But is a brisk walk really as good an exercise as a sweaty, heart-pounding run? Research reported by the
Running burns more than twice as many calories per minute as walking. For a person who weighs 160 pounds, walking at a pace of 3.5 miles per hour for 30 minutes burns about 156 calories. Running at 6 mph for the same time burns about 356 calories.
To recap: Running improves your health more efficiently than walking does and has greater health benefits per time invested. But even a small amount of running carries more injury risk than walking. And a lot of running (i.e., ultramarathon training) can well be harmful, while the same is never true for walking.
Between walking and running, running is better for weight loss because it burns more calories in less time. It's also been shown to be more effective at burning belly fat than walking.
“A person would need to walk 4.3 miles at a brisk pace to expend the same amount of exercise as running 3 miles, and it would take about twice as long (an hour and 15 minutes by walking instead of 38 minutes by running),” Williams says.
Q: Can you burn the same amount of calories walking vs. running the same distance? A: The short answer is no, there is usually around a 30% differential.
Running generally burns about twice as many calories as walking depending on the walking and running speeds being compared. So if you go for a 20-minute jog and you want to burn the same amount of calories walking the next day, you need to walk at least 40 minutes.
In a new study, which looks at activity tracker data from 78,500 people, walking at a brisk pace for about 30 minutes a day led to a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, dementia and death, compared with walking a similar number of steps but at a slower pace.
We touched on this already, but slow jogging burns more calories than walking at an identical pace, and thus, it is a more effective way to lose weight, if that's your goal.
Running is the winner for most calories burned per hour. Stationary bicycling, jogging, and swimming are excellent options as well. HIIT exercises are also great for burning calories. After a HIIT workout, your body will continue to burn calories for up to 24 hours.
If You Want to Maximize Calorie Burning
For a 160-pound person, walking at a brisk, 3.5-mph pace for 30 minutes will burn about 156 calories. But running at a 6-mph pace for that same 30 minutes will burn more than double the calories (about 356).
One of the most effective ways to reduce belly fat is to regularly take part in aerobic exercise, such as walking ( 19 , 20 ). In one small study, women with obesity who walked for 50–70 minutes three times per week for 12 weeks, on average, reduced their waist circumference and their body fat.
That's a finding from a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, which concluded that people who run on a regular basis—consistently, but slowly—have a longer lifespan than those who are out pushing it to the line every time.
Walking and running are both excellent forms of cardiovascular exercise. Neither is necessarily “better” than the other. The choice that's best for you depends entirely on your fitness and health goals. If you're looking to burn more calories or lose weight fast, running is a better choice.
The short answer is yes. “Walking is just as good as any other form of exercise,” says University Hospitals pediatric sports medicine specialist Laura Goldberg, MD.
What does 10,000 steps look like? Ten thousand steps equates to about eight kilometres, or an hour and 40 minutes walking, depending on your stride length and walking speed.
A long walk (at least 60 minutes)
And you're at significantly lower risk of injury compared with running. While runners can overdo it, quickly moving from healthy running distances to unhealthy distances, this research suggests that you can just keep on walking and it'll be good for you.
You can either run or walk every single day, or you can incorporate a walk or run every other day into your varied exercise routine. Experts suggest that brisk walking for about 30 minutes at a moderate speed every day can burn 150 to 200 calories.
Power walking is better than running because it burns the same amount of calories yet eliminates the risks of running. Power walking improves cardiovascular health. It engages more muscle and requires more steps per minute.
Average walking speed by age:
20-29 years: 3.00 mph (4.83 km/h) 30-39 years: 2.82 mph (4.54 km/h) 40-49 years: 2.82 mph (4.54 km/h) 50-59 years: 2.75 mph (4.43 km/h)
Walking is a form of low impact, moderate intensity exercise that has a range of health benefits and few risks. As a result, the CDC recommend that most adults aim for 10,000 steps per day . For most people, this is the equivalent of about 8 kilometers, or 5 miles.
For a person with excellent fitness, an approximate moderate walking pace: 15 minutes per mile (4 miles per hour) 9 minutes per kilometre (6.4 kilometres per hour)
A recent study conducted by the Journal of the American Heart Association also found that walking lowers the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, with results being marginally better among walkers versus runners.
Five kilometers equals 3.1 miles. At a typical walking pace, you can walk it in 45 minutes. If you are a slower walker, you might take 60 minutes or more. When choosing a 5K event, make sure it welcomes walkers and has a long enough time limit so you can comfortably finish.
The Importance of Walking 5km or at least 30 Minutes a Day
Walking for at least 30 minutes a day can reduce your risk for coronary heart disease. This risk is further reduced when you increase the duration or distance of your daily walk. Taking a short walk after eating may also lower blood sugar levels.