Walking vs running for weight loss: Which is a better option

Running and walking are equally good types of exercise for heart health and weight loss. A person's goals, present state of health, and level of fitness determine the advantages and challenges. There is a lot of disagreement on which exercise is superior, even though both help people burn calories, reduce weight, and reduce their risk of heart disease.

Walking burns more fat

While running burns more calories overall and will result in a higher overall reduction of weight, walking may burn more fat for fuel. This is due to the fact that our bodies utilise fat as the primary fuel source when a person is exercising at a lesser intensity.

Does losing fat or carbohydrates matter, though? The number of total calories burned during the exercise session is what really counts.

Timing matters

Compared to walking, running burns more calories each minute. But by walking for longer periods of time, walkers can still burn the same amount of calories. Walking may be a longer-term weight loss strategy and burn more fat for fuel. Although running burns more calories overall.

If you exercise for thirty minutes, for instance, you will burn 187 calories walking as opposed to 365 calories running because of the higher intensity of the workout form. Therefore, if you’re short on time and not a complete newbie to running, you can sprint instead of walking for weight loss.

Walking after meals

According to a study by The National Library of Medicine, Walking right after you eat suppresses insulin hypersecretion after a meal that controls hyperglycemia, which will help to suppress the storage of internal fat and prevent obesity from getting worse. Therefore, walking is a common and effective way for people to lose weight or keep it off.

However, running right after meals is a high intensity exercise that can lead to stomach ache, weakness, nausea and other types of health discomfort.

In conclusion, you will burn more calories the harder you work. It will also be simpler for you to create a calorie deficit and lose more weight as the calories you burn. Consistent efforts in following a fitness regime is necessary. One must decide what works best for them.

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