You may have heard that running or walking one mile burns the same number of calories, despite the difference in exercise, but this is not true. So let’s settle this ongoing debate, once and for all. Experts recommend adults do two types of activity each week – moderate intensity aerobics and muscle strengthening, but they now understand that calories burned by either activity are impacted by many factors.
Turns out, the distance itself isn’t really involved with the total calories you burn with a walk or run. How long you exercise, how fast/hard the session is, your starting weight and your fitness level are all involved in the number of calories you’ll burn. If you’re looking for a realistic idea of calorie burn, a good rule of thumb is that one minute of vigorous intensity exercise is almost the same as 2 minutes of moderate intensity exercise.
You do burn fewer calories when you workout at a lower intensity rate, BUT if you exercise for longer, in some cases, you might burn the same number of calories from a walk compared to a run. Exercising at a more intense level burns more calories per minute and this is more important than the distance you go. What’s more, if you weigh more, you burn more calories during the same workout than someone who weighs less. And if you’re more fit, you burn fewer calories during the workout but you burn m ore calories from fat when you are in good shape.
So, what experts can say is that a more intense workout (running) is a more efficient form of exercise, yet many people are not able to run due to an injury or arthritis. If this is you, workout as intensely as you can, but keep in mind that you’ll have to exercise for longer to burn that same amount of calories.
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Which Burns More Calories, Running Or Walking? Continued…
To up the intensity of a walk, try walking on an incline or alternate running and walking. These is a smart approach for those who are ready to move to a more intense program, or are looking to improve their overall fitness levels but do not want to choose another form of exercise.
Both moderate and intense levels of activity are of value. The activity recommendations for adults are 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a week OR 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week, in addition to any strength training you do. Walking and running are equally popular among American adults, and both are great ways to improve your health and fitness. If you’re looking for weight loss, running wins hands down, especially if you keep running as you age.
This is not to say that vigorous exercise is the only thing you need to do to lose weight. Or that running is the only exercise of the right intensity that you might try. Swimming and cycling are also fantastic options. All this is for nothing if you’re also not watching your calorie intake in order to drop unwanted pounds. Remember too, that moderate exercise, like slower walking, gardening and the like are also good for you. Any exercise you do is better than none at all.
To your good health,