Walk or Run?

moakley
moakley Posts: 7
edited September 26 in Fitness and Exercise
Which is better for you, as far as burning calories and losing weight, walking or running? I have been walking 3 miles just about every day, on a trail in the woods by my house. It usually takes me about 50-60 minutes depending on how much snow we have had this winter. I love walking, and I take my labs with me, so they love it too, but I would not mind stepping it up and trying to at least run part of it. It's just that I really don't like running that much and am wondering if there is a lot of difference between the two in losing weight. If there is not, I would just stick with walking. Any suggestions, please let me know.

Replies

  • bcpie
    bcpie Posts: 89
    My boyfriend swears on running but it only tires me out and makes me hungry..lol. I'm definitely a walker and I can certainly get thinner because of it.
  • damonmath
    damonmath Posts: 359 Member
    Walking can burn more fat if you are in your bodies Heart Rate zone for fat loss.

    Running will more burn calories in a shorter amount of time, but can be mostly energy burn versus fat burn...

    I stopped walking in favor of running after I reached my goal weight.
  • hmorehouse
    hmorehouse Posts: 1 Member
    You burn the same number of calories if you walk a mile or run it. So if that is all you care about walk it is great exercise. Running will make your heart and lungs stronger and it would take you less time. I just started running this year and I have to say it was no fun in the beginning. I am four month into it now and I am really starting it crave my runs and missing them when I can't.
  • nuttyfamily
    nuttyfamily Posts: 3,394 Member
    I used to walk up to four miles a day at around 4.5 mph. I finally felt like I needed somethng 'more'. I could only walk so fast and push myself so much while I walk.

    I lost an additional ten pounds by changing over to running.

    I started last August and that is the first I have run ever in my life. I was the one in high school to walk the presidential fitness one mile test. I am 42.

    I did the C25K program and can now run for an hour at a time.

    It is not necessarily true that you burn the same amount of calories in a one mile walk as a one mile run. All the calculators I have used and my HRM show I burn on average 25 to 50 more calories per mile when running.
  • arc918
    arc918 Posts: 2,037 Member
    you can't go wrong with either of them

    perhaps do some of each

    once you build up your running endurance, there is a really nice freedom to strapping on your shoes and heading out to run for an hour or two or three - I run long every Saturday (usually 15 - 20 miles) it is my favorite run of the week
  • moakley
    moakley Posts: 7
    Thank you everyone. That gives me some more information, and is very helpful!
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
    If you do a spell of endurance run training your body will adapt to burning mostly fat at increasingly fast running speeds. So, at that point you would be able to burn over twice as many fat calories in an hour.
  • Clonekuh
    Clonekuh Posts: 92 Member
    You should do whichever one you prefer because you're more likely to actually do it.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    There isn't a huge huge difference in the number of cals burned per mile, some, but not massive. It takes a lot longer to walk that far, though! I don't have time to walk 10k every day.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories