Benefits of running and how to start!
1. Benefits of running vs. Walking
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a. Caloric expenditure is increased significantly when running verses walking. Running causes you to work at a higher percentage of your VO2 max which basically means your body is using more oxygen during a period of time. This increased oxygen consumption cause’s one to burn more calories than they would have by doing the same amount of walking.
b. Walking is considered a low impact exercise that puts less stress on the joints, tissues, and bones whereas running is considered a high impact exercise due to the aerial phase. This means that more stress is put on the bones, muscles, and joints. This extra stress causes micro fractures in the bones which then rebuild back stronger than before. Running and jumping is especially important in the younger population to help prevent the early onset of osteoporosis later in life. Just be careful because too much extra stress too quickly can easily escalate into an injury such as a stress fracture.
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2. How to start running
a. If you have been walking for a while and would like to try to do some running, it may be intimidating to start. Well don’t worry; you don’t have to start by running the whole time or going crazy fast! Simple start by walking at a brisk pace for 5-6 minutes and then jog for 1 minute and repeat this cycle throughout your workout. After one week of doing this 3-4x’s try to increase the amount of time you run to 1.5-2 minutes with 4-5 minutes of walking. Keep up this cycle until you are able to run the whole time! Run at a slow to moderate pace (light conversational pace) and start out with 15-20 minutes of run walk and work the overall time up very slowly (2-5 minutes each week) until the desired time goal is reached.
b. Walking/running on a treadmill without the handrails will also help improve your workout by putting more weight on your legs causing them to have to push off harder on the treadmill. This increases the caloric burn and workload. Refer to the printout near the magazines located behind the treadmills for more benefits and suggestions.
Bryan Burk, BS
Fitness Specialist
Chelsea Wellness Center