Safe Jogging Basics

Jogging is a great way to build up endurance and enhance strength training. Throw some good music, and you have a good half hour of exercise. However, there are numerous dangers to be worried about, from robbers to rapists, waiting behind every blind corner and tree. Just like any other environment, you need to figure out the potential issues with that environment and prepare for as many contingencies as possible; luckily, this is easy to do and implement.

Know The Path

The first thing you need to do is walk the path you’ll be jogging, looking for every possible problem, such as blind corners, low overhangs, and full parking lots. You’re looking for every possible spot where someone could jump out at you and ambush you. These spots are where you’ll need to turn wide and avoid when you’re jogging them. You should also look for areas where you could trip up or pose other potential dangers to you, such as potholes, bumps in the road, or tree roots, and ways to avoid them. This safety check will not only help you avoid danger but also build your confidence as you become more comfortable with the path.

Also, don’t forget to note areas where cell reception drops. While you may be looking to get away from everyone, odds are you’re still bringing along your smartphone for other functions (such as for music or a camera), even if you have it shifted to airplane mode. In case an emergency pops up, you don’t want to be caught trying to call the police in an area with no cell reception. Knowing the limits can only help you when things go south.

You should also be looking for escape routes. Note any potential havens on the path, or places you can run to in case of danger. For a park, this would be where people gather, bathrooms that you can close and lock the door, or where you can hide. In a city, this means convenience stores where you can run inside, where security guards patrol, and places with obvious cameras. Attackers tend to back down when a crowd presents itself, and they avoid areas with active protection, even if that protection isn’t (or won’t) be effective. Also, look for areas where you can get a few seconds to call for help or ready a defense.

Basically, when you walk your jogging path, you should note every possible point where you can be attacked and create a plan to deal with those points, as well as noting every possible place where you can defend yourself.

You Will Not Carry Just A Phone

You should seriously debate what you will carry along with you when you jog. Obviously, you’re likely to have your phone and keys, but you should also be carrying some form of defense, preferably a non-lethal weapon. This isn’t just for self-confidence: Most attackers are looking for easy prey, and anything you can do to show that you won’t go down easy may be just enough to dissuade a potential attacker from choosing you as a target. Yes, this includes even that loud, orange whistle, the more obnoxious the better. Basically, if you jog ready to defend yourself you up your odds of surviving an attack or, better yet, causing a potential attacker to look for easier prey.

If you’re jogging at night or even at dusk or dawn, wear a headlamp and a reflective vest so that cars and other joggers can see you. You want to be as visible as possible; while it may sound good to be as invisible as possible as a way to get past those lying in wait for you, the reality is that you should be more worried about vehicles and other joggers.

And leave your identification and credit cards at home. If you really, really have a daily addiction (such as coffee), then bring along a gift card or establish payment ahead of time; if your source offers a “sip club” where you can pay for monthly access to the drinks and all you need to do is show up and hit a kiosk, then you’re golden. Otherwise, well, losing a gift card is much better than losing your identification and credit cards.

Suffice to say that jewelry should be left at home as well, for obvious reasons, and if you bring your dog along, its leash should be of good quality but without embellishment. Just bringing along that really cool gold watch or having a gem-encrusted leash could make you a target.

Jogging Defensively

When you’re out jogging, it’s best to keep your head on a swivel. This means that if you keep your focus straight ahead, that tunnel vision may cost you. It’s better to learn to trust your peripheral vision and keep a constant eye on events happening around you; someone sneaking up on you is more likely to attack from the rear, after all. This also means that you shouldn’t listen to your music at full volume; it’s better if you listen with just enough volume so that you can hear what’s going on around you.

When you come to an intersection or crossing, look both ways, even if traffic is one-way; there are always those who think the law doesn’t apply to them. You should always be on the lookout for bicyclists; they are sometimes more worried about speed than safety. You should also keep to the right of the path when possible (or left, depending on the country); this should keep the number of collisions down, but you may have to deal with other joggers and pedestrians who ignore this basic convention. If you’re jogging on a road without sidewalks, then jog against the flow of traffic; this allows you to see oncoming traffic and makes you more visible to traffic

You should also change up your path every month or so. Familiarity is a double-edged sword: On one hand, the more familiar you are with a path, the more likely you are to start ignoring obvious problems and to be overly confident, possibly so over-confident that you start doing things like playing loud enough that you don’t hear someone sneaking up on you. On the other hand, it means that you have an established path; this allows others to lay ambushes for you, especially if you look like a tempting target. Changing up your path every few weeks solves these problems. You can change back to old paths if you want; you just want to eliminate the familiarity problem.

In short, jogging is a great way to get some exercise, but it’s also a time when you are vulnerable. Your goal should be to eliminate as much of that vulnerability as possible while ensuring a nice, safe jog. By taking a few precautions and allowing for the environment, your jog should be a lot safer.