Jogging requires more endurance than walking, but less than running. Unlike walking, there is a point in your stride when both feet are off the ground, while jogging. This is what adds intensity to jogging -- your body has to work harder to support your weight as it comes down from the air. Because of this, joggers usually have a stronger heart and bones and weigh less than people who don't jog, notes the American Council on Exercise. Joggers also tend to have long lean muscles.
Muscles
Jogging doesn't contribute to massive muscle building in the lower extremities. Instead, it fosters long lean muscles. Jogging is listed by the Mayo Clinic as one of the exercises that builds the muscles in your heart. The more effort you use to jog the stronger your heart has to be to pump blood throughout your body. As your heart muscles become stronger, less effort is used to pump your blood through your body, which lowers your blood pressure. Regular jogging will also reduce your "bad" cholesterol and increase your "good" cholesterol, overall lowering your risk for heart attack.
Increases Bone Density
Jogging regularly increases bone density. According to Robert D. Sheeler, M.D., 35 minutes a day of weight-bearing exercise is needed to achieve an increase in bone density. Weight-bearing exercises cause the lower extremities to bear the weight of your body. Every time your feet hit the ground while jogging, your body is having to support the impact, which feels heavier than your normal weight. The more weight your body has to bear the more your bone density will increase. Increased bone density lowers your risk for osteoporosis, reducing your chance for fractures, broken bones and lowered mobility later in life.
Burns Calories from Fat
Jogging is considered a high-intensity exercise. High-intensity workouts burn more calories from fat than working out at a lower intensity, for the same amount of time. A 200-lb. person will burn about 636 calories, with 223 of those calories from fat, after jogging 60 minutes. That same person would burn only 252 calories walking for 60 minutes, with 151 of those calories being from fat.
Tips and Warnings
If you have not been doing high-intensity exercises or you have joint, muscle or inflammatory issues, like arthritis, then consult your health care provider before you start to jog. Jogging can be hard on the body, as with other high-intensity exercises. If you get stress related injuries from jogging, try running with a more minimal shoe that mimics running barefoot, instead of the more cushioned shoe. A Harvard study hypothesizes that minimal footwear can help in this situation. It allows you to jog with a forefoot or midfoot strike as opposed to the heel-foot strike that may cause more impact on your joints.
References
- American Council on Exercise: Jog Your Bones Stronger
- Mayo Clinic; Building Blocks of Bone; Robert D. Sheeler, M.D.
- American Council on Exercise: ...Performing Aerobic Workouts at a Low-Intensity...
- Mayo Clinic: High Blood Pressure
- American Heart Association; Exercise and Cardiovascular Health; Jonathan Myers; 2003
- Harvard University Skeletal Biology Lab; ...Foot Strikes...; Daniel E. Lieberman, et al.
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