Walking Vs. Running

By Kelly Turner on July 31st, 2009

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Runners are an exclusive bunch.  Runners are those special kind of folk that wake up early, run 5 miles everyday and actually, gulp, enjoy it.

I am convinced I am made entirely of all fast twitch muscles. I’m a personal trainer: I know how to train people to be able to run, and I know everyone can learn to run.  The truth is, I just don’t enjoy it. It’s not fun to me, I don’t like it, so I walk.

I get a lot of scoffs from clients and runner friends when I tell them I don’t run, but its normal. People think that running is the ultimate way to get in your cardio and that walking is its puny little brother. People think that running is the next step up from walking and that those that walk must not be in as good of shape, or getting the same intensity of a workout, as those that run.

Not true.

 A walk can be just as intense as a run, if you do it right.  Exercise is all about what you put into it, so the more intensely you walk, the better results you are going to see.  I like to use the talk test to gauge cardio intensity: you should be able to hold a conversation, but not be able to sing. If two people are jogging and can hold a labored conversation, and if two people are walking and able to hold a labored conversation, the intensity is the same, and the cardiovascular benefits are going to be the same.

Running is naturally a more intense activity, so to make your walking workout comparable in intensity, you are going to have to put a bit more thought into it.  If you are walking outside, choose routes with lots of hills- the higher the incline, the higher the intensity.  Speed is also a great way to up intensity, so do intervals of 1 minute walking as fast as you can and then 3 minutes at a slower pace. If you don’t have a watch, or just don’t want to pay that much attention, choose markers, like walking as fast as you can to the next light post, or next mailbox.

If you are walking on treadmill its easier to keep track of your intensity- but its still all about inclines and speed.  Every few minutes up the incline or the speed, and then give yourself recovery time. Its all about getting your heart rate up, so take advantage of the heart rate sensors.  When you hit those high inclines, do not hold onto the treadmill, it completely negates the incline and I will hunt you down and smack your hands. If you have to hold on, you are at too high of an incline.

Some people walk because they prefer it and some people walk because they have to.  There are a number of things that prevent people from running, be it knee injuries, back injuries or the impact is too much for their joints. The most important thing is to find something you enjoy and make sure you are doing it in a way that will give you results. Its all about intensity, so as long as your heart rate is up and you are working hard, one mode of cardio is no better than the next.