Running is by definition the fastest means for an animal
to move on foot. It is defined in sporting terms as a
gait in which at some point all feet are off the ground
at the same time. It is a form of aerobic exercise.
Jogging is a poorly-defined term which generally refers
to a type of slow running, previously called "roadwork"
when athletes in training, such as boxers, customarily
ran several miles each day as part of their conditioning.
In the 1960s or 1970s the word "roadwork" was mostly supplanted
by the word "jogging" and this form of running became
quite popular among many people at that time in the United
States. Jogging is a "high-impact" exercise that places
strain on the body, notably the joints of the knee. This
is actually one of the basic reasons for doing the exercise,
as the impact drives growth processes in the body. Some
dropped jogging in order to take up "low-impact" exercises
such as stair climbing. Jogging can be combined with other
kinds of exercising. Special trails that combine them
are called trim trails.
Some people define jogging as an inefficient form of running
which, for the given individual performing it, and all
other conditions held constant, is less efficient than
walking. Above a certain pace, running is a more efficient
form of locomotion (requires less effort). Below that
pace, running is less efficient than walking and makes
no sense as a means of getting from point A to point B.
A courier delivering a message on foot over 60 miles of
road would expend more energy jogging the distance at
a 13 minute mile pace rather than briskly walking it at
the same pace. Slow jogging is pure exercise, with no
Marine running in a triathlonBecause jogging is inefficient,
it's often associated with poor form. Joggers, or runners
who are jogging, sometimes move in ways that wouldn't
be done in a competitive running situation: excessively
bounding into the air, landing heavily on the heel, carrying
the arms too high, and so forth. For these reasons, "jogger"
and "jogging" are considered derogatory terms by some
athletes who consider themselves runners. Other people
use the terms "running" and "jogging" interchangeably,
and see nothing derogatory about "jogging".
Jogging is also used for active recovery intervals during
interval training. The runner who may just have completed
a fast 400 meter repetition at a sub-5-minute mile pace,
may drop to an 8 minute mile pace for a recovery lap.
The jog might be carried out in much poorer, looser form
whose purpose is to "shake out" the body and maintain
circulation to eliminate the waste products of exercise
Perhaps the most basic of athletic contests, running races
are simply contests to determine which of the competitors
is able to run a certain distance fastest. Today, competitive
running events make up the core of the sport of athletics.
Running competitions have probably existed for most of
humanity's history, and were a key part of the ancient
Greek Olympics, as well as the modern Olympic games.
Events are usually grouped into several classes, each
requiring substantially different athletic strengths and
involving different tactics, training methods, and types
Running affects not only the body, but the mind as well.
Runners who finish a great run are often said to have
a "runner's high" - a strong feeling of accomplishment
and pride. Some sources point to the origin of a runner's
high being increased endorphin production as a result