I M Ready Asks: Should you walk or run in the rain?

 

 

Rain, rain, go away, come again another day—that all-too-familiar rueful rhyme that kids sing when they're chased indoors by the wet and the cold. Nature, though, doesn't take kindly to orders: it will rain whether you will it or not, so you best prepare your jackets and umbrellas.

 

However, given the unpredictability of the weather, people tend to be faced with the question: "What now?" as they watch the steady downpour, and: "Do I chance it?" as they check if their valuables are properly wrapped. 

 

Well, should you decide to chance it, there are two options that are often a cause for debate. GMA News Online and I M Ready collaborated in an attempt to answer the question: 

 

“Is it better to walk or run in the rain?”

 

The experiment

 

Mythbusters, that popular series dedicated to debunking and proving popular notions, already sought an answer to this question. Their verdict was that it’s better to walk than run. 

 

However, I M Ready’s CP David and his students performed a more refined version of the test - with just simple materials:

 

 

Their experiment separates the amount of droplets gathered on top of the head from the droplets caught by the front of the body.

 

Pieces of 5x8 art paper - chosen for its absorbent properties - were taped onto 5 (unwilling) participants - one on top of their heads and another in front of their chests. They were asked to both walk and run in light rain conditions (<2.5mm/hr).

 

 

They walked for 1 minute, then proceeded to run the same distance for 15 seconds with a fresh pair of art paper.

 

The papers were photographed and processed using an image analysis software that would analyze the droplets.

 

Results

 

When you walk: Longer exposure to rain makes the top of your head wetter. You face and chest area will be drier.

 

 

When you run: You’re less exposed to rain so the top of your head will be drier. However, your increased forward movement will cause your face and chest area to be slightly wetter than your head.

 

 

It all boils down to which area you prefer to be wetter, and whether you do or do not mind catching a cold. Logically, though, it’s still better to run because you would be less exposed to the rain.

 

CP David concludes, “What does this experiment tell us? When it starts to rain, do walk as fast as possible. But nothing beats knowing what the weather will be - and bring an umbrella accordingly.” — TJD, GMA News