Walking or Running: Which is Better?

Running may burn a lot of calories, but it can also be hard on the knees, back, and legs. And while walking is easier for most people, it doesn’t raise the heart rate as much as jogging. With the arrival of warmer weather, many women want to know: which form of exercise is better?

There’s no doubt that running burns more calories than walking. According to data from the Mayo Clinic, a 140- to 150-pound person running at a moderate intensity (8-miles per hour) for one hour will burn about 865 calories. That same person, however, walking for one hour at 2 mph will burn 160 to 170 calories, and walking at 3.5 mph will burn about 245 calories. If you’re relatively fit, and you’re trying to maximize the number of calories you’re burning, running is a top calorie burner, trumping cross-country skiing, jumping rope, and climbing stairs.

If you’re just getting started with an exercise program, however, or you’re new to running, jogging for an hour straight is not a smart idea. In this case, walking—briskly, rather than leisurely—is a better bet. The key term here is “briskly”, which means walking fast, pumping your arms, and not stopping to talk to your neighbors or pet every friendly dog you see. Brisk walking should also be developed on a gradual basis—start out with small distances, and build up to longer ones in order to gain endurance.

There’s another reason why running burns more calories—it’s harder work. It also involves more impact than walking, which can lead to a higher incidence of injuries. Assuming you’re wearing good walking shoes, you’re dressed for the weather, and you obey local rules of the road, the risk of injury during a walk is lower. To eliminate weather and vehicle concerns, many people walk on a treadmill or take loops around a mall.

In many ways, the choice between walking and running is a personal one, depending on your level of fitness and your own personal goals. You should also consider the number of calories burned, the risk of injury, and which type of exercise fits best with the rest of your routine. No matter what form your exercise takes, from brisk walking to slow jogging to high-intensity running, make sure you check with your doctor if you haven’t been very active in the past year.

In addition, experts at the American Council on Exercise(www.acefitness.org) suggest taking time to warm up and cool down after a run, wearing proper footwear, and never increasing your mileage by more than 10 percent per week. In addition, all walkers or runners can benefit from adding on a weight-lifting or strength-training program to alternative days in order to achieve overall fitness. For more information on starting a running program, visit www.coolrunning.com. The American Heart Association also offers tips for beginner walking programs called “Start! A Walking Program.” For more information visit www.americanheart.org.