Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBenefits of Cardio ExerciseWhich Is Better?Risks of RunningIncreasing Intensity of Walking
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Benefits of Cardio Exercise
Which Is Better?
Risks of Running
Increasing Intensity of Walking
There are tons ofbenefits of exercisefor physical, mental, and emotional health. But when it comes torunningvs. walking, there’s not much of a difference: both running and walking improve your overall health, and neither exercise is inherently better than the other. When deciding whether running vs. walking is better for you, consider your personal goals.
If you’d like to complete a race or burn the most possible calories, running may be best; whereas walking provides key health benefits and is a low-impact exercise, great for people who havearthritis,knee pain,or other health concerns.
Continue reading to learn more about these two exercises, including walking vs. running for weight loss and calories burned, and thebenefits of walkingon an incline vs. running.
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Cardiovascular exercise is movement that raises your heart rate and gets you breathing a bit heavier than you normally would. There are lots ofbenefits of cardio, including:
Because there are so many benefits, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults get 150 minutes of moderate exercise, like walking, each week. Or, you can aim to get 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, like running or walking.
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Benefits of Running
Running allows you to meet your recommended exercise in about half the amount of time, making it a great choice for people who are tight on time. In addition, running might be a good choice if you’d like to complete a specific race, or become faster and more agile on the sports field.
Running has all of the benefits of cardiovascular exercise listed above, in addition to:
Benefits of Walking
Walking also has the benefits of cardiovascular exercises listed above, in addition to these perks:
Calories Burned Walking vs. RunningRunning burns about 15.1 calories per minute, while walking burns about 8.7 calories per minute for a 160-pound person. A person of that weight will burn 453 calories on a 30-minute run vs. 261 calories on a 30-minute walk.
Calories Burned Walking vs. Running
Running burns about 15.1 calories per minute, while walking burns about 8.7 calories per minute for a 160-pound person. A person of that weight will burn 453 calories on a 30-minute run vs. 261 calories on a 30-minute walk.
Which Is Better: Walking or Running?
Neither is inherently better than the other. Which is right for you will depend on your goals and which activity you enjoy more.
Both walking and running have physical and mental health benefits. They allow you to exercise without special equipment, can give you time in nature (which offers added health benefits), and can provide social opportunities if you walk with a friend or do races with a group.
Running might be the right choice for you if you enjoy higher-intensity exercises. Running allows you to burn more calories per minute, whichmay increase weight loss. One study found that while running and walking both promote weight loss, there was a greater degree of weight loss among people who ran compared to those who walked.
Walking is a great option if you are just starting a fitness routine. Walking is accessible for most people and is a great way to ease into exercise. Because it’s low-impact and less intense than running, it’s a great place to start if you’re beginning.
Although running burns more calories per minute, walking has significant calorie burn too, and can contribute to long-term weight loss and weight management.
Avoiding InjuryWhether you choose walking or running, it’s important to take some precautions to avoid injury, including:Always talk with your healthcare providerbefore starting a new exercise regimen, especially if they’re helping you manage any underlying health concerns.Warm up and cool downbefore and after you exercise.Stretchbefore and after exercise.Wear reflective materialand other safety gear if walking or running outside.Start slowlyand choose a manageable goal and increase your exercise slowly. This will help your body adjust to your new routine and avoid injury.
Avoiding Injury
Whether you choose walking or running, it’s important to take some precautions to avoid injury, including:Always talk with your healthcare providerbefore starting a new exercise regimen, especially if they’re helping you manage any underlying health concerns.Warm up and cool downbefore and after you exercise.Stretchbefore and after exercise.Wear reflective materialand other safety gear if walking or running outside.Start slowlyand choose a manageable goal and increase your exercise slowly. This will help your body adjust to your new routine and avoid injury.
Whether you choose walking or running, it’s important to take some precautions to avoid injury, including:
What’s the Average Time to Run a Mile?
Running is a high-impact, vigorous exercise, so it has more potential for risk than walking does, including:
The best way to avoid injury while running is to start slowly and increase the distance and speed over time.
How to Increase the Intensity of Walking
If you’re already walking and you want to increase the intensity of your workouts, you have many options—not just running. These adjustments can help you step up your workout, without running:
Summary
Whether you want to lose weight or just improve your overall health, walking and running are both great choices. Cardiovascular exercises like these can boost your physical and mental health. Running provides greater calorie burn per minute, while walking is more easily accessible and has fewer risks.
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Edward Elmhurst Health.7 ways your heart benefits from exercise.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Adult activity.Lee DC, Brellenthin AG, Thompson PD, Sui X, Lee IM, Lavie CJ.Running as a key lifestyle medicine for longevity. Prog Cardiovasc Dis. 2017. doi:10.1016/j.pcad.2017.03.005American Council on Exercise.Calorie burners: Exercises that turn up the heat.Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute.Running your way to better bone and brain health.Harvard Health.5 surprising benefits of walking.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Physical activity.Williams PT.Greater weight loss from running than walking during a 6.2-yr prospective follow-up. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2013. DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31827b0d0aNielsen RØ, Parner ET, Nohr EA, Sørensen H, Lind M, Rasmussen S.Excessive progression in weekly running distance and risk of running-related injuries: an association which varies according to type of injury. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2014. DOI: 44(10):739-747.Houston Methodist.The 6 most common running injuries and how to prevent them.Swain DP, Brawner CA.ACSMs Resource Manual for Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2014.
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Edward Elmhurst Health.7 ways your heart benefits from exercise.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Adult activity.Lee DC, Brellenthin AG, Thompson PD, Sui X, Lee IM, Lavie CJ.Running as a key lifestyle medicine for longevity. Prog Cardiovasc Dis. 2017. doi:10.1016/j.pcad.2017.03.005American Council on Exercise.Calorie burners: Exercises that turn up the heat.Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute.Running your way to better bone and brain health.Harvard Health.5 surprising benefits of walking.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Physical activity.Williams PT.Greater weight loss from running than walking during a 6.2-yr prospective follow-up. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2013. DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31827b0d0aNielsen RØ, Parner ET, Nohr EA, Sørensen H, Lind M, Rasmussen S.Excessive progression in weekly running distance and risk of running-related injuries: an association which varies according to type of injury. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2014. DOI: 44(10):739-747.Houston Methodist.The 6 most common running injuries and how to prevent them.Swain DP, Brawner CA.ACSMs Resource Manual for Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2014.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Edward Elmhurst Health.7 ways your heart benefits from exercise.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Adult activity.Lee DC, Brellenthin AG, Thompson PD, Sui X, Lee IM, Lavie CJ.Running as a key lifestyle medicine for longevity. Prog Cardiovasc Dis. 2017. doi:10.1016/j.pcad.2017.03.005American Council on Exercise.Calorie burners: Exercises that turn up the heat.Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute.Running your way to better bone and brain health.Harvard Health.5 surprising benefits of walking.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Physical activity.Williams PT.Greater weight loss from running than walking during a 6.2-yr prospective follow-up. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2013. DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31827b0d0aNielsen RØ, Parner ET, Nohr EA, Sørensen H, Lind M, Rasmussen S.Excessive progression in weekly running distance and risk of running-related injuries: an association which varies according to type of injury. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2014. DOI: 44(10):739-747.Houston Methodist.The 6 most common running injuries and how to prevent them.Swain DP, Brawner CA.ACSMs Resource Manual for Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2014.
Edward Elmhurst Health.7 ways your heart benefits from exercise.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Adult activity.
Lee DC, Brellenthin AG, Thompson PD, Sui X, Lee IM, Lavie CJ.Running as a key lifestyle medicine for longevity. Prog Cardiovasc Dis. 2017. doi:10.1016/j.pcad.2017.03.005
American Council on Exercise.Calorie burners: Exercises that turn up the heat.
Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute.Running your way to better bone and brain health.
Harvard Health.5 surprising benefits of walking.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Physical activity.
Williams PT.Greater weight loss from running than walking during a 6.2-yr prospective follow-up. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2013. DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31827b0d0a
Nielsen RØ, Parner ET, Nohr EA, Sørensen H, Lind M, Rasmussen S.Excessive progression in weekly running distance and risk of running-related injuries: an association which varies according to type of injury. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2014. DOI: 44(10):739-747.
Houston Methodist.The 6 most common running injuries and how to prevent them.
Swain DP, Brawner CA.ACSMs Resource Manual for Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2014.
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