Walking vs. Running

You already know that any movement you do gives your mood a big boost and makes a big difference in your weight loss efforts.

There’s no shortage of ways to move your body, but you may be wondering if your time is better spent walking or running?

Either one is good, but which one is better?

Consider These Statistics For A Person Who Weighs 155 Lbs.

When it comes to only how many calories you burn per hour, running is the better workout. Your exact calorie burn depends on how much you weigh and how fast you run, but running expends more energy.

Burning Calories Comparison

Want an idea of the difference in calorie burn between running and walking?

  • Running 30 minutes at 5 miles per hour burns 298 calories
  • Running 30 minutes at 6 miles per hour burns 372 calories
  • Running 30 minutes at 7.5 miles per hour burns 465 calories
  • Walking 30 minutes at 3.5 miles per hour burns 149 calories
  • Walking 30 minutes at 4 miles per hour burns 167 calories
  • Walking 30 minutes at 4.5 miles per hour burns 186 calories

Though running clearly provides a greater impact on how many calories are burned, that doesn’t mean that doing it is easy

Depending on your physical condition, running for 30 minutes (or longer) may be out of the question.

So, does that mean that you have to walk for more than an hour in order to get the same amount of impact?

The Good News is there’s another option.

It’s called High-Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT.

High-Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT

Studies have shown that by going back and forth between walking and running you can eliminate the need to run long distances and still get a big effect.

How does HIIT work?

HIIT workout has you doing a hard workout for a very short period of time, then resting while still doing something active. That means that you get your heart rate way up, and then you recover and catch your breath, then do it again.

When you ask your body to push itself you create a brief oxygen shortage. When your body recovers, you take in more oxygen to make up for the loss.

The Result – You Burn More Fat

Studies have shown that a HIIT workout can burn more calories in a shorter period of time as a result of the EPOC effect.

There are a lot of other advantages to doing a HIIT workout.

Besides a better fat burn, it also boosts your metabolism for as long as 48 hours after your workout. It takes less time than a regular workout and you don’t need any expensive equipment.


Photo of author

Stevie Compango, CNSC, CPT

Stevie is Certified Nutrition Specialist and Certified Personal Trainer for the past 10 years. He specializes in mobility and chronic pain management. His methods have helped thousands of clients improve the quality of their life through movement.

Recommended Articles

Sources

  • Danette May, America's Leading Healthy Lifestyle Expert. Do THIS to burn 9X more fat. https://danettemay.com/how-hiit-really-works-to-get-lean-muscle-and-sexy-abs-2/