Walking burns more calories than running ?!?

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alexiscastro_805
alexiscastro_805 Posts: 10 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I recently heard walking burns more fat calories than running does . Is this true ? I am trying to lose weight and would like to know if this is true ? And also I love working out on the eliptical. Which ones would help me burn more fat to lose weight
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  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    For the same amount of time? No.

    For the same amount of distance? No.

    If you walk 4x as long as you run? About the same.
  • alexiscastro_805
    alexiscastro_805 Posts: 10 Member
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    Hello I'm sorry I can't view your comment it looks like your comment has jail bars on it
  • arussell134
    arussell134 Posts: 463 Member
    edited March 2015
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    From what I understand, when you walk more calories that you burn come from fat versus running. So, it has to do with the % of calories burned, NOT the total number. You will most certainly burn more calories when you run than walk. (And let's keep apples to apples here - not a hike up a mountain vs running at a snail's pace - let's imagine the same 1 or 2 mile path walked vs ran).

    I ran today for 28 minutes and burned well over 300 calories. At my weight of 131 lbs, I would not have burned half that had I spent that same amount of time walking. HTH.

  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    arussell134 wrote: »
    From what I understand, when you walk more calories that you burn come from fat.

    NO.


  • arussell134
    arussell134 Posts: 463 Member
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    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    arussell134 wrote: »
    From what I understand, when you walk more calories that you burn come from fat.

    NO.


    I may not be articulating this well. :) You would absolutely burn more calories OVERALL running than walking (which would basically mean, more fat calories burned running than walking). I agree with your initial comment.

    I give up trying to explain it. It makes sense in my head, but I got no energy. Maybe someone else that understands what I'm getting at can say it. Sorry, I'm out.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    edited March 2015
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    alexiscastro_805 wrote: »
    Hello I'm sorry I can't view your comment it looks like your comment has jail bars on it

    Oh goodness! I have never read the forums from mobile before. On the website only the poster's profile pic is in jail, not the whole post! That is too funny.

    Here's the quote of what Mr_Knight said:
    For the same amount of time? No.

    For the same amount of distance? No.

    If you walk 4x as long as you run? About the same.

    My suggestion would be to do whatever exercise you enjoy. The exercise that burns the most calories for you is the one you will actually do. If you hate running and will only do it once a month, but enjoy weight training and will do it three times a week. The weight training will burn more, because you are doing it. Before someone gets all pedantic about it, in an equal time session to session comparison running will burn more.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    I love walking and dislike running so for me it's true, because I will do the former

    And you don't burn enough extra calories running to make the difference, and shin splints, worthwhile

    Table A: Calories Burned Per 1-Mile Walk vs 1-Mile Run For A 156-lb Subject

    WALK* RUN**
    CALS/MILE 88.9 112.5
    CALS/MINUTE 4.78 11.25
    AFTER-BURN/MILE. 21.7 46.1
    NEW TOTAL/MILE 110.6 158.6
    CALS/MINUTE 5.95 15.86
    * one mile walk in 18:36; ** one mile run in 10:00

    http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/running-v-walking-how-many-calories-will-you-burn

    Thing is I would run for far less time than I would walk so overall, for me, walking wins
  • BruceHedtke
    BruceHedtke Posts: 358 Member
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    It depends on how you break down your workout. If you look at it from a time perspective, all things being equal, running for an hour will burn considerably more calories than walking for an hour. If it's a distance perspective, say you'll either walk a mile or run a mile, the difference isn't that great. The bigger advantage to running a mile versus walking is the time saved.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    Very fast walking burns more calories per minute than slow running. So, if you are at a speed where you could either walk fast or start to jog, walking burns more calories (I do not have the link, I remember reading an analysis somewhere at runnersworld. A comfortable walking pace burns less calories per minute than a comfortable running pace.
  • lindaloo1213
    lindaloo1213 Posts: 283 Member
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    aggelikik wrote: »
    Very fast walking burns more calories per minute than slow running. So, if you are at a speed where you could either walk fast or start to jog, walking burns more calories (I do not have the link, I remember reading an analysis somewhere at runnersworld. A comfortable walking pace burns less calories per minute than a comfortable running pace.

    This is how I understood it as well.

  • alexiscastro_805
    alexiscastro_805 Posts: 10 Member
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    Thank you everyone for your advice and perspectives ! And the main reasons why I was concerned was because when I read about that walking was better for fat burning calories was because they said that running just burns carbs only . But I plan to just keep my cardio mixed up and still work out with weights .
  • alexiscastro_805
    alexiscastro_805 Posts: 10 Member
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    Lol and yes mr.knights posts on my mobile phone show the whole post In jail . Aww
  • MamaMollyT
    MamaMollyT Posts: 197 Member
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    I can burn 1000 calories in an hour running 8 min miles. Walking for an hour will burn about 350ish. No comparison really. Even at a slow pace running you can burn 600/hr.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    MamaMollyT wrote: »
    I can burn 1000 calories in an hour running 8 min miles. Walking for an hour will burn about 350ish. No comparison really. Even at a slow pace running you can burn 600/hr.

    ummm.. measured how?
  • dammitjanet0161
    dammitjanet0161 Posts: 319 Member
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    aggelikik wrote: »
    Very fast walking burns more calories per minute than slow running. So, if you are at a speed where you could either walk fast or start to jog, walking burns more calories (I do not have the link, I remember reading an analysis somewhere at runnersworld. A comfortable walking pace burns less calories per minute than a comfortable running pace.

    This. I'm pretty sure the stuff about slower pace being "fat burning mode" is outdated.
  • snovej
    snovej Posts: 14 Member
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    When running for an hour I burn about 700 calories at a pace of about 10 min/mile. This is according to my Garmin watch with a heart rate monitor. I don't really know about walking though as a comparison.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    edited March 2015
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    alexiscastro_805 wrote: »
    So I recently heard walking burns more fat calories than running does .

    So there's quite a confusing mix of messages in the thread, but broadly exercising at different intensities does have a very minor effect on the sources of fuel used at different points.

    A slightly higher proportion of the energy expended at lower intensities can be drawn from fat stores, rather than directly from glycogen. However what you're interested in is the gross effect on weight loss and composition.

    Whilst a slightly higher proportion of the calories expended in walking could be from fat stores, the total energy expended in walking is significantly lower than in higher intensity training, such as running. So a slightly larger proportion of a smaller energy expenditure is still a smaller total than a lower proportion of a relatively high number. The difference in where the energy is drawn from is dwarved by the fact that running can burn up to 50% more energy than walking.

    In practice it depends on what you enjoy, and how much time you have available.

    From my own perspective, I can comfortably run for three hours, and walk at a reasonable clip for more than that. I'm not going to commit that kind of time to burning calories, but I will commit it to endurance training, or hillwalking, because I enjoy it.

    If you're time limiting your training to an hour of CV work, then you get much more calorie expenditure, aerobic effect and load bearing effect from running than walking. No question. But if you're not conditioned to run for an hour, then you've got a higher risk of injuring yourself as a result of poor form, or general lack of preparedness. As upthread, if you don't spend time on your running form then injuries like shin splints are a real possibility. They're not difficult to avoid though.

    You still get more effect on retention of lean mass from resistance training of some kind.

  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    MamaMollyT wrote: »
    I can burn 1000 calories in an hour running 8 min miles. Walking for an hour will burn about 350ish. No comparison really. Even at a slow pace running you can burn 600/hr.

    That's not really the point of the question though, it's about relative proportions of fat and glycogen stores.

    Notwithstanding that I'd agree on 1000 cals, if you're talking about a callenging trail route. Not for a dreadmill or pavement.

  • MamaMollyT
    MamaMollyT Posts: 197 Member
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    I live in Japan so there is a mountain in every direction. There is nowhere flat to run here so yes the 1000 calories is based on my route, speed and hrm. If you want to get stronger and be able to burn more calories then you run (if you are able). Period. Walking is not ever going to beat out running for weight loss unless you walk all day. If you run slowly keep running. You will go faster, get stronger and burn more and more calories as you gain speed and strength. There are lots of great ways to lose weight but if we are comparing walking and running, go run!
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Running is not the only exercise that makes one stronger and burn more

    Personally I prefer a mix of walking and progressive weight training

    I will never run because I hate it - although others will because they love it

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