Jogging effectively loses weight, builds endurance, and builds strength in the legs. Learn more about what muscles work when jogging.
What muscles does jogging work?
Most people consider weight machines or other strength and resistance-oriented activities to build and tone their muscles. Although jogging is typical for losing weight or build endurance, it is an effective way to strengthen the glutes and leg muscles, especially when you lose fat in the process.
Glutes
You have the gluteus minimus, gluteus medius and gluteus maximus. As the name implies, the latter muscle is the largest of the three and is responsible for the general shape of the buttocks. These muscles keep your upper body standing – that is, to extend the legs at the hips. If you want to train these muscles specifically, consider running up steep hills or stairs.
Hamstrings
The hamstrings consist of three muscles at the back of the thigh. Their job is to bend the lower leg at the knee. They are used a lot during sprints because they highlight the swing phase when running.
Thigh muscles
The four muscles in the quadriceps group on the thigh are usually the most prominent in runners due to their location and total size, and that they span two joints – the knee and the hip. These muscles have two functions; To extend the leg at the knee and bend the thigh at the waist. The muscles are actively used in braking when you run downhill.
Calves
You have the gastrocnemius and the soleus muscles in your calves. Together, these muscles bend the foot down at the ankle, making them responsible for virtually the entire kick-off phase during running. Therefore, sprinting and downhill running will do the job to build more muscular and toned legs. However, be sure to warm up before running to minimize the risk of injury.
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