Walking vs Running/Jogging

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jdb3388
jdb3388 Posts: 239 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
When I get home in the evening my wife and I usually go for an hour to hour and fifteen minute long walk that usually ends up being 4 to 5 miles. I usually burn around 600 calories and she normally burns about 300. We've been doing this for a while now and I have lost enough weight to where I can pick up the pace. My wife, however, likes to walk because its peaceful and nice to walk the trail we walk. I enjoy spending the time with her every day, as it is sort of a break from everything else going on. It seems to me like I would get my body in better "condition" by getting used to running, however it seems like I'm going to be burning more calories taking my time and walking. I am still 47 lbs from what I would consider a "happy" weight and 62 lbs from what my true goal is. I would just like everyone's opinion.

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  • lindsey1979
    lindsey1979 Posts: 2,395 Member
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    There are pros and cons to both. Over the same distance or for the same amount of time, you'll burn more total calories running as you're moving at a higher pace. So, that's the upside of running. The upside of walking is that although you'll burn less total calories for equivalent distance/time, you'll burn a higher percentage of fat for the calories you did burn. And, walking is also far less hard on your joints, ligaments, tendons. But, if you want to burn the same amount of overall calories, you'll have to walk further/longer.

    As for enjoyment, that's purely personal. Some love running, some love walking/hiking. I personally prefer to do more walking, but I'm like your wife in that I also really enjoy the experience.

    If you're looking to burn more fat, you might want to consider implementing a weekly or twice weekly sprint routine into your walks. It doesn't take much time and is awesome for fat burning and muscle building (think of how jacked sprinters are). That way you can get awesome benefits from both.

    Here's a good article on it: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/par46.htm
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
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    When I get home in the evening my wife and I usually go for an hour to hour and fifteen minute long walk that usually ends up being 4 to 5 miles. I usually burn around 600 calories and she normally burns about 300. We've been doing this for a while now and I have lost enough weight to where I can pick up the pace. My wife, however, likes to walk because its peaceful and nice to walk the trail we walk. I enjoy spending the time with her every day, as it is sort of a break from everything else going on. It seems to me like I would get my body in better "condition" by getting used to running, however it seems like I'm going to be burning more calories taking my time and walking. I am still 47 lbs from what I would consider a "happy" weight and 62 lbs from what my true goal is. I would just like everyone's opinion.

    After reading half of the marriage sabotage stories in these forums, I say keep walking with your wife and wake up early to run.
  • DrJenO
    DrJenO Posts: 404 Member
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    I'm in a similar place as you, in that I've finally gotten to a place where my 2-3x weekly walks are becoming, not boring per se, but not strenuous enough? Today I did a bit of jogging - every 1/4 of a mile, I would jog for some length of time/distance. At least 3-4 times per mile I did at least some jogging. I was able to finish my 5 miles at a 14:30 pace rather than a 15:30-16:30.

    Doesn't seem like much, but it saved me 15 minutes or so.

    The connection of exercising with your wife is a definite plus, in my book. I wish my husband and I enjoyed the same things as far as fitness - he's a cyclist, which I don't ever see myself doing.

    Maybe one of those days you could go at your own, slightly faster pace, and keep the other day(s) the same.
  • wewon
    wewon Posts: 838 Member
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    When I get home in the evening my wife and I usually go for an hour to hour and fifteen minute long walk that usually ends up being 4 to 5 miles. I usually burn around 600 calories and she normally burns about 300. We've been doing this for a while now and I have lost enough weight to where I can pick up the pace. My wife, however, likes to walk because its peaceful and nice to walk the trail we walk. I enjoy spending the time with her every day, as it is sort of a break from everything else going on. It seems to me like I would get my body in better "condition" by getting used to running, however it seems like I'm going to be burning more calories taking my time and walking. I am still 47 lbs from what I would consider a "happy" weight and 62 lbs from what my true goal is. I would just like everyone's opinion.

    If you're walking 5 days per week (I'm assuming that's your work week) can you run on the weekends or maybe alternate between your walks with your wife?
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
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    When I get home in the evening my wife and I usually go for an hour to hour and fifteen minute long walk that usually ends up being 4 to 5 miles. I usually burn around 600 calories and she normally burns about 300. We've been doing this for a while now and I have lost enough weight to where I can pick up the pace. My wife, however, likes to walk because its peaceful and nice to walk the trail we walk. I enjoy spending the time with her every day, as it is sort of a break from everything else going on. It seems to me like I would get my body in better "condition" by getting used to running, however it seems like I'm going to be burning more calories taking my time and walking. I am still 47 lbs from what I would consider a "happy" weight and 62 lbs from what my true goal is. I would just like everyone's opinion.

    After reading half of the marriage sabotage stories in these forums, I say keep walking with your wife and wake up early to run.

    second this. if you enjoy your walks with your wife then continue doing them. add a light run on the weekends or early morning.
  • jdb3388
    jdb3388 Posts: 239 Member
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    I have been seriously considering getting up of the morning and going for about a 20-30 minute jog and then still doing the hour walk with my wife in the evening. The weather lately has made it tough to get into that though, it's still really cold in the morning when I wake up. It's not that my body is cold, it's just the wind on my face makes for chapped lips and a runny nose and it is important to me, but its not so important to me that I will go through that when I can just wait a month and temperatures will be more suiting.

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