Walking vs Running on a Treadmill

Walking and running have always been the most favored forms of exercise in fitness circles. Their main advantage is obvious: they’re simple, inexpensive, and don’t require any special training or equipment. But there’s always the question of which one is better: should you go for running and burn more calories, or start a walking program that’s easier on the joints? It’s not the kind of information you find in treadmill reviews, training manuals, or similar fitness. In most cases, it depends on what you want out of your workout and which one will serve it best.

Your first step should be to determine your goals. Walking and running are similar in some respects, but when it comes to achieving results, they work quite differently. Do you want to lose fat, stay in shape, or improve your cardiovascular health? Do you have any conditions that limit your exercise options? These questions all affect how well both exercises can address your problems. In any case, of course, both are perfectly ideal and will do you more good than bad. If you’re not sure which one to choose, here’s quick guide to help you get started.

Calorie burning

Calorie expenditure varies from person to person, but generally, running burns about 30% more calories than walking for a given amount of time. So if your only goal is burning calories on treadmill exercise, then running should be your first option. The rule is simple: harder you have to exert yourself, the more calories you burn. Just starting the day with a 30-minute jog can burn a good 245 calories, not to mention keep you active and energized throughout the day.

So when does walking—and therefore burning fewer calories—make more sense? Most people who choose walking do so for the mechanical advantage it offers. Walking keeps you at a more comfortable pace and helps you maintain a better posture. With running, you have to consciously keep your stance to stay in balance. The natural posture of walking limits the stress on your joints and keeps you going longer.

Mental benefits

Exercise also packs a good dose of mental advantages. Studies have shown that working out releases chemicals in the brain that help you feel more at ease and get rid of stress. Treadmill walking and running both have their own advantages, so it’s mostly a matter of personal choice. For most people, however, running works more like a positive drug—it creates a feeling of lightness and freedom that effectively lifts your mood.

If you’re more into socializing and calming down, walking may be a better fit for you. Since you can better keep up a conversation while walking, it’s easier to find and keep workout buddies to help prevent boredom. It’s also great for improving the mood, especially if you’ve had a hard day. Taking a nice brisk walk after work or school can help ease the nerves and restore your focus, so you can relax for the evening and better perform your tasks the following day.

Long-term motivation

How long do you want—or expect—to stay on your exercise program? Ideally, you’ll want to stay on it for the long haul, not just a month or two. You can’t really expect to get the full health benefits of walking if you do it for a week, give up, and then start again a month later. Before you start a new routine, make sure you can actually keep up with it. Try your hand at it once or twice, and then decide whether it’s something you can do for a while.

Also consider the potential for injury that these activities pose. If you have joint or muscle problems, running may be too strenuous for you. While you can burn more calories in less time, it’s more important to stay consistent—and you can’t really do that when you’re nursing a broken knee. Consult your doctor to see which exercise is safer and more effective for you.

The bottom line

There’s really no single answer as to whether walking or running is more effective. Both will keep you in shape and improve your overall well-being. Both are also easy and inexpensive. Some people are simply better suited to running and others are better off as walkers. If you want, you can mix the two together for a more varied exercise. Interval training helps keep your body in calorie-burning mode and keeps you from overusing your muscles.

Whatever you choose, remember that staying on track is just as important in physical fitness as actually getting started. If you don’t like your workout, you’re more likely to drop out before you see any changes. So all things being equal, stick to whatever’s more fun for you—after all, the important thing is to enjoy what you’re doing.

Experts and beginners alike agree that walking and running are the most effective forms of exercise. The advantages are obvious: it’s easy, it doesn’t require training or equipment, and it gives you a full-body workout. But the question of whether one is better than the other has always remained unanswered. Both have their own pros and cons, and it’s really a matter of which one suits you best.

If you simply want to burn calories, then you’d probably go for running. Since you expend more energy when you run, running for 30 minutes will burn about twice as many calories as walking for the same amount of time. Of course, chances are you won’t be able to run as long as you can walk. One good alternative is power walking, wherein you walk a bit faster and work more muscles as you go along. It helps you reach your ideal heart rate faster and gives you a better-rounded workout.

So when is walking a better option? Doctors usually recommend a walking-power walking program to patients who need low-impact exercise—those who are elderly, are recovering from injuries, or have health problems that keep them from overexerting. Walking is easier on your joints, so you can keep going for much longer and actually get more benefits. Also, since we all do a bit of walking every day, it’s easier to turn daily into a habit and stick to the program.

For those with normal health who simply want to get in shape, the best workout is a combination of running and walking. Start with a slow walk for a few minutes, then speed up until you reach a running pace. Keep accelerating until you’ve reached your maximum speed, keep it up as long as you can, and then work your way back down. This is a form of interval training—a way to burn more calories and keep your body working.

If you’re new to running, walking or interval workouts, try starting out on a treadmill. Most treadmills now have pre-programmed interval workouts that help you maintain the right pace and switch at the right time. It doesn’t have to be a fancy model—as long as it’s comfortable and has the features you need, it’s good enough for the job.