Brisk walking can be almost as challenging as jogging. Why? When walking at speeds faster than 3.1 miles/hour, stride length naturally increases. As we know, a longer stride length is less efficient, requiring more energy to move your legs. This in turn requires more arm and torso movement, leading to increased torso and hip rotation. All of this means higher aerobic demands and more calories being burned. Research has shown that maximal levels of exertion, oxygen consumption, is only slightly lower for race-walkers than for runners and moderate to intense levels of exercise, oxygen consumption levels between race walkers and runners are almost equal. Race-walkers can reach speeds as high as 9 miles/hour! So how do running and walking compare in terms of fitness?
Running is also popular and has an obvious fitness edge over walking. Runners use energy quicker than walkers. So, a runner doesn’t have to exercise as much as a walker to get the same benefits. For some young people walking briskly may not raise their heart up to that 60%-80% target heart rate zone for optimal training. For them running may be a more efficient cardiovascular form of fitness than walking. However, the risks for runners are greater. In particular, risk of injury. Runners face greater risks of strains, sprains, blisters and spurs. The risk factor for runners increases with the frequency and duration of the exercise. Foot to surface impact ratio for running is three to four times your body weight compared to one times your body weight for walking.
The low impact of walking minimizes strain on the feet and joints resulting in fewer walking injuries. The dropout rate from running programs over a two year period is 50% or more compared to only 20% or less for walking.
| Benefits of running and walking | Benefits of running | Benefits of walking | Disadvantages of running | Disadvantages of walking |
| lower blood pressure | Calories are burned quicker | Low impact | High impact | Takes longer to burn calories |
| Lower risk of osteoporosis, cancer and heart disease | Minimum strain | Greater risk of strains, sprains, blisters and spurs | For young people it may not raise heart rate up to 60%-80% target heart rate zone | |
| Improves cholesterol profile | Risk factors increase with frequency and duration | |||
| Fat loss | Dropout rate is 50% or more | |||
| Chance to clear mind |
Certified Stott instructor. Experience with teching, instructing, owning a Pilates studio and meeting people and postures.