Running and walking are natural and very healthy activities that can be practiced at almost any age. But it is very important to take into account the degree of intensity that is put to the exercise, the greater the intensity, energy consumption, caloric expenditure, oxygen spending will always be higher, which will result in maintaining an ideal weight, having better physical conditions and therefore good comprehensive health.
One of the sporting practices par excellence, and also for millennials, is running, a sport that has become fashionable especially because of the amount of benefits it brings to the body, but not only physically but also mentally. Likewise, another of the terms that is also growing is that of Power Walking or Smart Walking, which is nothing more than the literal translation of walking at a good pace, accelerated, and it is proven that its benefits can become even greater than those of running if practiced correctly.
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But let’s go in the second, it’s important to know first what the benefits and contraindications of each of these sports practices are in order to come to the conclusion which of the two could be better than the other. Although actually, when you arrive at the end of this article you will be able to decide on it, as determining that it is better, whether to run or walk, will depend on many factors in the process.
Benefits and Contraindications of Walking
When it comes to power walking or walking fast, it’s a perfect exercise for those people who don’t like to run or who may not be able to do it for a health condition. It provides many benefits for the people who practice it, and among them stand out:
– Decreases blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels
– Helps improve the immune system
– Helps control sugar levels, helping in the prevention of diabetes
– Tone many muscles, especially those of the lower body, such as calves, thighs, and buttocks
– By keeping the metabolism quite active, it helps burn many calories, as well as destress us, improving our mood.
A large study published in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, showed that, using the same energy expenditure, it reduces the risk of hypertension by 4.2% while walking by 7.2%. Regarding the risk of high cholesterol, running is a 4.3% reduction in that risk, and walking by a 7% reduction. In terms of heart disease, running reduces the risk by 4.5 per cent and walking by 9.3 per cent. That is, in all cases, walking is much more beneficial than running. And, in addition, it produces less wear and risk of injury.
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Although walking fast is not synonymous with running as some may think, it is true that walking has a minor impact on joints, yet, they are exercises that are not exclusive to each other, but on the contrary complement each other. A person who does not suffer from any injury or limiting physical condition can perfectly combine both exercises to achieve even better results.
It is very important to know that, although running may bring some risks, walking too, because poorly performed the exercise, can lead some problems in the lumbar, cervical, feet, and ankles, among others.
Benefits and Contraindications of Running
A six-year research at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California, showed that running helps lose weight faster than walking, but that both activities are just as healthy because it doesn’t depend on the intensity of the training but on how many calories burn during the course of it. That is, the study was mainly based on distance and not time.
We must always bear in mind what aspects of health are to be cared for with these sports practices, as well as to be aware of the physical state for the moment and the capacities and limitations that each individual may have. Running means making a greater effort than walking, in any way, which will depend on possibilities, times, and tastes.
What’s better? Running or Walking?
Ferran Abat, sports traumatologist and medical director of ReSport Clinic Barcelona leaves us his opinion on it: both running and walking are excellent forms of exercise, what you have to take into account is that it is each exercise will be better or worse depending on the degree of activity we want to do and what is the objective we want to achieve, and especially what our current physical state is, that is, to conclude whether to choose to walk or run will depend on who you want to do.
Certain studies show that a person should perform between 200 and 300 minutes a week of moderate activity, or between 70 and 80 minutes of vigorous activity. This translates into that people who practice some physical activity regularly often have healthier and stronger hearts, and therefore a lower body weight, which in the end will lead to have fewer pathologies such as pains in the knees or hips, caused by lack of activity, sedentaryism and therefore weight gain, adds the specialist.
Once we have this clearly, we can say that walking or running can bring the same benefits at the level of fitness, with the difference that running burns twice as many calories as walking in less time. Abat concludes in this sense If you walk at a moderate and rapid pace, you can burn half the calories that a person who runs at a moderate-high rate, so, in these cases, if what a person is looking for is burning calories faster and more effectively, obviously running will be the most appropriate exercise. If, on the contrary, the goal is to do a low-impact activity, perhaps due to pains in the knees due to joint wear or even overweight, it will always be better to walk.
The decision will be personal, as not only should each person assess the advantages and disadvantages of both sports practices, but it is also important to determine which of them is best suited to the needs and objectives, as well as to take into account the limitations that each one possesses.