Pros and Cons of Running and Walking for a Healthy Life
Running and walking are both great forms of exercise. It has been observed that those who do these exercises regularly have better heart health, lower risk of obesity and tougher bones than those without daily physical activities.
But which one is a better exercise than the other? Some people do not consider walking as a form of exercise. Fitness experts think otherwise because walking can in fact burn calories, strengthen the heart and help with respiratory functions when done with the proper intensity. Walking has always been associated to running, which some people consider as the more beneficial form of exercise. So, how do these two compare in terms of health benefits?
Pros of Walking
- Walking can help elevate your mood with the release of endorphins.
- Walking can burn calories.
- Walking elevates the heart rate above the normal resting rate without too much effort from the body.
- Walking is a great way to ease into exercise.
- Walking is easy to do anywhere; no need for equipment to start.
- Walking regularly is a great exercise for people who are mostly inactive.
- Walking is the appropriate activity for people whose physical capacity do not permit strenuous activities.
Cons of Walking
- Walking requires twice the time to burn the calories that running can.
Pros of Running
- Running reduces risk of high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and obesity.
- Running helps in weight loss and reducing body fat by burning calories faster than when walking.
- Running improves health more efficiently because it takes a shorter time to gather its health benefits.
- Running shows positive effects on dealing with depression, tension and anger.
Cons of Running
- Running poses a greater probability of getting injured because of more stress experienced by the body.
- Running makes the body tire more easily.
- Running is physically more demanding.
Analyzing the pros and cons of walking and running, side-by-side will still lead you to a vague conclusion as to which exercise is better overall. Both have the same health benefits but differs only in the amount of time invested to attain the goal such as calories burned. Both exercises show positive effects on the mental health with the release of hormones that bring about general well-being.
It is still inconclusive to weigh the cons of running against walking. Some people may not be capable of the high-intensity and more calorie-burning running exercise so a few minutes of walking regularly is a great way of staying physically active. For those who are just starting out and discovering the benefits of exercise, walking is the best way to start and then transition to jogging once the physical capability to do a more strenuous activity is developed.
The bottom-line of all this comparison is that, there is no better exercise than the one you choose to do and the one that you think would work best for you. It is essential that you pick the one that will give the most benefits for your mind and body. You need not stick to just walking or running, as long as you are getting your daily dose of activity.
