by Ann E. Smith

Created on: June 29, 2009

So you have committed to a daily jog, and you are doing it! Congratulations are in order as you have taken on something that will contribute to better emotional, physical and mental health.

But what are some things you can do to provide a bit of variety to your daily jog? After all, there are probably times when you will want to go on a tougher routine and to continue to really push yourself.

For those days, below are some tips on how to increase the difficulty of your daily jog.

* Increase the distance.

One of the ways to make things more challenging on your daily jog is to increase the distance you go. Each week, for example, you can add a quarter mile to your distance. Of course, you may eventually want to cap the distance.

Another option is to create a super-route for one day a week, such as Saturday. If your daily jog is normally three miles, for example, you can push yourself to double that - or to do six miles on Saturday.

* Add more hills.

Hills are tough, and the more hills in your route, the more difficult your workout. Taking on hills will increase your strength and your stamina.

* Wear ankle or wrist weights.

Another way to make your jog tougher is to carry weights. This can easily be done by wearing weights around your ankles or wrists. You can also carry dumbbells in your hands, but it may be more comfortable for long distances to use those that wrap around the arms or legs.

* Increase your speed.

Increasing the speed at which you jog will naturally make your workout a tougher one. To do this, you may want to try some interval training.

Using a watch that allows for intervals, set a three-minute time period to go at your normal speed. Then set a three-minute time period for you to jog at a faster speed. By alternating from your normal speed to the faster speed, you can build your strength and eventually go at the faster speed for longer distances.

* Go on routes outdoors.

While a treadmill is a great tool, it is generally a tougher workout when you jog outdoors. So one way to add difficulty to your daily jog is to move from the treadmill to your neighborhood streets.

While you can alternate between a treadmill and outdoors, it requires more work to jog outdoors. The reason is that the treadmill is no longer doing some of the work for you.

These are but a few practical ways to increase the difficulty of your daily jog. You can implement just one or two of these suggestions over time. It's wise to vary what you do, though, so as to keep your daily jog fresh and interesting.

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