Walking vs jogging: which is better for your health? Here are 3 things to know

I received a note from a reader who asked about interpreting the meaning of steps counted during walking. Specifically, a man and wife go walking together. They both wear monitors and the wife is credited with many more steps. Is the wife getting more benefits from her walks, and how should this be interpreted in terms of the caloric cost of walking?

If the husband and wife are walking together and they cover the same distance in the same amount of time, they are walking at the same speed. Even so, she has more steps. How is this possible? The husband has a longer stride, which translates to fewer steps for any given distance.

Regarding caloric expenditure, the number of calories expended during walking depends upon the amount of work performed, and work is defined as force times distance. If a husband and wife walk one mile and their weight is the same, the force applied to move their body weight a given distance is the same, and the caloric cost should be the same regardless of the number of steps taken.

An average stride length is approximately 2.1 to 2.5 feet, and it takes approximately 2,000 steps to cover one mile. However, the relationship between counting steps and distance covered is far from precise, especially when calculated over a full day as we move in bits and pieces, stop and go. This means at best, counting steps is a gross translation to distance covered, and is considerably less accurate when translating to caloric cost. Even so, counting steps is still a helpful way to approximate the quantity of exercise completed.

You may like:What is frostbite? 5 things to know about the cold weather injury and how to prevent it

What is a good target for daily steps completed? Many fitness experts recommend 10,000 steps per day as a good health maintenance tool. Unfortunately, this kind of aggressive guideline can backfire because it can be interpreted that if you don't reach 10,000 steps, there is no benefit and you are wasting your time. That’s silly, of course, and any number of walking steps is helpful and is by far better than doing nothing. So be on guard and don’t submit to a slavish allegiance to a given number of steps, because it can interfere with spontaneity and make walking an undesirable chore.

Just do it!

What influences the caloric cost of walking?

When it comes to caloric cost, a rule of thumb is that walking one mile at a comfortable pace (3 mph) expends about 100 calories (kcals). However, several factors can influence the cost, including size. A larger person will expend more energy walking a mile than a smaller person, and the greater the difference in size, the greater the difference in caloric cost.

Speed of walking can be a factor and walking at a brisk pace (4 mph) will expend approximately 15% more calories compared with slower walking. Terrain and weather are important as they can offer resistance, like walking against the wind, on sand, or through thick grass, and an uphill slope greatly increases the caloric cost as well.

You may like:Is intermittent fasting bad for you? Here are 3 things to know before you begin

What is the difference between walking and jogging?

Force times distance as an indicator of caloric cost is not useful when comparing different modes of exercise, like walking versus jogging. If you follow the force times distance axiom and walk one mile or jog one mile, you would conclude the same weight and same distance equals the same number of calories. However, if you jog one mile, you will do more work and expend more energy. This is true even though body size and distance are the same.

Estimates vary among research studies and range from jogging costing about 25-35 more calories per mile than walking, to double the caloric cost of walking, with faster jogging speed being a key factor.

The reason you work harder while jogging is the airborne phase with each stride. This means both feet are off the ground at the same time, which requires a strong thrust from the lead leg that requires more energy. In contrast, when you walk one foot is always in contact with the ground while the opposite foot swings through like a pendulum.

Is it better to run on a treadmill or outside?

The caloric cost of walking or jogging on a treadmill is slightly less than outside. This is because the treadmill does some of the work for you, demanding less effort on your part. Outside you have to continually push your body forward with no assistance, whereas on a treadmill, once you thrust your lead foot forward, the treadmill carries it back for you. And, of course, if you hold onto the handrails of the treadmill, you lessen the effort and caloric cost substantially.

Treadmills may offer a more accommodating surface, and some treadmills have super soft beds that help reduce impact shock, but others can be quite hard. The worst surface for walking and jogging is outside on cement sidewalks. Cement doesn't absorb forces applied to it and tends to bounce them back at you. This jars the foot, ankle and leg muscles and joints, and the faster you go, the greater the impact force. Asphalt is more forgiving and is a much better surface for exercise, but not as good as a soft dirt/grass path.

You may like:Is soy bad for you? Should men eat it? 3 things to know about adding soy to your diet

Outside walking and jogging, especially in a forest or green space, can boost your mood, reduce stress, and lessen anxiety more than being inside. It also can be more challenging and thus more beneficial because it challenges your balance on differing terrain, and up and down hills. On the other hand, on a treadmill, you can watch a movie or be entertained in other ways, and you also have more control over weather conditions and safety concerns.

All in all, the choice between the treadmill and the street is pretty much a toss-up. You can get a good aerobic workout either way, and the choice you make will likely be determined by convenience.

Reach Bryant Stamford, a professor of kinesiology and integrative physiology at Hanover College, at stamford@hanover.edu.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Walking vs jogging: which is better for your health? 3 things to know