Walking vs. Jogging?

So I know that any exercise is better than no exercise...

However, I have a quick question. I read over the weekend that if you're jogging slowly, that it's not really any better than just walking. Is this true??

I did C25K last year, and then took a lovely hiatus (did I say lovely, I meant lazy), for about a year.

So on Friday I got back out there and jogged (15min/mile) for 4 miles. It felt great and C25K taught me that it truly is mind over matter. I then did a 3.5 miler yesterday. I'm hoping to jog every other day as a routine...

However I'm feeling a bit discouraged from the article I read, because I want to be doing more than just walking, but are both really equal, or at least not that much more beneficial?

Thanks in advance!

For me, even slow jogging raises my heart rate much more than brisk walking. If you enjoy it, just do it and don't obsess over the details too much.

When your heart rate is in the fat burning zone (60%-75%) your body is able to burn fat stores. In the cardio zone (75%-85%) you're body can't convert fat fast enough for energy, so it burns carbohydrates, then fat or muscle. Although cardio burns more calories, it's not always "fat". So a combination of the 2 is best.

Look up Interval training or High Intensity interval training on Google and read, read, read for a better understanding...

Thanks so much for the info you guys! I know that anything is better than nothing, and I believe I'm in this for the long haul, so it shouldn't make a difference either way. But...

I guess i just feel like I'm exerting way more energy than I would if I were walking the same distance, so the article made me wonder if in some weird way I could not be sweating and getting the same benefit.

Another way to up your burn rate is walk with weights! Try holding a 3-lb (to start with) weight in each hand and really move your arms while walking.

I wear an activity monitor that measures the intensity of my exercise more precisely than a HRM, & jogging gets me up in the vigorous range more than any other exercise. I really have to push HARD on the elliptical to reach the same intensity level, & it makes me hate it, lol. So I jog. Plus I like it.

Morela, go for the jogging, especially if you enjoy it I know when I wear my heart rate monitor, my HR gets to the 'target zone' within a few minutes. If I try to walk and get my HR rate up that high, I have to walk so fast, that it's laughable. you may as well jog and be happy and get the same effect...not to mention, I'd guess that the strength gained in your legs from the action of the jogging is more beneficial than walking. Not to mention, the longer you are in the habit, the longer you'll go and faster you'll get. And for me, that plus the motivation of signing up for 5 and 10ks is more helpful than anything else

Jog. This should set your mind at ease that you're doing the right thing:

The Myth of the Fat Burning Zone

"The body fat loss from exercise is based, not only on the fat burned during exercise, but also on the caloric deficit you generate from a sound diet in combination with adequate exercise and physical activity.

It should also be noted that higher intensity exercise training results in greater training adaptations as compared to those seen with lower intensity workouts. For instance, higher intensity workouts result in greater changes in muscle structure and function, as well as cardiovascular system structure and function. These changes improve endurance fitness. This is great news because fitter bodies utilize a greater percentage of fat calories throughout the day, both during exercise and at rest! In addition, being fit will allow you to exercise at higher intensities for longer, resulting in increased calories burned during subsequent workouts.

So take the focus off of working out in the low-intensity "fat burning" zone, and focus on the overall quality of your workout. If you are a beginner, you will need to start off with low-intensity exercise. However, as you become more fit and adapt to your exercise sessions, you can start incorporating higher intensity bouts into your workouts, thus reaping more benefits."

I do this when I walk. I have weights with straps. We have 5-acres, and I walk laps around the yard with my little weights. I still log my calories as the standard 3.5 or 4.0 mph walk, and figure if I burned more than that by having the weights then good for me.

This is great information and I'm definitely going to stick with the jogging. I enjoy it and feel way more accomplished than I do from walking!

Btw, thank you all so much for the info and for responding. I feel pretty special that many of you in my mind are FS celebrities...the time you take out of your days on a regular basis to be so helpful to so many others is incredible. You all are so accomplished and so inspiring!

We had a similar discussion recently in my Appalachian Trail hiking forum about fat burning zones and how it is an outdated method. Using that old methodolgy my max heart rate should be 173. I do very hard exercise bike workouts for an hour and my heart rate stays in the 170s most of the time.

Running or jogging is much more preferable to walking not only in weight loss but maintaining better aerobic conditioning.