Walking vs Running – What’s Best for You?

Exercise is important to us human beings in many aspects. It could be to cut down on weight, to relieve yourself of stress or for an energy boost. For whichever reason you are exercising, it is your level of fitness that will determine whether walking or running is best for you. Read on and learn some facts that will help you make a decision between walking vs running and what’s best for you.

So, Which One Is Best?

Running is the best since it leads to a use up of more energy compared to walking. While running, you will end up using up close to two and a half more times the energy that you would have used while walking. Practically, a person who weighs 160 pounds will burn approximately 800 calories per hour while someone of the same weight covering the same distance while walking will expend only 300 calories.

Other than losing more weight after using a shorter period of time to exercise, runners are also more likely to maintain their waist circumference and maintaining the body mass index. Despite that, walking also provides similar health benefits as those of running, just that you will have to take a longer period of time walking for a longer distance to realize the same effects.

Making the Decision Depending on Your Goal

For maximum burning of calories

When your ultimate purpose for running is losing weight, then you have to choose that exercise which yields a maximum burning of calories. The difference between the two is how much calories you will burn depending on the time spent exercising. In this case, running burns more calories. To have the same impact from walking then you will have to walk for a longer distance.

For the purpose of reducing belly fat

Belly fat lowers the self-esteem of people and even makes them quite uncomfortable. Exercise will help a great deal in getting rid of the belly fat and help you regain your esteem. Belly fat is also dangerous since it can adversely affect your metabolism.

Running, a high-intensity interval training exercise will help you release short bursts of energy hence eating away the belly fat. Add in running to your daily exercising schedule and get rid of the belly fat.

If your worry is solely your joints

According to research, runners are less likely to experience joint issues. The reason behind this is that runners have a lower body mass index compared to those who opt to walk as a form of exercise. The lower body mass index translates to less stress being exerted on the joints, even as you engage in rigorous exercise such as running.

For the sake of your heart health

The heart is a crucial part of our body since every other body function relies on it. For this reason, you may result to exercise as a way of keeping your heart healthy. Running increases the rate at which the heart works and this helps in keeping it healthier.

If you chose to walk then you will have to ensure that you use up as much energy as you would have while running. However, those who walk are at a 9 percent risk of heart diseases lower than those who run.

Difference between Walking and Running

Walking and running are both forms of exercise that have numerous health benefits for your body. However, there are still some differences that would make you decide to choose one over the other. Here are the key differences:

Likelihood of getting injured

As you run, you are more at risk of getting injuries such as shin splints, hamstring strains and the runner’s knee due to the intensity involved. You will be subjecting your body to more stress. This is unlike walking where you exercise while at ease.

Time spent on each

While walking, you will have to walk for a longer period of time if you have to accrue the same benefits as those of running. You will need to walk for a longer distance compared to that you would have run. For instance, a brisk walk for 30 minutes yields similar results to a jog which takes 15 minutes.

How to Make Walking More Effective

However effective running is, at times it may just not be in your cards. In this case, there are ways in which you can make walking a more effective workout. Here are some of the helpful ways you can opt for to make your walking workouts more effective:

Tips to Prevent Injuries While Running

Running is the most effective workout since it yields maximum burn off calories. This may end up causing many people to steer away from it since prevention is better than cure. However, there are some ways you can prevent injuries related to running. They are:

Have a smart training program

To get the best results, it is right that you train smart. Ensure that from your training you find a way to attain your workout goal while running at a slower pace and subjecting your body to the least possible amount of stress. You can also choose to get assistance from a coach on the ultimate training program.

Add in strength training to your workout program.

Including strength training in your daily workout schedule will help to make you stronger and also increase your athleticism. This will, in turn, lower muscular fatigue that is likely to lead to injuries and muscular fatigue.

Wear the right running shoes

Choosing the right running shoes is not a walk in the park. There are several factors to consider since it should be correct depending on your running style, terrain and foot type. On the foot type, you need to be very cautious on the pronation since a wrong pronation could cause injuries to your leg.

Pronation simply refers to the inward rolling of your feet as they strike the ground and the transitions involved in pushing them off the ground.

Cross-train and add in rest time in your workout schedule

Cross training will aid in avoiding too much impact caused by vigorous running exercises. It will also help in the maintenance of your aerobic fitness. Adding in rest days will help your body to adapt to your running exercise, hence reducing the strain and likelihood of suffering an injury.

Take time to warm up before the runs and cool down right after the runs

Warm up exercises are important since they will help in flushing out lactic acid in your muscles. This prevents the occurrence of muscle soreness which is delayed. If you are preparing for a longer and faster run, you will need an equally longer warm up. A cool down after the race will help your muscles relax after the rigorous exercise.

Feed on a balanced diet and stay hydrated

A balanced diet and exercise are the key to a healthy being. In this case, ensure that you eat a balanced diet to ensure that you won’t have deficiencies in nutrients. For every 15 minutes of your workout, take about 6 ounces of fluid.

Avoid exposing yourself to too much heat exhaustion. About two hours prior to your workout, take about 20 ounces of fluid and 10 ounces right after you are done with the warm-up.

Ensure that you maintain and improve on your flexibility

To maintain your flexibility, keep stretching and it will aid in preventing injuries and improve on your running workout performance. This should be right after your warm-up exercise. Ensure that you engage all your muscles, extremities and joints. Include exercises such asskipping, arm circles and high knee drills to enhance your flexibility.

Conclusion

So, when it comes to walking vs running, which is best for you? This will no longer be an issue to bother you since it is evident that running leads to the high-intensity use of energy which yields higher calorie burning compared to walking.

However, walking, on the other hand, is an easier form of exercise which is suitable for all despite the health condition. In this case, you are at liberty to choose between walking and running depending on the one that suits you best. This is because you already know how to make walking an effective workout and also how to prevent running injuries while working out.

Feel free to comment and even better, tell us the one you prefer between walking and running as well as the reason why. If you have a question, feel free to ask and I will respond to it as soon as I can.