If you’re a runner who secretly hates running, here’s some good news: Taking it down a notch or two, settling into a leisurely jog rather than an all-out run may be better for your health in the long term. Jogging engages the same muscles as running. That includes the muscles in the lower body, such as the hip flexors, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. To a lesser extent, it also engages the upper body and the core. That makes jogging an effective full-body exercise.
A study was done and found that joggers of mild and moderate intensity had a lower risk of death than strenuous joggers. In fact, the lowest mortality risk was that of the mild-intensity joggers. The fast-paced joggers had about the same rate of mortality as sedentary people. This suggests that there may be an upper limit to vigorous exercise, after which the benefits fall off. Running is also much harsher on knee and hip joints than jogging. This does not mean that running is bad for you; just if you’re going to do a long-distance, jogging is better. Running in short intervals with a proper amount of recovery time is fine, but long-distance running may be worse for you in the long run.
The study author Peter Schnohr stated, “If your goal is to decrease the risk of death and improve life expectancy, jogging a few times a week at a moderate pace is a good strategy. Anything more is not just unnecessary; it may be harmful.” Jogging still gets your metabolic rate up high enough that you are burning fat and calories. Everyone probably has a level of activity that feels best to him or her. But at least the growing consensus seems to be that more – if you’re pushing yourself very hard – is not necessarily better. And it may even be worse.
