In recent years, walking has been promoted as a great way to start getting fit, and just 30 minutes per day of walking can produce benefits. However, there is still some debate about whether walking or running is better for heart health. Now, a study published this month compared exercisers burning equivalent amounts of energy from either walking or running to test if one was better for preventing heart disease.
Researchers used data from two large observational studies of runners and walkers totaling over 40,000 adults over a 6-year time span. Data showed that both running and walking decreased risk-factors for heart disease: high cholesterol, diabetes, chronic heard disease (CHD), and hypertension. There were no significant differences in risk reductions between the groups. However, they did find that the more energy burned either walking or running, the greater the decrease was for risk of heart disease.
Williams PT, Thompson PD. Walking Versus Running for Hypertension, Cholesterol, and Diabetes Mellitus Risk Reduction. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2013 Apr 4.
