Running vs. Walking

RawVeganFlirt
RawVeganFlirt Posts: 189 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Assuming you are going the same speed for the same amount of time, which is better for fat loss? And which burns more calories?
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Replies

  • jtgilfoy
    jtgilfoy Posts: 25 Member
    How could you run at walking speed? The question doesn't make sense to me.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Running would. With running, you are making a lot of small, one legged jumps in the air.
  • RawVeganFlirt
    RawVeganFlirt Posts: 189 Member
    speed walking
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    How could you run at walking speed? The question doesn't make sense to me.

    ^ This.

    4.0mph = fast walking
    5.0mph = jogging
    6.0mph = running

    The faster you go the more calories you burn per minute.
  • RawVeganFlirt
    RawVeganFlirt Posts: 189 Member
    Running would. With running, you are making a lot of small, one legged jumps in the air.

    omggg didn't think about that, but it does make sense! thanks :)
  • RawVeganFlirt
    RawVeganFlirt Posts: 189 Member
    and yes you can walk at running speed, i do it all the time on the treadmill. which is why i'm wondering which is better :p
  • Shadowsan
    Shadowsan Posts: 365 Member
    Assuming you are going the same speed for the same amount of time, which is better for fat loss? And which burns more calories?

    Generally, walking at slow speeds. This changes as the speed goes up to running, because of more muscle contractions.

    Running predominantly requires faster twitch muscle fibres to fire - even when going slowly. Fast twitch muscle fibres predominantly use ATP stores and/or lactic acid system to provide energy... Whereas walking at the same speed is primarily a slow twitch muscle fibre contraction, which predominantly uses the aerobic system for energy.

    And what you'll find is that after walking at slowly improving speeds, your aerobic system improves which should allow you to begin running - which will in turn use those trained slow twitch muscle fibres, burning more fat per muscle contraction down the line.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    and yes you can walk at running speed, i do it all the time on the treadmill. which is why i'm wondering which is better :p

    What running speed do you walk at?
  • RawVeganFlirt
    RawVeganFlirt Posts: 189 Member
    and yes you can walk at running speed, i do it all the time on the treadmill. which is why i'm wondering which is better :p

    What running speed do you walk at?

    5.0
  • RawVeganFlirt
    RawVeganFlirt Posts: 189 Member
    Assuming you are going the same speed for the same amount of time, which is better for fat loss? And which burns more calories?

    Generally, walking at slow speeds. This changes as the speed goes up to running, because of more muscle contractions.

    Running predominantly requires faster twitch muscle fibres to fire - even when going slowly. Fast twitch muscle fibres predominantly use ATP stores and/or lactic acid system to provide energy... Whereas walking at the same speed is primarily a slow twitch muscle fibre contraction, which predominantly uses the aerobic system for energy.

    And what you'll find is that after walking at slowly improving speeds, your aerobic system improves which should allow you to begin running - which will in turn use those trained slow twitch muscle fibres, burning more fat per muscle contraction down the line.


    oooh i love when people get scientific :) good info thanks!
  • Shadowsan
    Shadowsan Posts: 365 Member
    and yes you can walk at running speed, i do it all the time on the treadmill. which is why i'm wondering which is better :p

    What running speed do you walk at?

    5.0

    km/h or mph?

    If that's mph... That's 12 min mile pace. How can women walk that fast?!?!? It only ever seems to be women who can do it. It's like an innate talent that women have - especially when they're angry at something. I don't get it.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    and yes you can walk at running speed, i do it all the time on the treadmill. which is why i'm wondering which is better :p

    What running speed do you walk at?

    5.0

    In that case, I would think the walking might burn a higher percentage of the burn from fat vs. jogging... but you may burn more calories overall with jogging. Have you compared your HR during both exercises?
  • ceefin
    ceefin Posts: 16
    I've just started running and I'm finding it so frustrating that I have to keep the speed way down while I'm learning. My best power walking speed over a usual 10 mile route is 4.7mph. My running speed at the moment is about 4.5mph and I can only run for about 20mins which is only about 100 calories burned. However I can walk at 4.5mph for up to 4 hours every weekend and that's a LOT of calories (my average burned is about 850) for a lot less effort
  • RawVeganFlirt
    RawVeganFlirt Posts: 189 Member
    and yes you can walk at running speed, i do it all the time on the treadmill. which is why i'm wondering which is better :p

    What running speed do you walk at?

    5.0

    km/h or mph?

    If that's mph... That's 12 min mile pace. How can women walk that fast?!?!? It only ever seems to be women who can do it. It's like an innate talent that women have - especially when they're angry at something. I don't get it.

    lmao i don't know but i definitely out walk every damn person on the sidewalk even though i'm only 5'2 ;p
    did you see the olympic event called race walking??? its soooooo f*ckin funny all the girls look like they're waddling penguins
  • I_wanna_live
    I_wanna_live Posts: 227 Member
    I would guess running.... but I have a question... pertaining to the same thing, sorta...

    I just recently started to run, (doing a version of "The Beginning Runner's Handbook: The Proven 13-Week Walk-Run Program by Ian MacNeill" program ) more like jogging at slow speeds... That being said, how is it possible to jog slower than you walk?

    I ask cause today, I timed myself for the first time. And a walk that normally takes 40 minutes for me to do, took me an hour :noway:
  • Shadowsan
    Shadowsan Posts: 365 Member
    and yes you can walk at running speed, i do it all the time on the treadmill. which is why i'm wondering which is better :p

    What running speed do you walk at?

    5.0

    In that case, I would think the walking might burn a higher percentage of the burn from fat vs. jogging... but you may burn more calories overall with jogging. Have you compared your HR during both exercises?

    Also - be aware of your HR. Once you go over a percentage that the number eludes me at this particular moment in time... 75% maybe? Your body stops burning calories aerobically (i.e. burning fat) and panics and goes into the anaerobic system/lactic acid system which will feel pretty uncomfortable. It'll burn off calories, but it's not targeting specifically fat.

    Edit - Spot the dude who studied sports science for 4 years :S
  • RawVeganFlirt
    RawVeganFlirt Posts: 189 Member
    and yes you can walk at running speed, i do it all the time on the treadmill. which is why i'm wondering which is better :p

    What running speed do you walk at?

    5.0

    In that case, I would think the walking might burn a higher percentage of the burn from fat vs. jogging... but you may burn more calories overall with jogging. Have you compared your HR during both exercises?

    at that speed my heart rate is around 170 , i feel like i'm working much harder and breathing much faster while i'm walking though
  • SilkyHotspur
    SilkyHotspur Posts: 233 Member
    here is my typical answer.....it covers the benefits of simply walking ...and in addition, my last biggest loser contest, the winner walked only and lost 33lbs in 2 months, and 6% body fat. He walked about 60 miles per week....and obviously several long walks on weekends.


    23 and 1/2 hours: What is the single best thing we can do for our health?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaInS6HIGo&noredirect=1
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    and yes you can walk at running speed, i do it all the time on the treadmill. which is why i'm wondering which is better :p
    If you're walking, you are not at running speed. It's relative to the individual. Running burns more calories for the same distance as walking.
  • RawVeganFlirt
    RawVeganFlirt Posts: 189 Member
    and yes you can walk at running speed, i do it all the time on the treadmill. which is why i'm wondering which is better :p

    What running speed do you walk at?

    5.0

    In that case, I would think the walking might burn a higher percentage of the burn from fat vs. jogging... but you may burn more calories overall with jogging. Have you compared your HR during both exercises?

    Also - be aware of your HR. Once you go over a percentage that the number eludes me at this particular moment in time... 75% maybe? Your body stops burning calories aerobically (i.e. burning fat) and panics and goes into the anaerobic system/lactic acid system which will feel pretty uncomfortable. It'll burn off calories, but it's not targeting specifically fat.

    Edit - Spot the dude who studied sports science for 4 years :S



    ohh maybe i should slow down then, 75% for me would be 150 but i'm closer to 170 when i'm doing cardio
  • Shadowsan
    Shadowsan Posts: 365 Member
    At the end of the day it's all calories that have to be replenished somewhere...

    ...It's more specifically how you feel at the time and afterwards that needs to be managed. Pretty hard to continue to exercise if you're aching like crazy because your muscles are full of lactic acid... And not only that but it'll more than likely put you off.

    A lot of people say no pain no gain, but the honest answer is a little pain is good - but past a certain point and you're only harming your progress.
  • Vansy
    Vansy Posts: 419 Member
    I would guess running.... but I have a question... pertaining to the same thing, sorta...

    I just recently started to run, (doing a version of "The Beginning Runner's Handbook: The Proven 13-Week Walk-Run Program by Ian MacNeill" program ) more like jogging at slow speeds... That being said, how is it possible to jog slower than you walk?

    I ask cause today, I timed myself for the first time. And a walk that normally takes 40 minutes for me to do, took me an hour :noway:


    Your body has to work differently/harder to jog than to walk. Not to mention different muscles are being used, so you need to condition them.
    I'm sure when you started walking you weren't as fast as you are today, or couldn't walk as far as you could today at that speed? -- Thinking of starting to jog/run as a brand-new exercise, you just have to start small and increase slowly and you'll be jogging faster in no time.
  • froeschli
    froeschli Posts: 1,292 Member
    I would guess running.... but I have a question... pertaining to the same thing, sorta...

    I just recently started to run, (doing a version of "The Beginning Runner's Handbook: The Proven 13-Week Walk-Run Program by Ian MacNeill" program ) more like jogging at slow speeds... That being said, how is it possible to jog slower than you walk?

    I ask cause today, I timed myself for the first time. And a walk that normally takes 40 minutes for me to do, took me an hour :noway:

    I did that program too - until i fell and had to quit for a while...
    anyhow, like the poster before me mentioned - you have to get used to using your running muscles. also, breathing is slightly different.
    as it once was explained to me: with walking, you have 2 feet on the ground - one pushes, and if you're efficient, the other actually pulls you forward at the same time. running, you have only one foot on the ground, so you have to propel yourself forward harder...
  • drgndancer
    drgndancer Posts: 426 Member
    and yes you can walk at running speed, i do it all the time on the treadmill. which is why i'm wondering which is better :p
    If you're walking, you are not at running speed. It's relative to the individual. Running burns more calories for the same distance as walking.

    Obviously you've never seen really good walkers. The world class speed walkers can do 6 or 7 minute miles just walking. That's faster than my running pace and I'm considered an average runner with an 8 minute mile pace. I definetely finish in the top third of most races I do. Most people can't walk that fast of course, any more than most runner can manage a 4 minute mile at 5k, but it's definetely possible to walk very fast. Hell someone above you just posted that she walks faster than she runs, and finds it frustrating. The difference between walking and running is not speed. It's whether your feet ever completely leave the ground.

    A running gait means that you have a point in your stride where both feet leave the ground, you're essentially making a series of very small leaps. A walking gait means at least one foot is always on the ground. Granted, for most people it's easier to go faster by running, but you can get very fast with a walking gait. In the extreme cases faster than most of us will ever run. There's a substantial overlap between about 4 and 5 mph where it's probably questionable for a person of average size and fitness which gait is more efficient.
  • tragicpixie
    tragicpixie Posts: 71
    I walk at running speeds because I used to be a professional canvasser - if you're going to hit 120 houses a day in rural NH you better learn to hustle. :)

    However I remember a coach in high school making a big point that women runners have to work on form to get good speeds. It has to do with how women's hips are curved and we tend not to make the most efficient running movements. However, when walking I use my glutes a lot more than I do running - and my glutes are pretty strong.
  • I_wanna_live
    I_wanna_live Posts: 227 Member
    Hell someone above you just posted that HE walks faster than HE runs, and finds it frustrating.

    I fixed the mistakes
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    and yes you can walk at running speed, i do it all the time on the treadmill. which is why i'm wondering which is better :p

    To walk at a true runner's pace is extremely awkward. I generally can't walk on the treadmill at a speed of over 4.0 or 4.5.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    Assuming you are going the same speed for the same amount of time, which is better for fat loss? And which burns more calories?

    Generally, walking at slow speeds. This changes as the speed goes up to running, because of more muscle contractions.

    Running predominantly requires faster twitch muscle fibres to fire - even when going slowly. Fast twitch muscle fibres predominantly use ATP stores and/or lactic acid system to provide energy... Whereas walking at the same speed is primarily a slow twitch muscle fibre contraction, which predominantly uses the aerobic system for energy.


    I thought the ADP/ATP cycle was aerobic. Must find my old notes :p
  • alli_baba
    alli_baba Posts: 232 Member
    The world class speed walkers can do 6 or 7 minute miles just walking.
    After watching the Olympics race walking events and seeing the 7 mph speeds, I was motivated to give it a try. I've been running for over 20 years and I think I'm pretty fast and in good shape.

    I couldn't even race walk for one mile! It's super hard. It's a very inefficient movement (at least for me) as your front leg has to be straight, both feet can't leave the ground at the same time, and you strike from your heel. Granted I was trying to keep a 6 mph pace (probably not ideal for my first try), but I had to have running "breaks" just to give myself a rest.

    I wouldn't be surprised a bit if race walking burns more calories (due to the inefficiency of the movement) than running at the same speed.
  • drgndancer
    drgndancer Posts: 426 Member
    Mea culpa, but a picture would help :smile:

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