What is the Difference Between Running and Jogging

The main difference between running and jogging is that running requires more muscular movement and more endurance than jogging, while jogging is less intense and takes less effort than running.

Running and jogging both help us to control weight and burn calories. In brief, an individual belonging to any age group can do jogging leisurely in a gentle manner. However, running demands more physical effort than jogging and cannot be done by people of all age groups.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is Running
   – Definition, Features
2. What is Jogging
     – Definition, Features
3. Similarities Between Running and Jogging
     – Outline of Common Characteristics
4. Difference Between Running and Jogging
    – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Jogging, Running

What is Running?

Running is a physical exercise that is more advanced than jogging. It is the fastest method for you to move on foot. Running is a combination of both aerobic and anaerobic exercises. When you run, it involves your entire body. While running, you lean forward, which helps to place your center of mass on the front part of your foot. Further, it prevents you from landing on the heel and eases your body to use the spring mechanism of the foot. 

Benefits of Running

There are lots of health benefits of running. Running, most importantly, helps to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Similarly, regular running is a prescribed treatment for patients with diabetes and osteoporosis. Running also improves your immune system against disease, lowers inflammation,  improves antibody response and finally ensures your longevity.

What is Jogging?

Jogging can be simply defined as running in a leisurely manner. Similar to running, jogging helps the body to burn calories and shed weight. At the same time, other benefits of jogging include building up strong bones and joints, improving cardiovascular fitness, and strengthening muscles.

Jogging, on the other hand, can be used as a warm-up exercise before running and its low intensity is especially good for beginners. However, the major difference between jogging posture and running posture is that when you jog, your knees rise up less and your arms will not be swinging as much when compared to running. This is because you are moving at a slower pace than running. This reduced movement of the arms and legs conserves energy. Consequently, you are able to jog for longer periods of time than running.

 Similarities between Running and Jogging

1. Running and jogging both fall under the category of aerobic exercises, which include physical activity that produces energy by combining oxygen with blood glucose or body fat.
2. They both strengthen your muscles.
3. Both running and jogging help your body to control weight and shed calories.
4. The final outcome of both these physical activities would be a healthier life with more physical fitness.
5. Regular running and jogging are prescribed treatments for patients with diabetes and osteoporosis.
6. The gear for running or jogging is all the same.

Difference Between Running and Jogging

Definition

Running is an aerobic exercise where your pace should be faster than 6 mph, while jogging is an aerobic exercise where you should go at a pace of less than 6 mph.

Intensity

Compared with jogging, running is a physical exercise with a higher intensity and running demands more kilojoules and more effort from muscles, lungs, and heart.

Posture

When you jog, your knees rise up less and your arms will not be swinging as much compared to running. This is because you are moving at a slower pace in jogging than in running.

Age Group

Jogging can be done by both the young and old, while running requires more effort and cannot be done by people of all age groups.

Time    

The perfect timing for jogging is early morning while the best time for running can be considered evening or morning.

Health Benefits

The main health benefits of jogging include weight control, strengthening of the heart, muscles and bones, social interaction, and confidence while the main health benefits of running include, losing weight, strengthening the heart and cardiovascular system, achieving an athletic body, etc.

Conclusion

In brief, the main difference between running and jogging is that jogging is a less intense form of aerobic exercise than running and it takes less effort than running. Therefore, the most obvious difference between jogging and running is the pace. Specifically, anything less than 6 minutes per mile is generally considered a jog, and a pace above 6 minutes a mile is generally considered to be a run. However, both these activities benefit the human body on the whole.

Reference

1. Stanborough, Rebecca Joy. “What You Need to Know About the Benefits of Jogging.” Healthline, Healthline Media.
2. “Running and Jogging – Health Benefits.” Better Health Channel.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Running-woman-fitness-runner-6252827” (CC0) via Pixabay
2. “Fitness, jogging, pretty girl, young woman, outdoors, tree, woman, leisure, recreation, summer” (CC0) via Pixino