Whatever physical activity you choose, regular exercise has major positive health effects. Yet one form of exercise is not the same as the other.
Walking is one of the most popular forms of exercise in the world. There’s a good reason for that: it’s simple, accessible and effective. Regular walking lowers the risk of many health problems, including stress, depression, diabetes and some cancers.
Once your body gets used to walking, though, it may be a good idea to pick up the pace, says Alyssa Olenick, an exercise physiologist and postdoctoral fellow in the energy metabolism lab at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. If you can convert even part of your walk into running, you’ll get many of the same physical and mental benefits in much less time.
But how much better is running actually for your health? And how can you turn walking into running?
Why is walking good for your health?
When considering the health benefits of an activity like walking or running, you should keep two interrelated factors in mind. The first is the effect of the training on your fitness: to what extent does the effort improve the efficiency of your heart and lungs? The second is the ultimate positive outcome: does it make you live longer?
The standard for assessing fitness is the VO2-max, a measure of how much oxygen your body can absorb and use during strenuous exercise. The VO2-max is also a strong predictor of longevity, says Allison Zielinski, a sports cardiologist at Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute.
According to a 2021 study of 2,000 middle-aged men and women, even small amounts of activity — such as taking a few steps slowly over the course of the day — improve VO2-max somewhat. But the benefits are greater when you run faster, i.e. when you increase your heart rate and accelerate your breathing. If you can still talk but can no longer sing, you have moved from light to moderate physical activity. Studies suggest that moderate-intensity exercise strengthens your heart and stimulates the production of new mitochondria, which produce fuel for your muscles, Olenick says.
What makes running even better?
How does running compare to walking? First of all, it’s more efficient, says Duck-chul Lee, professor of exercise epidemiology at Iowa State University. Why? It’s about more than just higher speed. Instead of lifting one foot at a time, running involves performing a series of jumps. This requires more strength, energy and power than walking, Olenick explains. For many people new to running, running at any pace—even slow jogging—makes your heart and lungs work harder. For example, you can increase your exertion level to high-intensity physical activity, which means breathing so hard that you can only say a few words at a time.
In 2011, scientists in Taiwan asked more than 400,000 adults how much vigorous-intensity exercise – such as jogging or running – and moderate-intensity exercise – such as brisk walking – they performed. They discovered that a regular five-minute run extended the test subjects’ lifespan as much as a 15-minute walk. Regular 25-minute runs and 105 minutes of walking each resulted in about a 35 percent lower risk of death over the next eight years.
These figures make sense, given the effect of running on fitness. In a 2014 study, Lee and his colleagues found that frequent runners — including those who jog slower than 6 miles per hour — were 30 percent fitter than walkers and sedentary people. They were also 30 percent less likely to die over the next 15 years.
Although he is an enthusiastic proponent of running, Lee argues that it is best to view walking and running as a continuum. “The biggest benefit happens when you go from no exercise to a little exercise,” he says. Whether you walk or run, regularity is the most important. Once in place, small doses of vigorous-intensity exercise can make the health benefits even greater.
How do you start walking? And with running?
Running also has its disadvantages: it has a major impact on your body and puts a heavy burden on your connective tissue. Researchers have debunked the myth that running ruins your knees, but short-term injuries are more common among runners than among walkers. Starting to walk gives your body time to adapt, which in turn reduces your risk of injury, says Bella Mehta, a rheumatologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. Even experienced runners who have been away from running for a while should gradually rebuild their activity after the break. “It’s always better to start a training program slowly and cautiously,” says Zielinski.
If you want to try running for the first time – or get started again – you can try the following progression.
Step 1: Add steps.
Increase the number of steps, says Lee. If you’ve never exercised before, start with 3,000 extra steps a day, at least a few days a week.
Step 2: Slowly increase the pace.
Take 10 minutes for a brisk walk three to four times a week, Olenick recommends. Aim for an effort level of 3 to 5 on a scale of 10. Gradually increase the duration until you can walk for an hour.
Step 3: Run regularly.
As you get fitter, you will find that you need to run even faster to reach a moderate intensity. Once you feel this – which usually happens after about a month or two – you can start adding run-walk intervals. Warm up by walking briskly for five minutes, then alternate one minute of jogging with three minutes of walking. Repeat this three to five times.
Step 4: Try to run continuously.
Every two weeks, increase the intervals between runs and shorten the walking time, until eventually you are running continuously. Be sure to check with your doctor first if you’re being treated for a heart condition or other chronic condition, or if you have symptoms such as chest pain, Zielinski warns. You may need to undergo a stress test or other evaluation before being cleared to do strenuous activities.
Those who can’t run — or don’t want to — can increase the intensity of their exercise in other ways, Olenick says. For example, include a few hills in your walking route and pick up the pace as you climb them. You can also try trampolining or a HIIT workout, in the pool or on dry land.
It is probably best to opt for a mix: brisk walking or another moderately intensive training one day, a heavy workout on another day, taking more steps on days when you cannot train. Olenick: “If you can, do a little bit of everything every week. It all adds up.”
© The New York Times
