Long-Term Jogging Adverse Effects

Jogging is a classic go-to exercise for many fitness lovers, and for good reason. For the price of a good pair of shoes, you can effectively torch body fat, build lean muscle, boost your metabolism and develop your cardiovascular endurance. If you think that sounds too good to be true, you’re not alone. Joint strain and agitated back conditions are only a few of the potential long-term side effects of regular jogging. For best results, talk to your doctor about the potential dangers jogging can pose for your current fitness level.

  1. Joint Strain

    • Joint strain is one of the most commonly cited dangers of jogging. To understand why, consider that each step applies the equivalent of eight times your body weight to your knee joints. That means a 150-pound person receives 1,200 pounds of impact on her knees every step, according to the Time magazine website. No matter how cushioned your shoes are, the continuous pressure of long-term jogging can increase your chances of developing strain in your ankle and knee joints.

    Foot Injuries

    • Long-distance running has been linked with an increased probability of metatarsal bone strains and stress injuries, according to a study published in a 2013 issue of the “British Journal of Sports Medicine.” This type of injury is likely caused by changes made to your foot posture during running, causing variations in the pressure that you place on your big toe. Fortunately, casual joggers are less likely to develop such foot and gait complications than cross-country or track-and-field runners.

    Back Pain

    • Long-term jogging may also cause adverse complications if you already have problems with your lower back. Improper technique and poor biomechanics can cause you to lean forward when you jog, forcing your back extensors to contract, according to a report published in a 1990 issue of “Rheumatic Diseases Clinics of North America.” This in turn can exacerbate lower-back pain symptoms as the extensors begin to tax your discs. For best results, try to keep an upright posture when you jog to minimize further back complications down the road.

    Excessive Weight Loss

    • This is one adverse side effect you won’t hear people complaining about too often. A decent hour-long jog that covers five miles can expect to burn in the neighborhood of 606 to 905 calories, according to MayoClinic.com. Depending on your diet and how active you are during the day, the burned calories could cause a calorie deficit large enough to cause noticeable weight loss. This can be problematic if you’re already underweight, or if you’re trying to maintain your current weight for health reasons. To prevent excessive weight loss, try to balance the calories you burn off with the calories you consume each day through food and beverages.