Easy going
Slow jogging – get fit and relax with wellness running
© Jozef Polc / Getty Images
Jogging is terribly exhausting. How you can still smile is a big mystery to our author. Perhaps she’s got it wrong so far – and is now trying slow jogging.
by Linda Berger
When it comes to jogging, you either hate it or you love it. We love slow jogging! That sounds so comfortable like going for a walk with a fitness effect, doesn’t it? But what exactly is behind it?
Slow jogging means running smiling
Of course, slow jogging is not about top athletic performance. It’s about leisurely running. And we really have pleasure. The running style was developed by the late running guru and sports physiologist Prof. Dr. Hiroaki Tanaka from Japan. Running at the “Nikoniko” pace – that means “smiling” in Japanese. And as the name suggests, the goal is not an average speed of 15 km / h, but to run at a pace while jogging that you can still smile. Well-being sport!
And this is how leisurely running works:
- You pay attention to a high one Step frequency – about 180 to 190 steps per minute. This means that you are tripping very slowly, with small steps, and land on the ball of your foot or on your metatarsus. The heel briefly comes into contact with the ground. The shorter the steps, the easier it is to slow jog.
- There is none Kick-off phase like for example when running fast and also the phases without any Ground contact are very short due to the quick, small steps.
- Hold your Body upright, Shoulders loose and look straight. Since your body does not move up and down as much with this running technique, it is particularly gentle on the joints.
- You should also start slowly with slow jogging and the Training duration gradually increase. The metatarsal canal can go quite a lot and puts a strain on the Achilles tendon.
- For beginners it is recommended in Intervals to run and go. So two minutes of slow jogging, then two minutes of walking, and so on.
- You can do slow jogging every day, but start slowly and forget about it smile not!
Who is slow jogging for?
- experienced runners as regeneration
- Beginners
- slightly overweight
- old and young people
Slow jogging – not as easy as it sounds?
That is usually not the problem either. Running slowly isn’t either, but getting the right frequency is not as easy as it looks at first glance. You can also turn on music with the right beat, for example Thank you from the Fantastischen Vier or Let’s start a Band from Amy MacDonald provide exactly the right rhythm. And now always smile beautifully!