Running vs. Walking: Which is Better for Lasting Health?
Walking is one of the most popular forms of exercise in the world, and far away the most beloved in the United States. And not without reason: it is simple, accessible and effective. Regular walking lowers the risk of many health problems, including anxiety, depression, diabetes and some cancers.
However, once your body gets used to walking, you may want to increase the pace, says Alyssa Olenick, exercise physiologist and postdoctoral researcher in the energy metabolism laboratory at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
If you can turn even part of your walk into a run, it provides many of the same physical and mental health benefits mentally benefits in much less time. But how much better is running? And how can you turn a walk into a run?
Why walking is good for you
When considering the health benefits of an activity like walking or running, there are two interrelated factors to consider. One of these is the effect of the training on your fitness, that is, how it improves the efficiency of your heart and lungs. The second is the ultimate positive outcome: does it help you live a longer life?
The Golden standard for assessing fitness, VO2 max is a measure of how much oxygen your body uses when you exercise vigorously. It is also a strong one forecaster of lifespan, said Dr. Allison Zielinski, a sports cardiologist at Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute.
Even doing a small amount of activity (such as taking slow steps throughout the day) improves VO2 max slightly compared to staying full establishedThis is evident from a 2021 survey among 2,000 middle-aged men and women. But greater benefits come when you walk faster, which increases your heart and breathing rates.
If you work hard enough that you can still talk but not sing, you’ve gone from light to moderate physical activity. Studies suggest that moderate activity strengthens your heart And creates new mitochondriathat produce fuel for your muscles, Dr. Olenick said.
What makes running even better
How does running compare to walking? For example, it’s more efficient, says Duck-chul Lee, professor of physical activity epidemiology at Iowa State University.
Why? It’s more than the increased speed. Instead of lifting one foot at a time, running involves a series of boundaries. This requires more strength, energy and power than walking, said Dr. Olenick. For many people just starting out, running at any pace – even a slow jog – will make your heart and lungs work harder. That can increase your exertion level to what’s known as vigorous activity, which means you’re breathing so hard that you can only speak a few words at a time.
Federal health care guidelines recommend 150 minutes to 300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, or half as much for vigorous activity. That could indicate that running is twice as good as walking. But when it comes to the most important outcome of longevity, some studies have shown that running is even more effective than that.
In 2011, researchers in Taiwan asked more than 400,000 adults how much vigorous exercise (such as jogging or running) and moderate exercise (such as brisk walking) they did. She found it that regular five-minute running extended the test subjects’ lifespan as much as 15-minute walks. Regular running for 25 minutes and walking for 105 minutes each resulted in an approximately 35 percent lower risk of death over the next eight years.
These figures make sense, given the effect of running on fitness. In a 2014 studydiscovered Dr. Lee and his colleagues found that regular runners – including those who jogged slower than 10 kilometers per hour – were 30 percent fitter than walkers and sedentary people. They also had a 30 percent lower risk of dying over the next 15 years.
Even though he is an enthusiastic proponent of running, Dr. Lee suggested viewing walking and running as a continuum. “The biggest benefit comes when you go from no exercise to a small one,” he said.
Whether you walk or run, consistency is key. But after that, adding at least some vigorous exercise to your routine will increase the benefits.
How to start walking and then run
Running also has its disadvantages. It has a high impact and hard on your connective tissue.
Researchers have myths debunked that running will always destroy your knees, but Short-term injuries are more common among runners then walkers. Easing into walking first gives your body time to adjust, which in turn reduces your risk, said Dr. Bella Mehta, a rheumatologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.
In fact, even experienced runners who take a break need to build back up gradually. “It’s always better to start or increase an exercise program by going slow and low,” said Dr. Zielinski.
If you want to try running for the first time (or return to it), try this progression.
Step 1: Add steps.
Increase your step count, said Dr. Lee. If you haven’t exercised at all, try taking 3,000 extra steps a day first, at least a few days a week.
Step 2: Slowly increase the pace.
Set aside 10 minutes for brisk walking three to four times a week, Dr. Olenick said. Aim for an exertion level of three to five on a scale of 10. Gradually increase the duration until you can stay on your feet for an hour.
Step 3: Sprinkle in running.
As you get fitter, you may find that you need to run even faster to reach a moderate intensity. Once this happens – usually after about a month or two – start adding running and walking intervals. Warm up with a brisk five-minute walk. Then alternate one minute of jogging with three minutes of walking. Repeat this three to five times.
Step 4: Try to run continuously.
Every week or two, increase your running interval and decrease your walking time until you are running continuously.
Consult your doctor first if you are being treated for heart disease or another chronic condition, or if you have symptoms such as chest pain, Dr. Zielinski said. You may need to undergo a stress test or other evaluation before being cleared to undertake vigorous activity.
Those who can’t run (or don’t want to) can increase intensity in other ways, said Dr. Olenick. For example, add a few hills to your walking route and pick up the pace as you climb them. You can jump on a trampoline or try a HIIT workout, on land or in the pool.
Best of all, mix and match: brisk walking or other moderate-intensity exercise on some days, vigorous workouts on others, more steps on days when you can’t exercise.
“Get a little bit of everything every week,” said Dr. Olenick. “It all makes sense.”
Cindy Kuzma is a journalist in Chicago and co-author of “Breakthrough Women’s Running: Dream Big and Train Smart.”