Jogging or Walking?

Question

Hello,
I am suffering of CF and since some months ago, I am able to motivate myself to do sports regularly.
I am doing walking (without sticks) and do not notice any change of my FEV1 result, but a change of my pulmonary situation as well as an improvement of the mobilization of secretions.
However, I am thinking about, if jogging would be better than walking.
Many people are doing jogging and laugh about walking.

Is it sensible to change form walking to jogging? Is jogging better for the health?
Is the rate of success for the health bigger with jogging?

Answer

Hello,
this is unfortunately not possible to answer, as there are no studies on that topic. However, if you feel better by doing walking, this does prove what we know: sports does good. For a healthy person, it is impossible either to say what is better - exceptional for the joints, walking is less burdening for them.

One important point to consider is that the kind of sport that you are doing is of at least moderate intensity for you, meaning that the heart rate goes up to a certain point in order to induce a positive clinical effect. If after a certain training “walking” should turn out for you to be not stranous anymore, one would advise to do some kind of sports which is actually more intensive (this could be jogging or many other kinds of sports).
Before intensifying your sports program or in case your clinical status is not stable, it is advisable to contact your CF doctor in charge and to talk about possible risks and how to avoid them (e.g. doing an exercise test before).

The most important thing is that one likes to do it, because only then one will do it regularly. If yo have to agonize over daily sports, this is not the right thing for sure.
Insofar I appreciate that you were able to motivate yourself to regular sports and wish you that you will be able to stick to this - you will benefit from it.
Yours sincerely,
Prof. Dr. Joachim Bargon

20.11.2008