Running vs fast walking?

Post Reply New Topic

Which is better for health and fitness - running or fast walking?

Depends on your goals. I find walking suits me as it doesn't burn muscle.

I used to run a lot and still occasionally do. Walking is more sustainable and you can think while doing it.

Running also tends to make you hungry afterwards so its easy to eat the calories back.

Then theres the wear and tear - if you run enough over a lifetime by the time you get older you might have knee problems.

I try to walk a couple miles per day on Sweatcoin.

Haven't tried to jog for years because my calves are huge, after a while the blood in them pools up, and I had a couple occasions in relatively rapid succession where I had a sheet of muscle separate from top to bottom and across in my calf and I had to hobble my way back home - couldn't walk normally for a couple weeks.

Moral of the story - know your body type and know your risk signals.

I have arthritis and torn menisci from running.

I still run….but may cut down and start to only walk.

I can't ride a bike because I have epilepsy, even with a helmet on.

However, whenever I have time to do so, I use the indoor track my school has in its gym.

It depends what you prefer and like.

I like running, but being now overweight I will only walk until I go to proper weight.
Running on strong surface like concrete makes your whole body absorb strong hits and your spine and knees and ankles and hips get more damage per step in running.

Your running speed also matters for how much damage you get.
Running surfaces like running circles or grass are superior, but you run the risk of twisting your ankle if you have weak stabilizing muscles. So go easy at first until you have more stability.

Further more if you walk or power walk you actually get almost as good cardio pulmonary development and muscle development as jogging as you are almost doing the same amount of physical work as jogging if not more.

The good thing about running is that it helps harden your bones and makes you less likely to get osteoporosis in old age.

The bad thing about it is that eventually you can over work your joints and muscles too much, so its important to work on other muscle groups that support your running.

Running technique and shoes area whole other science that I am not even getting into.

I mostly walk instead of run, but I walk at a speed that is almost considered a jog (4 mph) so it is pretty good cardio

If I want more intense cardio I sometimes use the stair climber at the gym. I can get my heart rate to 170 within about 5 minutes on that machine, but it's easier on my knees than running. One caveat: you have to pay attention so you do not miss a step.

Ultimately, the best form of exercise is the one that you will stick to and enjoy doing. If you're new to exercise or haven't exercised in a while, it's a good idea to start with a moderate intensity like fast walking, and gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workout as your fitness level improves. If you have any concerns about your health or fitness level, it's always a good idea to speak with your doctor or a healthcare professional before starting any new exercise program.

I prefer walking. I have Dyspraxia, which makes me concerned that running would be too much impact on my joints.

In general, I'd say the better activity is the one you're more likely to stick to. I enjoy going on walks, especially hikes. I don't enjoy running.

If you're running correctly, there shouldn't be much difference between running and walking. You only need to get far enough off the ground that your feet don't unexpectedly catch on the ground. Most of the damage from running comes from excessive motion up and down or outright tripping. With proper form, there shouldn't be much risk of damage, provided you're not running on weird surfaces.

That being said, there are plenty of cases where running is just a bad idea, and you can get more or less the same amount of exercise out of speed walking as you would from jogging or running anyways.

Running builds your heart & lungs, walking burns fat. Depends what your objective is as to which is better.

Does power walking give you a whole body workout?

Not really. It’s a fat burning exercise that’ll be way more of a leg stamina exercise than any other area or muscle group. Can’t exactly expect it’s going to strengthen your arms, shoulders, back etc.

So, no, people would still need to do other forms of exercise to have a true full body workout.

Would it be a full body workout for someone very old? Yeah, maybe about all their whole body could handle. But for able bodied people, no, I wouldn’t say power walking was a single form of exercise that’s going to give them a full body workout. That’s why people do a variety of things.

I dislike both, but running is more suitable for my goals. I just don't want to gas out halfway through a shift ever again. I'm too hyperactive to throttle myself so I need to raise my limits as much as possible.