Walking vs. Running for Health

When you are trying to get in shape and improve your overall health, you have a variety of exercise options that you can choose from. Two of the more popular workouts include walking and running.

Power walking (fitness walking) involves the use of exaggerated movements to get your heart rate up and running involves quick paces. Many people are trying to determine which workout is better for them. When you are comparing walking and running, there are a few things that you need to consider.

Here is more information about the basics of walking vs. running:

Calorie Burning Potential

Many people that are exercising regularly are looking for an effective way to burn calories. Burning calories allows you to manage weight and even lose a few excess pounds.

Links Disclosure: Some links on this page go to affiliate partners where, without cost to you, we may receive a small commission should you make a purchase.

The calorie burning potential of walking is not quite as high as running, but it is still beneficial. This means that you might not burn as many calories by simply power walking, but you will be able to burn enough calories to manage your weight.

If you are looking for the best exercise to burn calories fast, running is the ideal choice. However, power walking is a more simplified exercise option that still offers great calorie burning potential.

Walking vs. Running for Health

Less Stress

One of the biggest downsides to running is the stress and strain that it can put on your joints and muscles. Many people that run regularly begin to experience joint pain over time. This is a major issues with people that run regularly, but it is not something that is connected to power walking. Power walking still allows you to reach speeds of 4mph, but it does not put the stress in strain on your joints like the action of running.

It is the unique motion of running that allows you to achieve a steady pace without hurting your joints in any capacity. If you are looking for a workout that wonโ€™t offer long-term joint pain, it might be a good idea to trade in running for power walking. It is also possible to benefit by simply choosing to power walk a few days instead of running for every weekly workout.

Walking vs. Running for Health 1

Any Speed

Running might allow you to reach higher speeds, but fitness walking is still an effective type of cardio. Cardio of any type can be beneficial to your health, which means that both running and walking can be a great way to improve your overall health.

5/5 (1 Review)