Walking compared to jogging

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adamtall
adamtall Posts: 275 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm getting frustrated with everyone telling me I shouldn't jog my mile every morning and that I should walk it instead because of joint damage that jogging can do especially with my weight being a little bit high (243 right now). My problem comes with that I can walk for hours without sweating or being out of breath or feeling like I did anything (even at 3.5 mph on the treadmill) and to me it is extremely boring because I cant really set up goals that I cant achieve. When i jog and get my whole body into it i feel the burn in my legs, i start to sweat shortly after starting (not where its coming off in buckets but enough to let me know I'm working) and i set goals that take me a few days if not a few weeks to obtain (still haven't jogged the whole mile without walking some of it).

I guess my questions for everyone is A: does anyone else feel this way towards walking and B: am i just being bullheaded and start listening to them because jogging is really bad for you at my weight

Thanks for all your help

Replies

  • vickiele1
    vickiele1 Posts: 394 Member
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    There is some medical evidence that supports running/jogging when overweight can cause damage to one's knees, lower back, etc. You simply have to make this decision for yourself. I know that walking seems like it isn't really as effective of weight loss exercise, but actually any movement is burning calories. Of course, from a cardiovascular point of view - you need to increase your heart rate for a minimum of 20 minutes (I think) to help strengthen the heart muscles. So, a 15 minute jog/run is probably really good for your heart and only 15 minutes (1 mile) and probably isn't going to hurt your legs, knees, back that much. You might want to check in with your Dr., though just to be sure.

    vickie
  • ProTFitness
    ProTFitness Posts: 1,379 Member
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    How this do what you want to do and what your body tells you what to do. Try intervals. Jog/Walk. Warm up jog for 30 sec then recover with your walk for a 1min. Repeat Burn more calories :-) We all want that. Google cardio interval training or high intesity interval training. You will see what I mean. Have Fun
  • daybyday
    daybyday Posts: 537 Member
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    Also google race walking - it's supposed to burn as many calories as jogging with less impact on your joints. Adding intensity by really pumping your arms helps a bunch!!
  • MandyGirly
    MandyGirly Posts: 43
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    I've heard the same thing countless times... I'm about 70 lbs overweight (well, 90 lbs if you ask my doctor, whom I disagree with) and I've always been told that you can lose just as much weight walking as running. Well, you know what? I don't feel like I can! I think that, most of the time, you know what your body is telling you. I feel better when I run, as opposed to walking. Is it bad for my joints? Maybe. But I haven't gotten an injury to date, and who knows if I ever will. Good for you for actually getting up and doing something about your health, because many people never do. This is strictly my opinion, of course, but I say - if you feel like you can run, and you WANT to run - GO FOR IT!

    Good luck on your journey to a healthier you, wherever it may lead you.

    ~Mandy
  • soze
    soze Posts: 604 Member
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    Let me be quite honest. I can't jog because I am morbidly obese. (I don't like either of those words). I do think walking is better for you. It works your core better since you are striding rather than merely stepping forward fast. Further it is less impact. However, listen to what your body is telling you and you decide.

    I great piece of advice I read is do the the exercise you enjoy the most. In other words if you don't enjoy it you won't do it.
  • Suedre
    Suedre Posts: 435 Member
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    Geez. I dont know the answer to that question. I started running at 220 and it didn't bother my knees or joints. I was careful to start slow and really build up strength before I started long runs. Maybe a sports medicine doctor or even your general physician would have good suggestions?
  • adamtall
    adamtall Posts: 275 Member
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    Thanks guys, you have all echoed what I've been trying to tell my friends and family. I listen to my body while I push it as far as I can. I've had a heart murmur since birth so I am pretty in tune with what my body is telling me (even though I never listened to it about my weight. Opps) and my main goal, even more so than being a certain weight, is to be able to strengthen my lungs and heart because I was getting sick of getting short of breath from flipping burgers and delivering food to our dinning room not to mention having to take a break after 10 minutes of normal household cleaning.

    Now my next question is whats a good pair of walking/jogging/running shoes, I twisted my ankle at work the other day a little and my achilles tendon is still a little sore so i want something with very good ankle support. If you guys have any shoes that you really suggest or love let me know

    This is only my second day on the site but Im really loving the community and the help tracking my intake already

    Thanks again everyone
  • mrtechaddict
    mrtechaddict Posts: 17
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    Screw it! Get out and jog if it feels good to you! I've been doing the C25K program and I started around 260...no knee or back problems here. Actually, fast walking makes my back hurt more.

    The research that is comparing walking to jogging might be right for some people, but not for me. If I go out and walk 3.5 miles it'll take me about an hour...maybe a little more, and I'll burn about 300 to 350 cal. If I walk/jog the same 3.5 miles, it'll take 50 min and I'll burn almost 700 cal. Less time....more cal. burn.....I'm gonna jog all I can!!! :bigsmile:
  • Justpeachy78
    Justpeachy78 Posts: 45
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    I discovered this summer that there is something magical to power walking! Over the summer I started power walking 3 miles 5/6 days a week (15:00 = 1mile, so about a 4.0 speed on my treadmill) for 45mins a day and had awesome results in my legs/hips/waist. Yeah, its boring but jamming to some music helps. And changing your route helps too.:smile:

    Glad your listening to your body...sometimes you just gotta run:wink: I like to do cardio coach workouts on my interval running.( A down-loadable mp3 coach that guides you through a great workout with great music.)

    As far as shoes go, Personally i get whatever shoe is on sale at the local shoe store. ...as long as its for walking/running/aerobics.:smile: My personal favorite for running is Asics.
  • dmmihelcic
    dmmihelcic Posts: 161 Member
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    As an alternative' get a daypack with a full waist belt, load it up wit 30 lbs, and find a nice hilly trail. Gravity is the ultimate resistance.
  • bainos
    bainos Posts: 99
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    I hate when people say that jogging damages your joints. When I jog I take small quick steps and try to keep it around 5 mph. Do what feels right to you. One more thing, ever notice that its the people who dont do much cardio at all that make these outrageous claims about jogging.
  • nehptune
    nehptune Posts: 138
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    my suggestion would be to go to a good running/sports store. near where i live there is a running store where they watch you walk/run to make sure you get the right kind of shoes to stop you from getting injured.
    you can also get inserts for running shoes that are meant to give you the right kind of support.

    you might also think about doing some stretching and strength training exercises to help build up the muscle you need to support you while you run and stop you from getting injured.

    take a look at these pages:
    http://running-advice.com/blog/?p=4005
    http://www.runnersworld.com/subtopic/0,7123,s6-238-263-266-0,00.html

    hope this is helpful!
  • NotAllWhoWanderAreLost
    NotAllWhoWanderAreLost Posts: 615 Member
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    I agree that you should go to a good running store where they are trained in determining your footstrike/gait and can make proper recommendations based on pronation/supination, etc. There are some good You-tube vidoes out there that show slow-motion running and really break down this whole concept. It is very important, over the long term, to get running shoes that fit you well and match your running style. I personally have had great luck with my Saucony's.

    Ok, as for the walk vs run: I started out as a walker. That was what i could do and could sustain for an hour. I enjoy walking fast and i enjoy walking far. I especially enjoy walking OUTDOORS, year-round with a friend of mine where we gab the whole time... Cheapest form of therapy ever! LOL! ... But after getting into a bit better shape, my lungs, muscles and lower overall bodyweight allowed me to start adding in bits of jogging. I have bad knees, so its taken me some time to get going... My initial problem was that i would overdo it if i ran. Meaning i would try to go and run 10 minutes continuously, right out of the gate. Nope. Not the greatest of ideas if i wanted to be able to exercise the next day at all LOL. So i caved in and tried out some of the C25K podcasts and found that working walk/run intervals like that not only made me ABLE to run longer, i was not beating myself up in the process. I can truly say now that i am a beginning runner! :)

    You will probably find that you are able to run more easily when some more pounds come off. Till then, keep the intervals rolling :)

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