Dr. Mike Clark, DPT on behalf of Sharecare Fitness
Fitness
Generally, running will throw more calories into the metabolic fire than walking- for a few reasons. First – when you run, you are requiring the body to recruit more muscle faster, which requires more energy. Second, the higher the intensity of your activity, the higher your heart rate rises, the more energy that is required to sustain the activity both during and after the exercise session is complete. However, there are a few caveats to this. If you are running consistently, your body adapts to the stress placed upon it – so over time, running at the same intensity level, for the same distance or duration, will allow the body to perform the activity while expending less calories doing so. With this in mind – you have to continue to shake up your program – and keep it from becoming a “routine.” The more you challenge your body in different environments, the more calories your body will expend trying to “adapt” to that new challenge. So whatever routine you perform – whether you walk, run, swim, bike or row – remember to shake things up in your program rotating low, medium and high intensity workouts every week.
Wendy Batts on behalf of Sharecare Fitness
Fitness
Given equal duration, running burns more calories because you are simply working harder. For example, 20 minutes of running will burn more calories than 20 minutes of walking.
With that being said, choose the type of cardio that best fits you. It’s more important to do cardio that you enjoy than it is to try and find the “perfect” exercise. So if you would rather walk for 30+ minutes instead of run for 15, chances are you can burn the same or even more calories walking just because you are more likely to complete it and do it again. Remember, there is no steadfast equation where ‘X’ minutes of walking is equal to ‘Y’ minutes of running. How many calories you burn depends on how hard you are working overall and how accustomed your body is to the exercise.
Dr. Michael Roizen, MD
Internal Medicine
It depends how long you’re running or walking, how quickly, whether there’s an incline, and how much you’re moving your arms. Bottom line, both can burn a lot of calories. If you’re getting 10,000 steps a day easily, you don’t have to feel obligated to start running. Instead, you can burn more calories by adding hills, increasing the incline, speeding up, and shooting for more steps.
Todd Townes - Sharecare Fitness Expert on behalf of Sharecare Fitness
Fitness
A runner and fast walker, both at a speed of 12 minutes per mile burn the exact same calories per mile and calories per hour.
National Academy of Sports Medicine
Whether you burn more calories by running or walking is determined by your intensity level and time spent doing each activity. However, if you are only examing the amount of calories burned per minute, then you will burn more calories per minute running than you will burn walking. Running burns more calories per minute because of the greater intensity required to deal with the demands of the increased ground reaction force. Ground reaction force is the amount of force the ground reacts to based on how much your body is exerting on it. For example, simply standing still places less force on the ground than walking, and walking less than running. However, if you look at caloric burn from a cummulative perspective, than the caloric burn is based on the duration and intensity at which you walk or run. For example, if you have not yet worked your way up to running, and therefore can only run for a short amount of time (10 minutes), you will not be able to burn as many calories as you would by walking for 45 minutes at a moderately intense pace.
HealthCorps
It is actually true that you can burn as many calories and lose as much weight by walking as by running, but it will take longer. The National Walkers’ and Runners’ Health Studies initially concluded that if you want to lose weight you should run, not walk. But researchers at Duke University took the studies’ conclusions and decided to re-visit some of the findings. These researchers concluded that walking 11 miles a week yielded the same amount of calories burned as jogging 11 miles a week. But it took the walkers, on average, an extra hour per week to achieve the distance and the calorie burn equivalent to the joggers. The research seems to suggest that intensity does not make a difference, as long as you spend enough time burning an equivalent number of calories. So, you can decide if you would rather walk (taking longer) or jog.
Continue Learning about Benefits of Walking
Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.
Benefits of Walking
Think a daily walk can't do much for your health? Actually, walking has numerous benefits, whether you're trying to lose weight, boost your energy levels and mood, or clear your mind. Just 30 minutes of walking a day can put you on a path to reduce your risk for stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure and forms of arthritis. Learn more about getting the most from a walk with expert advice from Sharecare.
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As an enthusiast and expert in fitness and exercise physiology, I can confidently provide insights into the concepts discussed in the article by Dr. Mike Clark, Wendy Batts, Dr. Michael Roizen, Todd Townes, the National Academy of Sports Medicine, and HealthCorps. My knowledge is rooted in an understanding of exercise science, metabolic processes, and the impact of different physical activities on the body.
Dr. Mike Clark emphasizes the calorie-burning benefits of running over walking due to increased muscle recruitment and higher intensity, leading to a higher heart rate during and after exercise. He also highlights the importance of varying workout routines to prevent the body from adapting and expending fewer calories over time.
Wendy Batts echoes the sentiment that running burns more calories than walking when comparing equal durations, emphasizing the significance of choosing a cardio activity one enjoys to ensure consistency.
Dr. Michael Roizen adds nuances to the discussion, stating that the calorie burn depends on factors such as duration, speed, incline, and arm movement. He suggests that achieving 10,000 steps a day through walking can be as effective as running, with the addition of hills or increased speed.
Todd Townes introduces an interesting point, stating that a runner and a fast walker at the same speed (12 minutes per mile) burn the exact same calories per mile and calories per hour, challenging the conventional belief that running always burns more calories.
The National Academy of Sports Medicine delves into the concept of caloric burn from a cumulative perspective, emphasizing that running burns more calories per minute due to increased intensity but clarifying that the overall caloric burn depends on the duration and intensity of the activity.
HealthCorps provides insights from research suggesting that walking can burn as many calories as running but takes longer to achieve the same results. The intensity of the exercise might not be the primary factor, but rather the time spent burning an equivalent number of calories.
In summary, the discussion revolves around the interplay of factors such as intensity, duration, individual preferences, and the body's adaptation to exercise. Whether one chooses to walk or run, the key is to find a balance that aligns with personal preferences and fitness goals.
