Which Is Better for Your Health:
Walking or Running?
Walking and running are both excellent forms of cardiovascular exercise. Neither is
necessarily “better” than the other. The choice that’s best for you depends entirely on your
fitness and health goals.
If you’re looking to burn more calories or lose weight fast, running is a better choice. But
walking can also offer numerous benefits for your health, including helping you maintain a
healthy weight.
Benefits of cardio
Walking and running are both aerobic cardiovascular, or “cardio” exercise. Some of the
health benefits of cardio include:
helps you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight
increases stamina
boosts immune system
helps prevent or manage chronic conditions
strengthens your heart
can extend your life
Cardiovascular exercise is also good for your mental health. One studyTrusted Source found
that just 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise three times a week reduces anxiety and
depression. It can also improve your mood and self-esteem.
Researchers from the study also say that it’s not necessary to exercise for 30 straight
minutes to experience these benefits. Walking for 10 minutes at a time three times a day
resulted in the same mental health boost.
Is walking better than running?
Walking can provide a lot of the same benefits of running. But running burns nearly double
the number of calories as walking.
For example, for someone who’s 160 pounds, running at 5 miles per hour (mph) burns 606
calories. Walking briskly for the same amount of time at 3.5 mph burns just 314 calories.
You need to burn approximately 3,500 calories to lose one pound. If your goal is to lose
weight, running is a better choice than walking.
If you’re new to exercise or aren’t able to run, walking can still help you get in shape.
Walking is accessible for nearly all fitness levels. It can boost your heart and give you more

energy overall.

Walking vs. running for weight loss
Speed and power walking vs. running
Speed walking is walking at a brisk pace, usually 3 mph or greater. Your heart rate is
elevated during speed walking. You can burn more calories this way than walking at your
usual pace.
Power walking is usually considered from 3 mph to 5 mph, but some power walkers reach
speeds of 7 to 10 mph. Power walking burns a similar number of calories as running. For
example, power walking at 4.5 mph for one hour would burn the same as jogging at 4.5 mph
for one hour.
For an effective workout, try pace training. Increase your speed for two minutes at a time,
then slow back down. Speed walking doesn’t burn as many calories as running, but it can be
an effective workout to elevate your heart rate, boost your mood, and improve your aerobic
fitness level.
Walking with a weighted vest
Walking with a weighted vest may increase the number of calories you burn. To stay safe,
wear a vest that’s no more than 5 to 10 percent of your body weight.
If you’re looking for an alternative way to lose weight or tone your muscles, try interval
walking instead. Pick up the speed for a certain amount of time before slowing down. Or
alternatively, try walking with light dumbbells in each hand.
Incline walking vs. running
Incline walking involves walking uphill. It can burn a similar number of calories as running.
You burn more calories at an incline than just walking on a flat surface.
Look for a hilly area or walk on an incline on the treadmill. Increase the incline by 5, 10, or 15
percent at a time to practice incline walking. If you’re new to incline walking, you can start
gradually and work up to a 15 percent incline.
Benefits vs. risks
Running is a great way to get in shape and lose weight. But it’s a high-impact exercise.
High-impact workouts can be harder on your body than low-impact exercises like walking.
Over time, running may lead to common overuse injuries such as:
stress fractures
shin splints
ITB friction syndrome

In fact, runners have a much higher risk for exercise-related injury than walkers. Walkers
have an approximate 1 to 5 percent injury risk, while runners have a 20 to 70 percent
chance.
If you’re a runner, you can take steps to stay injury-free. Don’t increase your mileage too
quickly and try to cross-train several times a week. Or, try walking instead. Walking offers
many of the health benefits of running without the same risks for injury.
Takeaway
Both walking and running are excellent forms of cardiovascular exercise. Aim to get at least
150 minutes of moderate cardio exercise each week for your health.
Walking is a smart choice if you’re new to exercise and hoping to get in shape. If you’re
looking to lose weight or burn more calories, try running.
If you’re new to running, start with a program where you alternate between walking and
running, such as Couch to 5K. Always check with your doctor before beginning a new
exercise routine.
Does Walking 1 Hour Every Day Aid
Weight Loss?
Walking is an exercise that is accessible for many people and requires no special
equipment. It not only contributes to weight loss but also provides other health perks.
Walking can aid weight loss and provide many other health benefits. However, compared
with other forms of exercise, many people typically may not view walking as effective for
weight loss.
This article explains how walking for 1 hour per day can help you lose weight. Here’s how to
get started.
Calories burned walking
Walking’s simplicity makes it an appealing activity for many people — particularly those
looking to burn extra calories.
The number of calories you burn walking depends on numerous factors, but your weight and
walking speed play a key role. The average walking pace for adults is 3 mph (4.8 kph). The
faster you walk and the more you weigh, the more calories you expend (1).
This table estimates the number of calories you can burn per hour based on your body
weight and walking speed (1):

2.0 mph
(3.2 kph)
3.0 mph
(4.8 kph)
3.5 mph
(5.6 kph)
4.0 mph
(6.4 kph)
5.0 mph
(8.0) kph)
120 lbs.
(55 kg)
108 179 206 272 489
150 lbs.
(68 kg)
136 224 258 340 612
180 lbs.
(82 kg)
164 270 311 410 738
210 lbs.
(95 kg)
190 314 361 476 857
240 lbs.
(109 kg)
217 359 413 544 979
270 lbs.
(123 kg)
244 404 465 612 1102
300 lbs.
(136 kg)
272 449 517 680 1224
Walking can help you lose weight
Walking 1 hour each day can help you burn calories and, in turn, lose weight.
If you’d like to lose a substantial amount of weight (more than 5% of your body weight), the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends getting at least 300 minutes of
moderately intense physical activity weekly. Walking for 1 hour daily may help you meet that
goal.
Additionally, many people tend to lose lean muscle mass when they lose weight. Walking
can help you preserve lean muscle mass, which can help you maintain your weight loss
results.

Factor in your diet
While walking can help you lose weight, it’s more effective when also following a
calorie-restricted diet.
In a 12-week study, people with obesity restricted calories by 500–800 per day. One group
walked 3 hours per week at 3.7 mph (6 kph), and the other group did not walk.
Both groups lost a significant amount of body weight, but those in the walking group lost, on
average, about 4 pounds (1.8 kg) more than those who didn’t walk.
Whether you walk continuously or in shorter bursts might also influence weight loss.
In a 24-week study, women with excess weight or obesity restricted their calorie intake by
500–600 calories per day and either walked briskly for 50 minutes or did two 25-minute
bouts per day. Those who did the two shorter workouts lost 3.7 pounds (1.7 kg) more than
those who continuously walked for 50 minutes.
But other studies show no significant differences in weight loss between continuous and
intermittent walking, so choose whichever routine works best for you
How much weight can you lose by walking for
1 hour per day?
To lose weight, you must consistently eat fewer calories than you expend each day.
You can do this by increasing the calories you burn via exercise, decreasing the calories you
consume, or both.
It’s often stated that 1 pound (0.45 kg) of body weight is equivalent to 3,500 calories. Based
on this theory, you should reduce your calorie intake by 500 for 7 days to lose 1 pound (0.45
kg) per week.
Although this rule does not account for people with lower body fat percentages or the
decrease in calorie expenditure that comes with weight loss, a calorie deficit of 500 calories
per day is appropriate for most people aiming to lose weight.
You can achieve part of this deficit by walking 1 hour per day or by gradually decreasing the
number of calories you consume.
Depending on your calorie intake, a deficit of 500 calories per day may lead to 0.5–2 pounds
(0.2–0.9 kg) of weight loss per week.

Other health benefits of walking
Walking has many benefits, especially when you walk multiple times per week for 30–60
minutes at a time. These health effects can include.
decreased LDL (bad) cholesterol
increased HDL (good) cholesterol
improved mood
decreased blood pressure
These benefits translate to a reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and overall
mortality, as well as improved quality of life.
Moreover, walking at least 150 minutes a week (about 22 minutes a day) along with your
other daily activity can help maintain your current weight. This is noteworthy because adults
tend to gain 1.1–1.8 pounds (0.5–0.8 kg) per year.
How to start walking for exercise
If you want to walk daily for exercise, start slowly, and progressively increase your duration
and frequency. Once you can walk as long and as frequently as you’d like, you can increase
the intensity.
If you’re just starting, walking fast for a long time can leave you fatigued, sore, and
unmotivated. Instead, you may want to start by walking for 5–15 minutes 2 or 3 times a week
at a comfortable pace.
When you are ready to increase your walking duration, frequency, or intensity, consider your
age, fitness level, and prior experience. Youth and young adults can typically increase their
activity in small amounts every week, while older adults can typically increase their activity
every 2 to 4 weeks to prevent injury.
People who typically have a low activity level might consider increasing their activity at a
slower rate to reduce injury risk. Also, consider whether your past fitness experiences have
shown that certain progression rates make you susceptible to injury.
Shake up your routine
As with any exercise regimen, shake things up every so often to keep your routine engaging
and challenging. Here are a few tips:
Modify your route: Walk on bike trails, in a different neighborhood or at your local mall, or
take your usual route in reverse.
Split up your walking time: If your goal is to walk 60 minutes per day, you can split this time
into two 30-minute walks.
Change your walking times: If you regularly walk in the morning, try evenings, or vice versa.
Walk with a partner: Walking with a partner provides accountability and can keep you
motivated.

Listen to an audiobook or podcast: Entertain yourself by listening to an audiobook or your
favorite podcast.
Reward yourself: Occasionally reward yourself with new walking shoes or attire.
If your goal is to lose weight, it’s also important to increase your walking intensity. Your body
burns fewer calories to perform the same physical activities at a lighter body weight than a
heavier one.
For example, a 150-pound (68-kg) person burns nearly 50 fewer calories per hour walking at
3 mph (4.8 kph) than a 180-pound (82-kg) person walking at the same speed (1).
While it might seem insignificant, 50 calories burned per day amounts to 350 fewer calories
burned per week.
Increasing the intensity of your workout can help you burn more calories. Try upping your
pace or walking on an incline (1).
Walking with handheld weights or a weighted vest can also boost the intensity
How Walking Can Help You Lose Weight and
Belly Fat.
If you want to stay fit and healthy, it’s important to exercise regularly.
This is because being physically fit can reduce your risk for developing health conditions like
heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
In addition to helping you live a longer and healthier life, exercise can also be beneficial in
helping to manage your weight.
Fortunately, walking is a great form of physical activity that’s free, low risk and accessible to
most people.
In fact, walking is not just good for you — it’s one of the easiest forms of exercise to
incorporate into your day-to-day life.
This article explores how walking more often can help you lose weight and belly fat.
Walking burns calories
Your body needs energy (in the form of calories) for all the complex chemical reactions that
allow you to move, breathe, think, and function.
However, daily calorie needs vary from person to person and are affected by things like your
age, height, weight, sex, genes, and activity level.
It’s well known that you need to burn more calories than you consume to lose weight .

Furthermore, people who are more physically active burn more calories than those who are
sedentary.
However, modern living and work environments may mean that you spend large parts of
your day sitting, especially if you have an office job.
Unfortunately, a sedentary lifestyle can not only contribute to weight gain, but it can also
increase your risk for health problems.
Trying to get more exercise by walking more often can help you burn more calories and
reduce these risks.
In fact, walking a mile (1.6 km) burns approximately 100 calories, depending on your sex
and weight.
One study measured the number of calories people of average fitness level burned after
walking at a brisk pace of 3.2 miles (5 km) per hour or running at a pace of 6 mph for about a
mile. Results showed that those who walked at a brisk pace burned an average of 90
calories per mile.
Furthermore, although running burned significantly more calories, it only burned around 23
more calories per mile, on average, meaning both forms of exercise contributed significantly
to the number of calories burned.
To increase the intensity of your walk and burn even more calories, try walking on routes
with hills or slight inclines.
It helps preserve lean muscle
When people cut calories and lose weight, they often lose some muscle in addition to body
fat.
This can be counterproductive, as muscle is more metabolically active than fat. This means
that having more muscle helps you burn more calories each day.
Exercise, including walking, can help counter this effect by preserving lean muscle when you
lose weight.
Preserving lean muscle helps reduce the drop in metabolic rate that often occurs with weight
loss, making your results easier to maintain.
What’s more, regular exercise can reduce age-related muscle loss, helping you retain more
of your muscle strength and function in later years.

Walking reduces belly fat
Storing a lot of fat around your midsection has been linked to an increased risk of diseases
like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
In fact, men with a waist circumference greater than 40 inches (102 cm) and women with a
waist circumference greater than 35 inches (88 cm) are considered to have abdominal
obesity, which is considered a health risk.
One of the most effective ways to reduce belly fat is to regularly take part in aerobic
exercise, such as walking.
In one small study, women with obesity who walked for 50–70 minutes three times per week
for 12 weeks, on average, reduced their waist circumference and their body fat. The fat
directly under the skin (subcutaneous) and the hidden fat within your abdominal cavity
(visceral) were both significantly reduced in the exercise group in comparison to the control
group.
Another study found that people on a calorie-controlled diet who walked for 1 hour five times
per week for 12 weeks were able to lose inches off their waistlines as well as more body fat,
compared with those who followed the diet alone.
It improves your mood
Exercise is known to boost your mood.
In fact, physical activity has been shown to improve your mood and decrease feelings of
stress, depression, and anxiety.
It does this by making your brain more sensitive to the hormones serotonin and
norepinephrine. These hormones relieve feelings of depression and stimulate the release of
endorphins, which make you feel happy.
This is a great benefit in itself. However, experiencing an improvement in mood when you
walk regularly might also make the habit easier to keep up with.
What’s more, some studies have found that if you enjoy a physical activity, it can increase
the likelihood that you will continue to do it.
People tend to exercise less if they do not enjoy it, which can be a result of the exercise
being too physically demanding.
This makes walking an excellent choice, as it’s a moderate-intensity exercise. That’s likely to
motivate you to walk more, rather than give up

How Many Calories Do You Burn Walking
10,000 Steps?.
Walking regularly has many benefits.
It’s an easy and cost-effective form of physical activity, plus, taking enough steps each day
could benefit your health by reducing your risk of depression, aiding in weight management,
and improving brain health, bone health, and overall quality of life.
In recent years, walking 10,000 steps per day has become a popular recommendation used
to promote regular physical activity.
But you may wonder why exactly 10,000 steps is recommended and whether this guideline
can help you reach your fitness goals.
This article takes a closer look at daily step recommendations and how many calories you
burn by taking 10,000 steps.
Why does taking 10,000 steps matter?
For many people, walking 10,000 steps equates to roughly 5 miles (8.05 kilometers).
The specific number of 10,000 can be traced back to a slogan used by walking clubs in
Japan as early as the 1960s.
What’s more, current research also supports the claim that walking 10,000 steps is good for
weight loss and overall health.
In a study in 35 adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 31.7–44.9, participants received
dietary counseling and gradually increased their daily steps until reaching 10,000. After the
6-month intervention, participants’ BMIs significantly decreased by 3.7%.
Other body measurements improved as well.
That said, this study did not differentiate the effects of dietary counseling from those of
walking. Therefore, it’s not possible to attribute the decrease in BMI to walking alone.
How many calories does taking 10,000 steps burn?
Perhaps surprisingly, it’s not simple to measure exactly how many calories you burn by
taking 10,000 steps.
In fact, each person likely burns a different number of calories every time they take those
steps because the number of calories you burn through physical activity is affected by many
factors.

Weight
It has long been believed that one of the main factors affecting how many calories you burn
during physical activity is body size and weight.
Because it takes more energy to move a larger body than it does to move a smaller body,
the theory is that more calories are burned during the movement of a larger body.
However, emerging research is suggesting that after adjusting for body weight, the number
of calories burned through physical activity in people with a higher body weight might not be
higher after all.
Therefore, more research is needed to determine how weight affects the number of calories
burned while taking steps.
Pace and terrain
Other factors that could influence how many calories you burn by taking 10,000 steps are
how quickly you move and on what type of surface.
For example, if you’re walking briskly uphill at a pace of 5 miles (8 kilometers) per hour, you
could be burning more than 7 calories per minute.
On the other hand, if you’re walking leisurely downhill at a rate of 3–4 miles (5–6 kilometers)
per hour, you might be burning between 3.5 and 7 calories per minute (9Trusted Source).
A study in young adults found that walking 10,000 steps at a pace of 4 miles (6 kilometers)
per hour would burn an average of 153 calories more than walking the same distance at 2
miles (3 kilometers) per hour (10).
Genetics
An often overlooked factor that contributes to how many calories you burn is genetics .
One study measured the calories burned during physical activity in 8 sets of twins for 2
weeks and concluded that genetic differences were responsible for as much as 72% of the
variance in calories burned during physical activity in daily life.
Plus, a study in rats found that constantly active and high-capacity runners transmitted more
heat in their muscles during physical activity, leading to more calories burned, compared with
low-capacity runners that were less active.
Still, some of the research on this topic is of an older date, and more current studies are
needed to understand how genetics influence how many calories you burn.

How to estimate calories burned
One of the best ways to calculate how many calories you burn by taking 10,000 steps is to
use an equation that considers your:
weight
exercise intensity
duration of exercise
A simple equation that considers these factors that you can use to calculate your calories
burned while walking — and for other exercises — is (17):
calories burned per minute = 0.0175 x Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) x weight in
kilograms
To use this equation you will need to:
Determine the MET of your activity
MET stands for the Metabolic Equivalent of Task. A MET represents the rate at which you
burn calories while engaging in a certain physical activity. Different activities at different
intensities have their own MET equivalent.
A list of evidence-based common MET equivalents can be found here (19).
For walking, an average MET equivalent ranges from 2.0 to 10.0 depending on speed and
terrain (20).
Calculate your weight in kilograms
If you’re used to calculating your weight in pounds, it’s easy to convert your number to
kilograms.
Simply divide your weight in pounds by 2.2:
weight in pounds / 2.2 = weight in kilograms
Take note of how many minutes taking 10,000 steps took
Since this equation calculates calories burned per minute, you need to multiply the result by
the total number of minutes it took you to take the 10,000 steps to determine the total
calories you burned.
For example, if it took you 1.5 hours (90 minutes) to take 10,000 steps, your final equation
would look like this:
calories burned = 0.0175 x MET x weight in kilograms x 90 (minutes)

Plug your data into the equation.
Once you have determined your MET, your weight in kilograms, and the total number of
minutes it took you to take 10,000 steps, you can plug your data into the equation and
complete your estimate.
Here are a few examples of how the calories you burn could vary for different body weights
and step intensities. In these examples, it’s assumed that each person walked for 1 full hour
(60 minutes) regardless of the speed.
2.0 mph
(3.2 kph)/
2.8 METs
3.0 mph
(4.8 kph)/
4.3 METs
4.0 mph
(6.4 kph)/
5.0 METs
5.0 mph
(8 kph)/
8.3 METs
130 pounds
(59 kg)
173 calories 266 calories 309 calories 514 calories
160 pounds
(73 kg)
214 calories 329 calories 383 calories 636 calories
190 pounds
(86 kg)
253 calories 388 calories 451 calories 749 calories
220 pounds
(100 kg)
294 calories 451 calories 525 calories 872 calories
Will taking 10,000 steps help you reach your fitness goals?
Overall, taking 10,000 steps each day appears to be one way to improve overall health and
wellness.
Research conducted on walking programs suggests that it’s a safe and effective exercise
that may aid weight loss and improve overall health.

Still, taking 10,000 steps each day may not be right for everyone, for example, because of a
lack of time or joint problems. That said, even walking fewer than 10,000 steps each day has
been shown to have benefits.
One study in women found that a 12-week walking program in which participants walked
50–70 minutes on 3 days a week could reduce abdominal obesity and improve blood
markers of insulin resistance.
Current recommendations suggest walking for a minimum of 30 minutes at least 5 days a
week. Taking 10,000 steps a day is one way to meet that goal
Summary
Taking 10,000 steps each day may help you get the recommended 30 minutes of physical
activity at least 5 days per week.
Yet, taking 10,000 steps daily may not be realistic for everyone. Plus, fewer steps can still
improve your health.
The number of calories that you burn by taking 10,000 steps varies from person to person —
and even day to day — as factors like body weight, genetics, and walking speed could
increase or decrease the number of calories burned.
To estimate how many calories you have burned, use an equation that considers your body
weight, walking intensity, and the time it took you to complete the 10,000 steps.
All in all, walking regularly may offer many health benefits — whether you walk 10,000 steps
or fewer.