Tips To Improve Your Jogging Performance

If you have decided to take up running or jogging as a means of getting your body into better shape, it is helpful to spend a bit of time looking at what you can do to ensure your performance is up to par.
Sometimes a few small adjustments to how you run or jog can make a big difference in...

• how comfortable you feel while running or jogging,
• your risk factor for injury,

as well as whether or not you perform as best as you can.

Let us take a quick look at three actions you can put into practice immediately to improve your jogging performance...

1. Keep Your Breathing Pattern Regular. How efficiently you breathe is a very critical part of any cardiovascular activity, but many people overlook this. They either hold their breath at times or are taking very shallow breaths that do not move sufficient oxygen into their lungs and through their body as they need it.

Start focusing on long, deep breaths in and out. At first, it may seem a bit labor intensive to utilize this breathing pattern, however, if you keep at it, you will soon find it helps you perform much better.

And, once you have been using long and deep breathing for some time, it will become second nature.

2. Focus On Loosening Up Your Hip Flexors. It is also smart to begin focusing on loosening up your hip flexors as well. If your hip flexors are tight, it is going to create a shorter stride as you jog or run. Tight hip flexors will not only make the entire run feel less comfortable but also cause you to move much more slowly than you otherwise would.

Think of it this way. If you have to take twenty strides instead of taking twelve strides, which number of strides will take more energy on your part? Hopefully, this helps put things in perspective.

3. Open Your Chest Up. Finally, as you go about your run, make sure you are keeping your chest open at all times. Keeping your chest open will help with regulating your breathing and also prevent a forward lean, which at a later date can cause back pain, not to mention making your running less efficient.

So there you have three actions you can take to improve your jogging or running form immediately, get more benefits from your sessions and help prevent injuring yourself.