So what’s better, walking or jogging for fat loss / weight loss in general? We put our theories to the test and compressed our findings into this brief & easy to understand post just for you!
Is Walking or Running Better:
When it comes to walking / jogging / running, all are excellent forms of cardio (cardiovascular exercise). No one is “better” over the others. It’s all going to come down to what your personal health and overall fitness goals are.
Running – Burns more calories and can lose weight fast
Walking – Perfect activity to create / maintain a healthy weight
What Is Cardiovascular Exercise:
Cardiovascular exercise, also referred to as “Cardio” is really any exercise that elevates / raises your heart rate. It’s quite common for people to focus on the use of cardio as a method to achieve weight loss but cardio can come in many forms:
Walking – Jogging – Swimming – Soccer – Basketball – Frisbee
— Also, think less fitness-related —
Common Housework – “Sex” – Playing with your dog – Cutting the grass
Cardio exercise requires the use of oxygen during your workout session. That’s what sets it apart from movements like some light strength-focused exercise where your heart rate doesn’t reach up into any fat burning zones / levels. That’s what makes walking or jogging for fat loss / weight loss such a great plan!
Benefits of Cardio:
So walking, jogging, and running are all great cardio exercises for your health! There’s really not too many other types of exercise that can create all the great benefits that cardio-based workouts can. Some of the key benefits of cardio are:
- Strengthens your heart
- Helps lose weight by burning fat and calories
- Increases stamina
- Helps prevent / manage chronic health conditions
- Gives your immune systems a BOOST
Should I Start Walking or Running:
We get it! You want to lose weight like yesterday, but we also don’t want you to get injured resulting in lots of laying on the couch eating Ben & Jerrys. Don’t get us wrong, we LOVE ice cream here at Race2BFit, but we “highly” recommend you start an exercise program that’s at your current level of fitness.
If you’re carrying a bit more “cargo” then you’d like to admit, running may be a bit more stressful on your bodies joints & muscles. Walking can inhibit very similar results to jogging or running, but just in different amounts. For example, Healthline has a wonderful example of calories burned when both walking and running:
Compare the average calories burned for a 73kg (161lb) woman when doing the following exercise:
- 1 hour walking
- 5km/h – 317 calories
- 7km/h – 374 calories
- 30 minutes running
- 9km/h – 365 calories
- 12km/h – 423 calories
- 15km/h – 603 calories
So yes, you’ll see faster results when running BUT you can start out by walking, and then slowly start to walk faster until you’re at a slow jog. Also, it’s key to know what to do post-run as it’s not the best to just stop right at your door, pop off the shoes and collapse on the couch.
The sooner you can learn to enjoy a good jog / run, the sooner you can really start to see the bodily changes and weight loss overall
Can I Do Too Much Cardio:
Too much of a good thing is actually a thing. Too much cardio exercise in a short period of time can actually have adverse effects or you could also increase your chances of getting injured!
Weight Loss – 300 Minutes of Moderate-Intensity activities / week
Maintain a Healthy Weight – 100-300 Minutes of Moderate-Intensity activities / week
General Health – 30 Minutes per day, 5-days per week of Moderate-Intensity activity
The American Heart Association defines Moderate-Intensity activities where your heart beats faster and you’ll breathe harder than normal. Yet, you’ll still be able to talk as this is an important factor to show how hard you’re working:
- brisk walking (at least 2.5 miles per hour)
- walking up or down small hills
- water aerobics
- dancing (ballroom or social)
- gardening
- tennis (doubles)
- biking slower than 10 miles per hour
Can I Enjoy Cardio:
At the end of the day, the best exercise is going to be the one you stick with and see through until, and after, you meet your goals!
Our best recommendation to help you win your race would be to go out and try different things / activities that maybe you’ve not done before to see how hard they can get you breathing.
As with anything new and challenging, it’s going to take a little bit of time for your body to get used to so please be patient. Don’t rush into something too hard or your body will force you to take a break, usually by getting injured, which is no fun!
