Walking vs running/jogging

funkygas
funkygas Posts: 191 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I should know the answer to this, but would love your opinions ...

If I walk the same distance / route as I run/jog, do they burn the same amount of calories, or does one burn more than the other. I know the time taken will be different, as will the exertion level, but in terms of sheer calorie burn, which burns more, or are they equal?

Replies

  • linusr
    linusr Posts: 38 Member
    Running burns more calories than walking. You are working harder and require more fuel.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    I should know the answer to this, but would love your opinions ...

    If I walk the same distance / route as I run/jog, do they burn the same amount of calories, or does one burn more than the other. I know the time taken will be different, as will the exertion level, but in terms of sheer calorie burn, which burns more, or are they equal?

    http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning?page=single
  • aswearingen22
    aswearingen22 Posts: 271 Member
    If you walk or run the same distance, you will burn roughly the same calories. The amount is dependent on your weight. I burn roughly 100 calories per mile, regardless of speed, but will be a little more than that if it's a hilly route.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    If you walk or run the same distance, you will burn roughly the same calories. The amount is dependent on your weight. I burn roughly 100 calories per mile, regardless of speed, but will be a little more than that if it's a hilly route.

    Math says otherwise.
  • Maleficent0241
    Maleficent0241 Posts: 386 Member
    If you walk or run the same distance, you will burn roughly the same calories. The amount is dependent on your weight. I burn roughly 100 calories per mile, regardless of speed, but will be a little more than that if it's a hilly route.

    Everything I have read says otherwise. The speed at which you run doesn't make an appreciable difference on calorie burn per mile, but switching from walking to running does. I would be curious to see how speed walking factors in though (the real, olympic style kind). That is a whole other level of walking...

    Here is one article: http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning

    There is a multitude of factors I have seen cited for the difference - efficiency, gait differences, oxygen consumption differences, etc.
  • cnekniher
    cnekniher Posts: 71 Member
    When I run, I can only do about a mile. When I walk, I do about 4.5. The walking burns more calories for me since I walk father, but the run gets my heart rate up.

    I try and do HIT where I run a little, walk a little. I cant run too far because of my knee, but this helps get me farther and my heart rate up. Its a good compromise.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    If you walk or run the same distance, you will burn roughly the same calories. The amount is dependent on your weight. I burn roughly 100 calories per mile, regardless of speed, but will be a little more than that if it's a hilly route.

    Everything I have read says otherwise. The speed at which you run doesn't make an appreciable difference on calorie burn per mile, but switching from walking to running does. I would be curious to see how speed walking factors in though (the real, olympic style kind). That is a whole other level of walking...

    Here is one article: http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning

    There is a multitude of factors I have seen cited for the difference - efficiency, gait differences, oxygen consumption differences, etc.

    We are talking general calorie burn here...not exact numbers. Say 3 people go 3 miles...person A walks and takes them an hour, person B goes at roughly a 9:30 pace and does it in 30 minutes, and person C is a speedy and finished it in about 21 minutes...all three will have burnt roughly 300 calories. The exact number will vary based on the person's weight, more if over 150 lbs and less if under, but the 100/mile equation is a pretty close ballpark for estimation. There is a reason why that equation is still used amongst runners and running coaches.
  • slinky221
    slinky221 Posts: 2 Member
    If you walk or run the same distance, you will burn roughly the same calories. The amount is dependent on your weight. I burn roughly 100 calories per mile, regardless of speed, but will be a little more than that if it's a hilly route.

    Everything I have read says otherwise. The speed at which you run doesn't make an appreciable difference on calorie burn per mile, but switching from walking to running does. I would be curious to see how speed walking factors in though (the real, olympic style kind). That is a whole other level of walking...

    Here is one article: http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning

    There is a multitude of factors I have seen cited for the difference - efficiency, gait differences, oxygen consumption differences, etc.

    We are talking general calorie burn here...not exact numbers. Say 3 people go 3 miles...person A walks and takes them an hour, person B goes at roughly a 9:30 pace and does it in 30 minutes, and person C is a speedy and finished it in about 21 minutes...all three will have burnt roughly 300 calories. The exact number will vary based on the person's weight, more if over 150 lbs and less if under, but the 100/mile equation is a pretty close ballpark for estimation. There is a reason why that equation is still used amongst runners and running coaches.

    The 100 calories per mile thing might still be used by some, but it is applicable to running only, not walking. In terms of net calories, running burns roughly twice as many calories as walking. So no, person A isn't burning the same as B and C, all other variables being equal of course.
  • MinimalistShoeAddict
    MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
    If you walk or run the same distance, you will burn roughly the same calories. The amount is dependent on your weight. I burn roughly 100 calories per mile, regardless of speed, but will be a little more than that if it's a hilly route.

    Everything I have read says otherwise.

    Here is one article: http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning

    There is a multitude of factors I have seen cited for the difference - efficiency, gait differences, oxygen consumption differences, etc.

    +1

    This "walking burns as much per mile as running" urban legend is believed by many. Unfortunately is causes a lot of people to vastly overestimate their calorie burn from exercise if their most common exercise is walking

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