weight by incorporating jogging into your daily routine. Keep in mind that as you near your goal weight, you will burn fewer calories than you did when you first started out. You will need to increase your jogging duration or your speed in order to maintain the same rate of weight loss.
Read more: How Long Should a Jog Last?
Consider the Terrain
The terrain that you run on affects how many calories you burn, and hence, how much weight you will eventually lose. Jogging up hills or against the wind can increase the number of calories you expend during your daily jaunt.
If you live near a beach, jog along it to receive the extra calorie burn you will get from your feet hitting the sand. A study published in May 2013 by the_ Journal of Sports Sciences_ demonstrates that jogging in sand requires more energy than jogging on firmer surfaces. Therefore, more calories are burned.
15-Minute Jog and Calories
If you do a 15-minute jog every morning and don't increase your caloric intake, you will lose weight. If you weigh 155 pounds, you will lose approximately 1 pound every three to four weeks. If you weigh 185 pounds, you will lose 1 pound in a little less than three weeks.
To lose a pound each week in addition to the weight you are losing by jogging, cut 500 calories from your diet. To lose more weight with your daily jog, increase the amount of time you spend jogging or run on rugged terrain.