As always do,
Let’s break it up into sections:
- Let’s start with our good friend jogging.
This is a traditional workout and when we want to lose weight, this is the most common type of cardio.
There are downfalls and benefits to this approach.
Let’s start with the possible benefits:
- Insulin Sensitivity- According to Healthline , It has a positive effect on insulin resistance.
How so?
Jogging promotes the use of carbohydrates as fuel.
By training your body to use carbs properly, you can improve insulin sensitivity.
- It can help you cope with stress, in fact.
I jog from time to time to clear my mind.
Addition to this, proper breathing is vital.
Control your breath and do not lock your core.
Locking your core makes it hard for you to breathe and can also be unsafe.
- It can improve your Immune System
There is a PubMed research that explains that jogging can strengthen your immune system.
It goes on to explain that moderate exercise, like jogging, actually strengthens your body’s response to illness.
That includes short-term illnesses, like upper respiratory tract infections, and long-term illnesses, like diabetes.
- It can help you lose weight
Of course, I have to mention this.
By training your body to burn carbs as fuel, it depletes your glycogen storage and can then lead to fat oxidation, which is breaking down your body fat for fuel.
At the end of the day, to sustain weight loss, you need to maintain fat oxidation.
- There are other benefits that I wont get into detail like, improve your cardiovascular health, help you break through plateau, improve cognitive function and much more
Yes! Jogging can be a great exercise.
Just like anything else, there are possible downfalls:
- Damage to your joints.
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, damage to weight-bearing joints is one of the most serious disadvantages associated with running.
This tends to lead to the infamous runner’s knee.
Which we know is common among runners.
- Increased Risk of Heart Attack
This contradicts my earlier point so let me explain.
Excess running, in fact, any high intensity exercise that constantly raises your heart rate raises your blood pressure and puts a lot of stress on your heart and large organs.
60% of your blood should be in your gut, some to your organs and the rest to fire that amazing brain of yours.
We are not designed to consistently pump blood to our large arteries.
- It can cause sugar cravings and weight gain
That is tied to the reason above.
Excessive cardio raises your cortisol levels even for hours post work.
This can be good as you continue to burn sugars, carbs and fats.
If your cortisol stays high for too long, you can crave excess sugars, leaving you to fight cravings.
Remember, our bodies ten to prefer carbs as fuel.
Don’t let anything I say scare you, remember that I have some recommendations at the end.
2. Now, Let’s talk about Walking:
Many trainers now say that walking is the best kind of cardio.
Is it really?
Let’s start by discussing the benefits:
This really great article in Harvard Health lists 5 amazing benefits:
- It counteracts the effects of weight-promoting genes.
This is important to understand.
One of the downfalls for those who struggle to lose weight is that they don’t walk enough.
Remember that for optimal fatloss, we need at minimum 10k steps per day
I would love to see 5k before your first meal.
- It helps tame a sweet tooth.
A pair of studies from the University of Exeter found that a 15-minute walk can curb cravings for chocolate and even reduce the amount of chocolate you eat in stressful situations.
One of the main benefits of walking is it can balance your cortisol levels.
We now know that excess cortisol leads to sugar cravings
- It reduces the risk of developing breast cancer.
A study from The American Cancer Society shows that walking found that women who walked seven or more hours a week had a 14% lower risk of breast cancer than those who walked three hours or fewer per week
- It eases joint pain.
And not as hard on your joints a let’s say jogging
Studies show that walking reduces arthritis-related pain, and that walking five to six miles a week can even prevent arthritis from forming in the first place.
- It boosts immune function.
A study of over 1,000 men and women found that those who walked at least 20 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, had 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised once a week or less.
During flu and cold season, most of us barely move.
Adding to reasons why we stay sick.
Walking can be great for your body
In fact, I take between 10 to 12k steps most days
Now let’s talk about some possible downfalls to walking:
- It doesn’t burn as many calories as jogging
Walking can be a great exercise, but there are times when you need to burn more energy to promote fat oxidation
Depending on your fitness level, you can walk for miles, but never reach the cardio zone
Hitting the cardio zone at least couple times per week is great for sustainable fatloss
- Not as much after cardio burn
This means that you may not get as much post workout energy burn as jogging
That is why you can’t just walk once a day.
To sustain fatloss, you have to keep walking throughout the day
- Can be too strenuous
This is vital if you have achy joints
In fact, constantly striking the floor can damage your joints leading to knee pain
Now that we know these things, let’s get to part everyone wants to hear
Which one works best and how to implement.
It is best to have a combination of each
But that is only if you can
If you are new to fitness, it may better to do brisk walking 3 to 4 days per week for about 30 minutes each time
Making sure to keep walking throughout the day
My personal rule is I do not sit for more than an hour each time
Every hour, I get for for about 5 minutes
That is great for your joints and your metabolism
As your fitness level increases you can have 2 days where you walk and 2 days where you do a walk run
This is great for cardio health and you are beginning to get the benefits of both
Then from there you can get to the area where you have 2 jogging days and 2 walking days
All that may become too much on your joints
Depending on how much you run/jog, I recommend getting a book to learn proper form
You can also replace couple of those days with an upper body focused cardio like rowing
Or even a lower body focused cardio that doesn’t put as much stress on your joints like biking
Now, it goes without saying, you still need to lift weights to build muscle
Do not assume that cardio alone will sustain fat oxidation
In fact the reason to cardio is not as much to burn fat, but improve your cardio health
When you combine it with muscle building, it makes it easier to sustain fat loss as you age
An added benefit is building muscle, especially leg muscle can help to support your knee and joints,