Run, Don’t Walk
Remember in school when the hall monitor would yell out to students who were late to class, “Walk, don’t Run!”? Well, people who opt to run instead of walking for exercise might need a more strenuous cardiovascular and muscle workout than walking can give them.
Although both walking and running are good cardiovascular workouts, walking is a good exercise for people just starting out with an exercise regime and running is for those who need to increase intensity to burn more calories. To transition from walking to running, walkers need to introduce a moderate jog into their walking routine. Some walkers will switch between walking and jogging to adjust their bodies to the higher cardiovascular levels, the increased pressure on joints and bones, and to discover their comfort level with the amount of pressure on their feet.
Runners need to wear lighter shoes because they are putting more pressure on their joints and feet. There are combination shoes for walker-joggers, but once running is the standard method of exercise, investing in a good pair of running shoes is ideal.
Runners benefit more from their exercise than walkers in terms of burning calories; the means for losing and maintaining weight. Another investment runners might consider is a sports watch with a time and distance feature, and a calorie counter. Another benefit of a sports watch for runners is they can test their resting heart rate. Walkers usually only reach low levels of exertion, where runner’s heart rates can increase quickly and stay at a heightened level for the duration for their run. Monitoring the heart rate every ten minutes for a new runner and every twenty minutes for an experienced runner will ensure they are within the range their heart can handle without being at risk of cardiac arrest.
With a regular daily running schedule, people can realize optimal physical fitness in a much shorter time period than walkers; however it is best to consult a doctor to check for bone density and joint health before beginning a running program.
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