Walking vs jogging? When it comes down to it, both walking and jogging offer substantial health benefits over being just a tv couch potato. Both of these activities activities are good for cardiovascular health and will help you tone up your muscles. As long as you walk at a reasonable pace, both walking and jogging should also help you to work up a good sweat which in turn aids the flushing out of toxins from your body. An added bonus of both these types of exercise can be the weight loss which can result from frequent exercise of this type.
While toning up your muscles, you’re also promoting good cardiovascular health. Working up a bit of a sweat is also beneficial, flushing toxins from your body. If you make this form of exercise a regular practice, you’ll soon find you feel more energetic and enjoy a rosier complexion, no matter what your age. If you want to lose some weight, this is another bonus of these simple activities. Just take a look at that rosy cheeked child coming in from the playground to see what I mean.
So which is more beneficial? How do you decide between walking vs. jogging? Much depends on your individual profile, including factor such as age, general health and your personal preferences. One of the pros of jogging according to those individuals who spend alot of time doing it, is that it offers more health benefits than walking. If you’re young, in generally good health, without knee or foot injuries or conditions, jogging may be the way to go. Avid joggers often report a feeling of exhilaration and a sense of well being at the end of their run. This becomes almost addictive they just don’t feel right without their daily run.
However, when you’re trying to decide between walking vs. jogging, make an objective assessment of what you’re capable of doing on a sustained basis. If you’ve sustained knee injuries, jogging may cause further injury or degradation of your condition. You may want to discuss this with your doctor. Jogging puts more impact stress on your joints. Walking is far kinder to your joints. Are you double or triple jointed? Walking is probably a better choice, as jogging can increase your risk of sprained ankles or even dislocations! If you have arthritis or osteoporosis, the question of walking vs. jogging is a no brainer. Exercise should never be painful.
Another factor against jogging you must consider is your heart health. If you have a heart condition, high blood pressure or are significantly overweight, you’ll definitely want to get your doctor’s counsel on walking vs. jogging. When it comes to choosing a safe, effective exercise program that you’ll continue with, start slowly.
Even a baby learns to walk before he runs! When making a choice of walking vs. jogging, remember that walking just 30 minutes a day, 4-5 times per week, delivers significant health benefits. Know your limits. If you have health problems that prevent you walking at a brisk pace, walk slowly at first. Stop to smell the roses and appreciate the scenery. Proceed at a pace that’s comfortable for you. Over time, your muscles will develop better tone, your energy level will increase and you’ll automatically start picking up the pace. As your health permits, there’s no reason why you can’t eventually start jogging slowly and work up from there.
On the other hand, if jogging starts producing aching knees, you may want to return to those brisk walks you’ve come to love. Assess your abilities and talk with your doctor about any health concerns. You’ll then easily resolve the question of walking vs. jogging by choosing which serves you best?