Wanna Lose Weight? Walk versus Run

 

Honestly, any movement can provide health benefits. It seems intuitive that running would be better than walking. But is this really true? Does the fact that more calories are burned through running make it the preferred approach? On the other hand, walking seems relatively easy. However, I have designed walking programs for myself that are rigorous and not easy. Today we explore the relative merits and demerits of walking versus running in terms of weight loss.

Weight loss: Run or walk?

It seems intuitively obvious that running burns more calories per minute than does walking. On the other hand, you may have challenges keeping up a higher intensity for a long period of time. Let’s look a little more closely at caloric expenditures.

Theoretically, there is a speed at which walking and running burn similar numbers of calories per minute. Do you know what speed that is? It is approximately 5 miles per hour. Unless you are a trained race walker, good luck walking at that speed. Advantage, running.

Continuing this thought process, is there a certain running speed after which further increases in caloric burn are minimal? The good folks at Runtastic give us some hints: The greatest differences in caloric burn occur when comparing a one-kilometer slow walk versus a fast run.

Why is this so? While we can walk very slowly, there is a top limit to our running speed. Increasing from a slow walk to a moderate run can represent a 50 to 100 percent increase. On the other hand, the faster we run, the closer we are to our speed limit. Thus, small speed increases need much effort but yield diminishing returns in calorie expenditure. Below, I have provided a link to a good calorie calculator.

Photo by i yunmai on Unsplash

Afterburn

The clinical literature suggests running the same distance as walking can yield an approximate 30 percent higher calorie burn. Wanna burn more calories in less time? Run. At higher intensity, you may also experience a so-called afterburn effect, also known as “excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).” Run, and afterward, your body needs to recover. This process involves:

• lactic acid removal
• muscle repair
• ATP, creatine, and oxygen replenishment

To do all of these things, you need oxygen. Consuming oxygen needs energy. Here is how I optimize my afterburn: I do high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

Skeptical? Yes, the calories you burn during your workout are critical to fat loss and markedly exceed those burned during the after-exercise phase. While the amount one can burn in the period after an intense workout varies by individual, the American Council on Exercise offers that afterburn can increase calorie expenditure by a relative 6 to 15 percent. A nice little bonus for that hard workout you just completed. Advantage, running.