Is jogging or walking effective for relieving depression and stress?

Did you know that, along with running, walking, yoga, swimming and dancing, gardening is considered a type of aerobic exercise (long live fresh air and any outdoor activity!) that relieves stress and reduces general level of anxiety? We always write about it. Today we decided to see what the experts say: is it more effective against stress: jogging or walking?

What is more effective against stress: jogging or walking

Aerobic exercises actually improve our ability to deal with stress, and many studies emphasize jogging. Running is the one that most effectively involves the processes that guarantee resistance to stress.

Experts believe this may be because aerobic exercise increases the level of serotonin and norepinephrine, causing the brain to generate new neurons.

Topics and facts for walking

Neither strength training, nor functional training, nor high-intensity interval training will produce as excellent results as running or walking outdoors. Excessive stress in the gym will «kill» an already stressed body.

Cardio, if you do it regularly, helps you relax. It is believed that this mechanism already works when performing physical exercises three times a week for 30 minutes.

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When we compare running and walking, we first notice a rather high risk of injury in the case of running.

There are studies in which a direct comparison was carried out: for example, researchers from the Cooper Clinic Preventive Medicine Center (Dallas, Texas, USA) examined fairly large data on «walkers» and «runners». They found that among runners (regardless of age), the injury rate was only 1%, while among runners it was as high as 25%.

The low risk of musculoskeletal injuries suggests that walking can be safely recommended to improve the health and fitness of people of all ages, genders, and fitness levels.

On the other hand, there is work that shows that jogging (running) increases life expectancy by 5-6 years in both men and women.

Another important point

As you can see, there are pros and cons to both running and walking. Additionally, running is simply contraindicated for some people, so consult your doctor before you start running.

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Heart disease, joint problems, myopia and even being overweight are contraindications for this physical activity. Leg deformities and musculoskeletal disorders can be aggravated by running, while walking does not have as great an impact.

Everyone knows how important running shoes are: it’s not just a question of comfort, but also of health and the prevention of possible injuries.

During the summer, the choice of walking shoes must be taken very seriously: the same 10,000 steps (that is, almost 8 kilometers!) with shoes or other types of footwear will not bring health to the body.

The basic principles are the same as choosing running shoes: choose the right size and fullness; the sole must be sufficiently thick, but flexible: the additional cushioning will provide good protection for the musculoskeletal system during the walking phase from heel to toe; make sure the sole flexes where the foot physiologically rolls.

Particular attention should be paid to already deformed legs. Before you start doing physical exercises, consult a specialist (podiatrist), it may be that in your case you need insoles – thermoformed soles with full contact – individually adapted.

It not only evenly distributes the load on the sole of the foot and provides additional cushioning when walking and running, but also perfectly corrects the biomechanics of movement.

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