Final answer:
Jogging on soft ground and using padded shoes decrease pressures on the feet and legs by increasing the contact area and duration of impact, thereby distributing the force over a larger area and reducing peak force experienced.
Step-by-step explanation:
Jogging on soft ground and wearing padded shoes reduce the pressures to which the feet and legs are subjected by increasing the contact area. The soft ground and padding distribute the force of impact over a larger area, thereby decreasing the pressure on any one point on the feet and legs.
This dispersal of force is akin to laying on a bed of nails without getting hurt, the large number of nails spreads out the force, preventing any single nail from exerting enough pressure to break the skin. Moreover, when we consider the physics of impact, these cushioning effects also increase the duration of the impact.
As described by the formula for pressure (Pressure = Force/Area), by increasing the area over which a force is distributed, pressure is reduced. In addition to this, materials that compress under force, like padding in shoes or soft ground, extend the time it takes for your foot to stop when it hits the ground, thereby reducing the peak force experienced by your feet and legs.