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I'm probably repeating what others have said. As a former avid long-distance runner (as in three-hour training runs), running is "healthier" only in terms of cardio benefits and calorie-burning efficiency. It ratchets up your metabolism long after you have finished the run. On the other hand, it can be extremely destructive of joints (I'm talking about serious running). Tiger Woods, who is supremely gifted, recently said he regards running early in his career as the source of his numerous physical problems (primarily back and knee).
Obviously, walking three miles is going to take somewhat longer than jogging them and much longer than running them. This is why the old advice about three miles of walking being equivalent to three miles of running in terms of calories is basically true. 20 minutes of running is obviously going to burn more calories than 20 minutes of walking.
What most people mean by jogging is closer on the spectrum to walking than to running. I think true jogging - a 10-minute mile, say - is an excellent compromise for most people. I think it's important to do something that you will eventually be able to do for at least 60 minutes.
These days, at age 70, I still do many, many 4- to 8-mile walks, the occasional 3-mile jog and some sprints. A Concept2 rowing machine is my go-to cardio workout.
My bottom-line for "healthier" would be that brisk walking and jogging are very close. I would choose whichever one you find more appealing and are more likely to stick with over the long term.
Edit: I just realized I missed the original question! I would definitely vote for 60 minutes of brisk walking.
What most people mean by jogging is closer on the spectrum to walking than to running. I think true jogging - a 10-minute mile, say - is an excellent compromise for most people. I think it's important to do something that you will eventually be able to do for at least 60 minutes.
I'm only in my 30s, and I still enjoy running and weight lifting. However, as I get older, I can only really see myself sticking with some other activity where exercising is a byproduct but not the primary focus, like bike riding, kayaking, or swimming.
I'm probably repeating what others have said. As a former avid long-distance runner (as in three-hour training runs)…….
These days, at age 70, I still do many, many 4- to 8-mile walks, the occasional 3-mile jog and some sprints. A Concept2 rowing machine is my go-to cardio workout.
Irkle Berserkle - your history could make a very intriguing post of it's own. Obviously as a serious runner, you must have immensely enjoyed those runs. It would be interesting to know how you ramped down over time, how you adjusted your mental thinking, how you feel now with your level of cardio compared to then. Do you ever miss those abilities? Do you think back on them? How did you "re-invent" yourself? How did you come to a place of contentment with each adjustment.
You are the real deal that describes all active people - however you have adapted and are out here giving advice and standing by it, so obviously you are good in your current place. We all have to face the fact that we will not always be able to do what we do. When I complain to myself during a run (tired, not up to it, whatever) I remind myself to shut up and enjoy it because there will come a day I can't do it. All of us face that in our active lives. I admire where you are at. You are a good example for every single one of us.
Irkle Berserkle - your history could make a very intriguing post of it's own. Obviously as a serious runner, you must have immensely enjoyed those runs. It would be interesting to know how you ramped down over time, how you adjusted your mental thinking, how you feel now with your level of cardio compared to then. Do you ever miss those abilities? Do you think back on them? How did you "re-invent" yourself? How did you come to a place of contentment with each adjustment.
You are the real deal that describes all active people - however you have adapted and are out here giving advice and standing by it, so obviously you are good in your current place. We all have to face the fact that we will not always be able to do what we do. When I complain to myself during a run (tired, not up to it, whatever) I remind myself to shut up and enjoy it because there will come a day I can't do it. All of us face that in our active lives. I admire where you are at. You are a good example for every single one of us.
OH, YES, I miss the days when I could run for three hours at a 7:15 pace and think it was pure, unadulterated fun. I was addicted. I used to "hold back" to an 8-minute pace for the first 5 miles. Now, an 8-minute pace would seem like a sprint - actually, it would BE a sprint, and I could do it for about a half-mile. I never had any great talent, but I was blessed with a "runner" body type and an ability to keep it up for long distances. Once I grasped that "running" didn't mean "sprinting," it came very easy to me and I enjoyed it more than any sport other than golf.
I was fanatical from about age 35 to about 55. When I first started running at age 23, I ruptured my Achilles tendon almost immediately, which is why I didn't pick it back up until 35. Although I did most of my running on the streets, I even bought a huge non-motorized treadmill. If you can run an hour on a non-motorized treadmill, you are in serious shape. When I was injured, I'd do 5-hour, 100-mile sessions on an Airdyne to stay in shape. I was nuts. I never cared about racing or competing; I always ran alone and did it strictly for the personal satisfaction.
But then something just happened, and the same enthusiasm just wasn't there. I started running 3-4 miles every day and got basically the same enjoyment. Then my wife died and I remarried, and my new wife much preferred brisk walks. So it just kind of petered out. A couple of times a year, I'd say "I'm going to get back into running" and build up to 6 or 7 miles, but the same enjoyment just wasn't there. My pace used to return very quickly, but then after age 60 it didn't. A 9-minute pace that once would have seemed like walking was now pretty brisk running.
These days, I have a weight setup in my garage and a Concept2 rower. At age 70, I can definitely lift more than I did at 55, and I do that for 90 minutes a couple of times a week. The Concept2 I do for 30- to 60-minutes once or twice a week, and my pace on that for some reason is about the same as it was years ago. I do a very brisk 8-mile walk by myself (about a 15:30 pace) once a week, a couple of 4- to 5-mile walks with my wife a couple of times a week, "run" 3 miles once or twice a week, and hit 75 or so golf balls almost every day.
The "running" is quite comical. I have a good friend who was an avid marathoner, and I was just saying to him how bizarre it is that an 11-minute pace now feels exactly the same as a 7-minute pace used to feel. My heart rate is the same, and it actually feels as though I'm running - even though it must look like I'm barely jogging. I'm sure I could get down to a 9-minute pace if I wanted to work at it, but it would take serious work. It goes to show that you can still enjoy running even if what you're doing barely qualifies as jogging.
I think the key to all of this is to find fitness activities that you actually enjoy. For some reason, I just never enjoyed bicycling or swimming. Running was pure enjoyment. My weight lifting is pure enjoyment. Now that I have at least 35 years of serious fitness under my belt, it's simply part of my lifestyle. I'll be doing whatever I can do as long as I live. When I was running fanatically, I could get my resting heart rate down into the high 30's. With my current program, it's in the high 40's - not really enough difference to get excited about. My weight used to be around 140, which was pretty lean on a 6-foot frame. Now it's 156, which happens to be exactly what it was when I was 18.
Studies show that the huge difference in health benefits is between doing SOMETHING versus NOTHING, not between running 25 miles a week versus 100 miles a week. That's why I think it's essential to find a program you actually enjoy and will stick with. That would probably be the deciding factor for me between 60 minutes of walking versus 30 minutes of jogging - which one do I enjoy more and will be most likely to stick with? Another approach that I often follow is to alternate brisk walking with 100-meter sprints. In a 4-mile walk, I may work in 10 or 15 flat-out sprints.
Irkle Berserkle - Thank you for taking the time to respond to my questions. Your resting hr was in the high 30's but now in the high 40's at age 70. That is as impressive as it gets. There is a guy at work in his late 40's that has a mid 40's hr and is a triathlete. I am envious of that hr and tell him he is my hr hero. Now you are my new "hero". I read this several times over.
I took the day off training (usually average a day off a week) probably more because I am bored training in my garage, didn't feel like putting in the effort today, it was easier to sleep in and was majorly chastising myself for it and don't feel as good as I do when I train (feel like I wasted my day actually other than I am working and getting paid). Some days it just "isn't happening" and I need to remind myself why I do this and what it does for us/quality of life as a lifestyle. I also think of how as we get older, our abilities change and it is hard to accept that change and what was it that kept you going and not quit like some. Reading your initial post made me very curious and inspired me to know more and I knew it would be helpful to all of us. Reading this post is awesome. I embrace my "why did I not train this morning" and your inspirational words describing your "stick to it-ness" and how this is your lifestyle and am revved up for my rest of the week training and running. Thank you for these great words regarding your experience!
Comment from our most fit guy at work (shared your story):
>>That’s an active dude. Much more than me. Good for him. 6’ and 156 lbs.. He’s lean for sure
Haven't read the full thread, but agree with a lot that has been mentioned.
Both are really good. Jogging for 30 mins, would increase your heart rate and keeping your heart primed like that (and the lungs) with that kind of cardio has great overall health benefits.
Walking for 60 mins is also good. While you won't work your heart as much, it still allows for healthy circulation and would be kinder to your knees and joints (less wear and tear, as others have mentioned).
Probably more of a preference. If you have any kind of knee/joint problems, walking would be safer. If you are trying to lose weight and are active in sports where you want to keep up your conditioning, jogging is probably the way to go.
Irkle Berserkle - Thank you for taking the time to respond to my questions. Your resting hr was in the high 30's but now in the high 40's at age 70. That is as impressive as it gets. There is a guy at work in his late 40's that has a mid 40's hr and is a triathlete. I am envious of that hr and tell him he is my hr hero. Now you are my new "hero". I read this several times over.
I took the day off training (usually average a day off a week) probably more because I am bored training in my garage, didn't feel like putting in the effort today, it was easier to sleep in and was majorly chastising myself for it and don't feel as good as I do when I train (feel like I wasted my day actually other than I am working and getting paid). Some days it just "isn't happening" and I need to remind myself why I do this and what it does for us/quality of life as a lifestyle. I also think of how as we get older, our abilities change and it is hard to accept that change and what was it that kept you going and not quit like some. Reading your initial post made me very curious and inspired me to know more and I knew it would be helpful to all of us. Reading this post is awesome. I embrace my "why did I not train this morning" and your inspirational words describing your "stick to it-ness" and how this is your lifestyle and am revved up for my rest of the week training and running. Thank you for these great words regarding your experience!
Well, thanks! For many serious runners, "resting heart rate" becomes an obsession. Some will sleep with a heart rate monitor and ever-so-slowly turn to peek at it as they wake up. Mine was never consistently in the high 30's - usually in the low 40's but occasionally 38 or 39. Now it will jump to the mid-50's when I do too much. If I rest a day or two, it's back around 48. That's one of the main uses of a heart rate monitor - to let you know when it's time to cut back.
I must have a naturally very low heart rate. I actually never got mine above 170 even running flat-out uphill. My new wife was a runner in the Soviet system and can run circles around me even though she doesn't enjoy. When we first ran together, hers was up at 180 when I was still chugging along at 145.
I have also found that whether I feel like exercising bears no relation to how things turn. I may be gung-ho to run and discover after 5 minutes that I just don't have it. Or I may have to force myself to go out and discover after 5 minutes that I'm loving it.
I loved the old Nike "Just do it" ad campaign, because that's really what it's all about. There was one great ad that used to be in the running magazines that said something like "There's an old man running behind me. And he's wearing my clothes. I can't let him catch me."
I may die tomorrow, but I can tell you that no one, doctors included, believes I'm 70. The last time I went to an orthopedist, for what turned out to be a pinched nerve in my neck, he actually said "What are you squawking about. You look like you're 50 and you have the bones of a 20-year-old."
OH, YES, I miss the days when I could run for three hours at a 7:15 pace and think it was pure, unadulterated fun. I was addicted. I used to "hold back" to an 8-minute pace for the first 5 miles. Now, an 8-minute pace would seem like a sprint - actually, it would BE a sprint, and I could do it for about a half-mile. I never had any great talent, but I was blessed with a "runner" body type and an ability to keep it up for long distances. Once I grasped that "running" didn't mean "sprinting," it came very easy to me and I enjoyed it more than any sport other than golf.
I was fanatical from about age 35 to about 55. When I first started running at age 23, I ruptured my Achilles tendon almost immediately, which is why I didn't pick it back up until 35. Although I did most of my running on the streets, I even bought a huge non-motorized treadmill. If you can run an hour on a non-motorized treadmill, you are in serious shape. When I was injured, I'd do 5-hour, 100-mile sessions on an Airdyne to stay in shape. I was nuts. I never cared about racing or competing; I always ran alone and did it strictly for the personal satisfaction.
But then something just happened, and the same enthusiasm just wasn't there. I started running 3-4 miles every day and got basically the same enjoyment. Then my wife died and I remarried, and my new wife much preferred brisk walks. So it just kind of petered out. A couple of times a year, I'd say "I'm going to get back into running" and build up to 6 or 7 miles, but the same enjoyment just wasn't there. My pace used to return very quickly, but then after age 60 it didn't. A 9-minute pace that once would have seemed like walking was now pretty brisk running.
These days, I have a weight setup in my garage and a Concept2 rower. At age 70, I can definitely lift more than I did at 55, and I do that for 90 minutes a couple of times a week. The Concept2 I do for 30- to 60-minutes once or twice a week, and my pace on that for some reason is about the same as it was years ago. I do a very brisk 8-mile walk by myself (about a 15:30 pace) once a week, a couple of 4- to 5-mile walks with my wife a couple of times a week, "run" 3 miles once or twice a week, and hit 75 or so golf balls almost every day.
The "running" is quite comical. I have a good friend who was an avid marathoner, and I was just saying to him how bizarre it is that an 11-minute pace now feels exactly the same as a 7-minute pace used to feel. My heart rate is the same, and it actually feels as though I'm running - even though it must look like I'm barely jogging. I'm sure I could get down to a 9-minute pace if I wanted to work at it, but it would take serious work. It goes to show that you can still enjoy running even if what you're doing barely qualifies as jogging.
I think the key to all of this is to find fitness activities that you actually enjoy. For some reason, I just never enjoyed bicycling or swimming. Running was pure enjoyment. My weight lifting is pure enjoyment. Now that I have at least 35 years of serious fitness under my belt, it's simply part of my lifestyle. I'll be doing whatever I can do as long as I live. When I was running fanatically, I could get my resting heart rate down into the high 30's. With my current program, it's in the high 40's - not really enough difference to get excited about. My weight used to be around 140, which was pretty lean on a 6-foot frame. Now it's 156, which happens to be exactly what it was when I was 18.
Studies show that the huge difference in health benefits is between doing SOMETHING versus NOTHING, not between running 25 miles a week versus 100 miles a week. That's why I think it's essential to find a program you actually enjoy and will stick with. That would probably be the deciding factor for me between 60 minutes of walking versus 30 minutes of jogging - which one do I enjoy more and will be most likely to stick with? Another approach that I often follow is to alternate brisk walking with 100-meter sprints. In a 4-mile walk, I may work in 10 or 15 flat-out sprints.
I am so jealous of your gift! I have been fit my entire life, athletic, run, cycle, do tri's and teach group ex classes. However, running is always hard. I am 51 now, so one would expect that, but even at 21 or 31, I would try and try and after months of training, I got only minutely better. It is terrible from the first step I take until I am done, every single time, never anything less than terrible. After months of training, I got up to like 6 miles- that's it!!! I can bike or hike all day.
I've started watching a trainer on YouTube who is also a physical therapist and he made an interesting (and I think true) observation. He said, "Jogging is the red headed stepchild of aerobic exercise. It's not a good middle ground; it's the worst of both worlds. If you can run full speed, it's a great cardiovascular exercise. But if you are too out of shape or overweight to run, don't jog; walk at a brisk pace instead. If you jog, you aren't going fast enough for a good cardio workout but you're still putting your joints through the same high impact as running."
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