The health benefits of jogging, according to a running expert

Avoid injuries and hit PBs with these helpful tips

Increased stamina, energy levels and improved mental wellbeing are just some of the many benefits, says athlete Holly Stables (The Independent)

Jogging sounds simple – just put one foot in front of the other – but it’s much more technical than you might think. If you’ve been inspired by the marathon videos cropping up all over TikTok, or are keen to start exercising outdoors now the summer sun has arrived, we’ve created the ultimate guide. From the benefits of regular jogging to all the gear you need, we’ve got you.

There’s never a better time to start your running journey, especially now the weather is looking up. Not only can it help meet your fitness goals, but it’s also the perfect opportunity to explore a new area while soaking up your favourite music or podcast.

Staying free from injury is also something that should be at the top of your to-do list because how your body recovers is just as important as the run itself. Running is often associated with the dreaded runner’s knee, painful blisters and shin splints, so if you’re a beginner and are keen to start jogging regularly, see results and stay motivated, we’ve consulted the expertise of Holly Stables, athlete and ASICS Frontrunner UK manager.

She has shared her top tips for avoiding injury with IndyBest, as well as the health benefits you’ll gain and the most common mistakes people make when running, whether you’re keen to up your mileage on an air-conditioned treadmill or in your local park.

What are the benefits of jogging?

While we know that exercise is good for both our physical and mental health, we wanted to know from Stables why jogging specifically is worth your time.

“Starting running as a beginner yields numerous health benefits, including improved cardiovascular health by strengthening the heart and enhancing circulation. It also boosts lung function, increasing oxygen intake and respiratory efficiency,” she explains.

You’ll also see a difference in other areas of your life too. “As beginners gradually build their endurance, they’ll notice increased stamina and energy levels in their daily activities. Running also promotes mental wellbeing by releasing endorphins, reducing stress, and boosting confidence after every run,” she says.

How to get started

If you’re new to running, Stables recommends a mix of running and walking, so you can gradually build endurance and stamina. “This approach allows the body to adapt to the demands of running while minimising the risk of injury,” she explains.

There are also many tools and apps at your disposal to help structure any running goals you may have. For example, the NHS Couch to 5K programme is a free app that creates a running plan to help you work towards running 5km in just nine weeks. It consists of three, 30-minute runs a week and during each session, a celebrity narrator will tell you when to run, walk or rest. You can choose from radio DJ Jo Whiley, comedian Sanjeev Kohli, Olympian Michael Johnson or comedian Sarah Millican to make each run a little more motivating.

If you’d prefer to run as part of a group, make sure to look up your local Park Run, a weekly 5km running club hosted by volunteers in 1,258 locations across the UK. It’s free to join and takes place in local parks every Saturday morning. You can find your nearest Park Run here.

How to avoid injuries

It’s easier than you think to pick up an injury, especially if you do too much, too soon. “Many beginners are eager to progress quickly and push themselves too hard, leading to overtraining and increased risk of injury,” says Stables. This can include running too far, too fast, or too frequently without allowing adequate time for rest and recovery.

“Common running injuries that beginners may suffer from include shin splints, which result from overuse or improper running techniques and cause pain along the front of the lower leg. Runner’s knee, or patellofemoral pain syndrome, is another frequent issue characterised by pain around or behind the kneecap, often exacerbated by running downhill or on uneven surfaces” Stable adds. “Additionally, Achilles tendonitis, a condition involving inflammation of the Achilles tendon, may occur due to sudden increases in running intensity or improper footwear, resulting in pain and stiffness at the back of the ankle.”

Her advice is to always warm up before each workout, build up mileage and intensity slowly and wear appropriate shoes. If you’re in need of a new pair of running shoes, we put designs from Nike, Adidas and more to the test in our roundup of the best running shoes for women, as well as the best running shoes for men to hit your 2024 fitness goals. More on that below.

What are the best products for running?

If you’re not sure what running shoes you need, our writers have reviewed the very best, and have put big-name brands under the microscope to find what’s worth your money. In our guide to the best running shoes for women, the Saucony women’s tempus took the top sot thanks to the arch support and secure fit. “It’s an extremely comfortable, lightweight shoe with great arch support, a secure and supportive heel cup, and the toebox houses a relatively wide foot (but not for the widest of feet). Its midsole geometry makes it feel like it’s almost doing the running for you, propelling you forward. These are an absolute joy to run in,” noted our tester.

The Saucony women tempus running shoes are Indybest’ top pick for support, comfort and design (The Independent)

For men, our tester’s top pick in our guide to the best running shoes was the New Balance 1080v13, thanks to a springy midsole and simple yet stylish design. According to our writer, “the 1080v13 is smooth and comfortable at slow paces, making it a great daily trainer, but it doesn’t disappoint when your speed increases either. We found it spritely enough for tempo sessions, comfortable enough for long distances, and durable enough to handle treadmill duties when the weather was less than favourable outdoors.”

The cushioned insole in this New Balance pair won over our tester (The Independent)

One way to stay motivated while you’re pounding the pavements is by listening to your favourite podcast or music, and the right pair of headphones makes all the difference. In our guide to the best running headphones, taking the top spot was the adidas RPT-01 sport headphones, especially for its innovative playback switch that allows users to skip songs, adjust volume and pair with devices on the go with no fuss. It boasts a decent battery life too. “A full charge will give you an astonishing 41 hours of playback, according to our testing, so you shouldn’t need to worry about them being out of juice when you need them,” noted our tester.

This wireless Adidas design is perfect for working out thanks to its comfortable fit and immersive audio quality (The Independent)

We were also left impressed with the Shokz openrun sport headphones, which were a favourite for running outside, as the clever bone conduction design meant full awareness while listening to music was uncompromised. “They were so light that it’s very easy to forget that you’ve even got them on - the headphones struck an excellent balance between soundtracking and situational awareness and there are 2 EQs, one for music and one for podcasts and audiobooks,” our tester explained.

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Get kitted out with our round-up of the best running headphones to make the miles fly by