by Cristina Marrone
Both activities lead to important physical and mental benefits and improve cardiorespiratory fitness, however running is also more efficient in terms of longevity: this is why
Walking is a simple and very popular exercise because it is simple, accessible and effective. If you then walk along paths in the woods the benefits are amplified. A 2022 study also measured the changes (for the better) that occur in the brain after an hour spent in nature. I know that taking regular walks reduces the risk of many health problems including anxiety, depression and even some cancers. When the body gets used to walking normal enough that healthy people try to increase the pace when they realize they can do it. Transforming even just part of your walk into running will allow you to achieve the same physical and mental benefits, but in much less time.
Measure your fitness
Walking or running both have effects on physical fitness and improve the efficiency of the heart and lungs. But which activity helps you live longer? The gold standard for assessing physical fitness is the V02 max test, or maximum oxygen consumption, which is the maximum amount of oxygen an individual can use during intense exercise. A high level of cardiorespiratory fitness also appears predictor of lifespan
. According to a 2021 study of 2,000 middle-aged men and women, doing a little activity, even just walking slowly during the day, improves somewhat the V02 max compared to remaining completely sedentary
. However, the greatest benefits are obtained when you start walking faster, because it increases your heart and breathing rate. When you move so much that you can still talk but not sing it means that we went from light physical activity to moderate physical activity.
Running efficiency
So what is the difference between running and walking? Running is certainly more efficient because it’s not just about increasing speed. Running requires more energy, more power and more strength than a simple walk also because, by lifting one foot at a time, a series of jumps follow one another. For beginners, running at any pace, even slowly, is a way to make the heart and lungs work harder: it will increase the effort until reaching what is called vigorous activity (breathing so intense that only a few words can be uttered).
He survived the race
International guidelines recommend 150 to 300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, or half the time with vigorous activity, such as running. In terms of longevity, some studies have discovered that running is more effective.
In 2011 researchers from Taiwan they asked over 400 thousand adults how much vigorous (such as running) and moderate (such as walking) exercises they did. They found that regular five-minute runs extended people’s lives as much as walking for 15 minutes. A regular 25-minute run and a walk of about an hour and a half resulted in about a 35% lower risk of death over the next eight years.
In a 2014 study it was seen that those who run regularly (even below 9 kilometers per hour) were 30% fitter than walkers and sedentary people, with a 30% lower risk of dying in the next 15 . The benefits of running are many, they increase with training and have repercussions on longevity says Gianfranco Beltrami, sports doctor, vice president of the Italian Society of Sports Medicine. Jogging is an aerobic activity and the cardiovascular system benefits first and foremost. As running intensifies and is practiced regularly, a small revolution occurs in the body: blood pressure, heart rate, “bad” cholesterol (LDL), glycaemia (glucose in the blood) decrease and good cholesterol increases. (Hdl). All these metabolic changes translate into a lower risk of diabetes, stroke, heart attack and thrombosis in general. It also improves lung capacity, sleeps better and keeps osteoporosis at bay. Running is also good for the brain, because it promotes the production of endorphins and other natural opioids, enkephalins, which reduce anxiety and improve mood. If that wasn’t enough, running helps you lose weight. If you run long and often, the extra pounds will go away without too much difficulty.
Even if running seems to offer more benefits, also in terms of longevity, it is not entirely correct to fossilize. The best benefits are obtained when you go from the sofa to do an exercise, even a small one. Whether it’s walking or running, what matters is consistency. Certainly adding vigorous exercises to your training will increase the benefits.
Side effects of running
However, running can have side effects and is not an activity suitable for everyone. In fact, it can have a significant impact on connective tissue (bones, tendons, ligaments, cartilage) and injuries are more common among runners than among fast walkers. To reduce the risk of accidents, you need to give your body time to get used to running. And this also applies to those who return to racing after a long stop. In fact, running is a high impact activity. Every time they land, runners put stress on their bodies equal to about three times their body weight. The problem is that running has a higher incidence of trauma – adds Beltrami – and for people with osteoarticular pathologies such as osteoarthritis of the knees or with cardiovascular and respiratory pathologies it is not indicated and can actually make the pathological picture worse. So for those who can, the race is better. Alternatively, fast walking alternates with short stretches of slow running, and for the more injured only walking. Those who are overweight or obese should avoid running to limit the risk of injury, particularly to the ligaments and cartilage of the meniscus.
In general running offers more health benefits than walking he also claims Luiz Carlos Hespanhol
who has published many works on running. His studies found that after a year of training, just two hours a week, runners lost weight, reduced body fat, lowered their resting heart rate and reduced blood triglycerides. Running or walking, however, depends on your possibilities and preferences. You may choose running because the health benefits are greater and come more quickly. Or alternatively you can opt for brisk walking because it involves fewer risks than running.
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January 7, 2024 (modified January 7, 2024 | 1:29 pm)
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