Walking Vs Jogging
Walking vs Jogging: The Great Debate
Walking vs jogging is quite possibly one of the most argued debates by enthusiasts of both sides. Which exercise is better for you? Which one will burn the most calories and show you the fastest results? It is nearly impossible to designate one as the ultimate winner of the physical fitness war because exercise is really about participating in what is best for you, at your skill level, to make yourself healthier.
Although jogging does offer the fastest weight loss results, it is not necessarily any better for you than walking. While walking around the block is better for you than sitting on your couch, running around the block twice in the same amount of time is even better. As long as you are moving, you are burning calories so if you are just starting out exercising, choose an activity that you most enjoy and that you will stick with.
Calories Burned Comparison
There is always a lot of confusion in regards to how many calories you burn when you compare walking vs jogging. It is easiest to understand this if you look at it from a distance perspective. Say for example, that you burn 100 calories per mile. It is pretty much universal whether you are jogging or walking, the only difference is the speed in which you get there. If you walk the mile in 15 minutes but run it in 10 minutes, you are burning more calories in regards to the amount of time you exercised.
Therefore, if you were jogging and walking for exactly 30 minutes, you would burn more calories jogging because you would actually cover more ground. Of course, weight and speed play key roles in burning calories as well because your body needs more calories to handle the impact of your stride when running.
Running Injuries
To fairly debate walking vs jogging, it is important to also compare the injuries that are associated with both. One is not more dangerous than the other; they both use their own unique stride that can cause a different set of injuries. Wearing proper shoes and warming up can help prevent this from happening.
- Runner's Knee – If the fibrous band that runs down the outer side of your thigh because tight, it will often rub against the outside part of your knee, causing inflammation and pain.
- Shin Splints – This pain is quite severe in the front part of the lower leg that increases usually when you speed up or slow down.
- Achilles Tendinitis – This was once believed to be a type of inflammation condition however, it is now known to be caused from degenerated tissue.
- Plantar Fasciitis – Also known as a heel spur but the two are not necessarily exactly the same thing. Plantar fasciitis is due to a lack of inflammatory cells which causes a considerable amount of pain.
- Snapping Hip – This is characterized by a popping or snapping feeling on the front or outside of the hip while running.
- Stress Fractures – These are very common in runners in the shin, thigh and feet. They are caused by repetitive impact along with muscles contracting that are attached to the bone.
Walking Injuries
You will notice when comparing walking vs jogging that there are similarities in some injuries.
- Shin Splints – While these occur in even veteran runners, they usually only plague new walkers who are attempting to walk too fast in the beginning.
- Plantar Fasciitis – These are caused by wounding the bottom part of your foot. While they often occur in runners due to impact, walkers generally see them from not wearing proper shoes.
- Sore Calf – Walkers tend to get sore calves for a variety of reasons, primarily not from stretching, especially when walking trails or hills.
Overpronation Issues
When comparing walking vs jogging injuries, it is important to understand that overpronation plays a huge role in causing many ailments. Injuries such as shin splints, plantar fasciitis, bunions, tarsal tunnel syndrome, Achilles tendonitis and anterior compartment syndrome are all a possible result of the way that your foot rolls inward when jogging and walking. Wearing shoes with a stabilizer or an insert can help with this.