Dear Dr. Garner,
I am a 72-year-old woman who is in good shape, and I like to exercise every day.
The problem is that my knees and hips hurt when I jog (because I have bad rheumatism). However, I have no problem walking.
My friend tells me that walking is not good for staying in shape and losing weight.
Is walking is a waste of time or something that I should be doing as part of my daily fitness program?
Jogging or Walking in Williamsburg
Dear Jogging or Walking,
I am frequently asked this question. There is a common misconception that walking is an inferior form of exercise compared to jogging.
In many people’s minds, including mine, it turns out that not only is there nothing wrong with walking, but when all things are considered, it is actually superior to jogging as an exercise regimen.
It is important to understand the goal of your exercise program to evaluate what the best workout form is for you.
Obviously, if you are training for the marathon, walking would not be the best choice, but if you want to keep your body toned, avoid heart problems, keep up good mental health and generally stay in good shape, the answer is different.
Jogging or walking is not a great way to lose weight. Study after study shows that the best way to lose weight is to eat less.
While you may be able to lose some calories while jogging or walking, a person’s appetite is actually stimulated by the workout, and the jogger or walker tends to eat more afterwards, losing much of the caloric benefit.
Fewer Injuries Walking
It is true that you can lose more calories jogging than walking but not that much more. The overwhelming advantage of walking over jogging is that you are less likely to have an injury.
Jogging presents hazards to your hips, knees and ankles, particularly if you already have some arthritis, which seems to be the case in your situation.
It is important to talk with your doctor regarding your decision to walk or jog, particularly if you are over 50 or have underlying heart disease. Starting to jog suddenly may be too much of a strain on your heart, and your doctor may have you walk instead.
Some studies show that jogging may provide the same exercise benefit of walking in half the time, but newer research shows that prolonged exercise is most useful to good health, particularly the heart and your blood vessels.
Walking can strengthen bones, tone muscles and help the cardiovascular system to the same extent as jogging and with less risk to the other parts of the body.
Walking has been shown to be better for the spine than jogging, as it puts less stress on the discs with less likelihood of disc herniation.
Walking is better for the feet than jogging, as there is much less chance of experiencing stress injuries.
To get the most out of walking, make sure your posture is good, with maximum benefit derived from “walking tall,” holding your stomach muscles in and ribcage up.
It is recommended that we exercise a half hour per day for at least five days per week.
The good thing is that the walking can be divided into smaller periods with exercise throughout the day, from common situations, such as walking up a flight of stairs instead of taking the elevator or getting off the bus a stop early to get in some extra walking.
This may not seem like a lot of exercise, but it adds up over the course of a year.
In summary, jogging and walking both provide good exercise. Both improve our quality of life and make us feel better throughout the day. However, I believe that when the risks and benefits of both are considered, walking is best for our health.
Be consistent, and walk at least 30 minutes each day. You will be more likely to continue your workouts and less likely to suffer serious injury to your body.[hr] Dr. Steven Garner is a Fidelis Care provider who is affiliated with New York Methodist Hospital, Park Slope. He also hosts “Ask the Doctor” on NET, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on Ch. 97 Time Warner and Ch. 30 Cablevision.
