Medical Questions » Obesity Questions » Question No. 746
| Question: | I have been told to exercise to lose weight. Is jogging the best form of exercise? |
| Answer: | No. The most effective forms of exercise, that work all the major muscle groups with minimal risk of stress injury, are swimming, gymnastics and cycling.
Swimming is without doubt the ideal exercise, as there is no stress on the support structures of the body, while every muscle is being worked. Group activities such as gymnastics (or variations of this such as aerobics) tend to give more encouragement to exercise, and are less boring than endlessly pacing around a grass oval by yourself. Cycling does not cause foot and leg stress, and the scenery changes rather more rapidly than in jogging.
Any form of exercise is better than none in an attempt to lose weight, but jogging has several disadvantages. It tends to cause leg and foot injuries, particularly if running on a hard surface; there are dangers in jogging on roads; and only the lower half of the body receives adequate work. Those who do like jogging should ensure that it is done on a grass surface in good quality shoes, and where there are no traffic hazards.
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