Don’t allow your arms to swing freely.
Let me share a story that somewhat relates to our topic today: once, during a stroll in town, I witnessed a man jogging on the sidewalk. He appeared quite ordinary, with nothing distinctive about him except for one thing: his upper body. His arms and torso remained rigid and motionless. Despite his speed, his upper body remained completely still. It felt as if someone had placed a mannequin’s upper half on living human legs. The image was remarkably unsettling, and it has stayed with me since.
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The takeaway from that partially related anecdote is that while jogging or running, the importance of exercising your arms is often overlooked in favor of concentrating on your legs. Of course, the primary focus of jogging is legwork, but neglecting your arms is not beneficial. Engage your entire body! You can incorporate effective arm movements even while working your legs.
For instance, consider the typical motion involved in a dumbbell curl: arm extended, curled up, extended out. It’s a straightforward movement that you can easily perform while jogging. Although using actual weights may not be advisable, wearing weighted wristbands can provide a similar effect to a standard bicep curl.
The concept of diversifying your run involves drawing inspiration from various forms of exercise. Here’s another suggestion: swimming. A good swim involves continuous arm strokes that engage most muscles with fluid, gliding movements. While jogging, you can mimic a breaststroke-style motion with your arms, not only working your arms but also enhancing blood circulation and boosting your energy levels.
If you’re concerned about appearing awkward while performing these exercises, well, you might, but I’d prefer to appear awkward and achieve a full-body workout than stand completely still and unsettle everyone around.
