If you're a busy guy with no time for heavy workouts but want to keep really fit, jogging in place is the thing for you. It's among the few excellent mini-workouts available today but downplayed for it's too simplistic and non-glamorous style. People tend to blow up expensive health and fitness alternatives out of proportion.

But I, lowlycook, bring you a good fitness dish. Check out these fit ideas:

Simple Works!

Jogging in place is possible anywhere, anytime. You just do it and it gives immediate results. Among things I love about this exercise are:

• It's simple and easy.
• It won't cost you a cent.
• It's safe.
  
• You can start right now.
  

You don't have to find a spacious area or enroll in a gym to do it. You really just do it. Right now, you stand up where you are and start jogging in place. I don't care if you're in the office, school, at home, or in a conference. If you're too shy to show people, step out and go to a lounge room, a patio, a terrace, or a vacant room. I used to do little workouts like jogging in place in the conference room of our office when I was in sales. I even did kung fu stretches. At times I did them in the comfort room--just make sure there's good ventilation.

Most times, especially in fitness and weight loss, the more complex the program is, the more unlikely it will work for you. The hype makes them seem effective, but most are merely false alarms. They're non-explosive.

On the other hand, the simpler the program is, the more likely it will work for you. Like brisk walking and joggin in place.

How to Start

Simply stand up where you are, relax, and start jogging in place. You may opt to land on your toes only, or your heels, or your entire soles. You may choose to vary the speed. Start with slow jogging and gradually gain speed. You may sway your feet sideways one at a time as the other supports your body, like how a boxer would pace in the ring, or you may choose to lift your feet high until your knees reach waist height. That's extra workout that can burn more calories in a short span of time.

More Variations

Another beauty of jogging in place is the ease with which one can shift from one variation to another, depending on the kind of workout and intensity one prefers. You may choose to do it with raising the legs and touching your toes with your fingers. As you jog in place, raise the right leg to the front without bending the knee and try to touch the toes with your left fingers. Do this alternately with both legs and hands, to the cadence of your jogging in place. This is a super workout!

Shadow Boxing

Or try to shadow box while jogging in place. Shadow boxing can burn lots of calories per session. Do a continuous smooth flow of a right straight punch, left hook, right upper cut, and left overhead. Do it again starting with the left punch. And on. This is a bit more complicated, but it's easy to learn with practice.For novices, do it slowly first. As you gain mastery, add speed. Make sure you include trunk twists as you execute the punches.

Dancing

I also dance while jogging in place. The important thing here is to make sure you apply gentle body twists, especially in the hip area, to squeeze the fats there. Throw your butt to the left and right pronouncely in circular motions. Do belly dancing (yeah, I do it, too!). Move your tummy in and out slowly, like a wave. Get out of place three to four steps away and then return to your original place. Employ some jumping steps and stretching manuevers.

Thai Boxing

I often do Thai boxing when jogging in place. I use elbow strikes (that makes you twist your trunk more) and knee blows (to effect a crunch to the stomach muscles). I kick high and slow (to strengthen the legs) and even hold the kicks suspended in the air for 3 to 4 seconds, and then jog in place again and kick box.

No, you don't have to enroll for Thai boxing lessons or any similar stuff. Just invent your own. The thing is, employ gentle twists and turns and slow kicks and knee lifts, and punches and elbow strikes while jogging in place. I see some people pay dearly to enroll for these Thai boxing movements. It's not necessary. I've been doing my own, and it feels good (though I know Muay Thai). I also tell others this tip--compose your own. Some worry about injurng themselves. Not with jogging in place. With more complex exercises, you probably need instructors. But you don't have to look like a martial artist just to do this, although with persistence, you will achieve that in due time.

How Long Does a Session Have To Be?

An hour a day is the ideal. You may subdivide that into several 5 or 10 or 20-minute sessions, depending on your sched. If you're 70 kg heavy and do it an hour a day, you lose 560 calories a month. Per 10 minutes you burn about 94 calories if you're 155 pounds. If 200 pounds, you burn 121 calories per 10-minute jogging in place. So you'd know more or less with these rates how you'd fare.

Take Breaks with It

Another benefit of jogging in place is, you can be fit and healthy even when tied up in work, like being a web content writer and researcher like I am. Each hour or two of work, get up and take a break by jogging in place for 3 to 5 minutes, or more. Enjoy the fast breathing immediately after. It can refresh your mind and your circulatory and respiratory systems. It's like refreshing your PC after a load of work.Then you perform better in your work.

Jogging in place is much more effective with good health and weight loss supplements, especially when you're trying to lose a lot of weight.

Change your fitness readings right now by jogging in place regularly.