Here’s Why is Walking Better than Running for Weight Loss

May

21

by Gabriela // in Diet & Fitness

1 comments

(HealthAndLovePage) Modern lifestyle doesn't leave much space for movement. This way of life with minimal movement and sitting in the workplace and at home in the front of the TV, often results in premature degenerative changes that affect our muscles, bones and joints and contribute to weight gain. Walking is the simplest, most natural and least expensive form of movement which we can use to fight the consequences of our physically inactive lifestyle. This is an excellent way to improve the health. Regardless of age, walking will preserve and improve muscle strength, flexibility and the work of the digestive, respiratory and cardiovascular system. This type of physical activity is very beneficial for the mental health too. When we talk about walking it is inevitable to mention another activity that is similar to walking – running. So, it is quite natural for people to ask which activity is better and why especially when it comes to weight loss. The following is a list of things that can help you understand why is walking better than running for weight loss.

Why is Walking Better than Running for Weight Loss?

The negative effects of running

While it is true that running comes with many benefits, a small number of people are aware of the negative effects of running. Despite the widely accepted belief that any exercise can accelerate metabolism, the truth is that running can have counter effects. Specifically, long-distance running often relies on the stocks of energy we have and the metabolism slows down. In addition, there are many people who believe that running is good for people who want to lose weight. However, the more we run, the more our body prepares for the next session, so the body needs more fat which is one of the best sources of energy. Besides that the body adjusts and the more you run you will become better and your body will use less energy and burn less calories. Does walking faster burn more calories? If you want to burn more calories per mile, you should definitely walk faster. If you manage to walk one mile in less than 30 minutes you will definitely burn more calories and in addition you will also activate more muscle groups and build stronger muscles. In other words, you will also accelerate your metabolism which is one of the keys to long-term weight loss. Aerobic training is every type of training during which the heart rate doesn't go over 120 per minute. Individuals who don’t have good fitness preparedness and want to use running will soon realize that their system will start using anaerobic heart rate and that the body will stop using the fat reserves and rely on the muscles instead. Walking is a light aerobic exercise, ideal for beginners and people suffering from obesity and overweight problems. It is much easier to control the work of the heart during this type of exercise and the consumption of calories remains equal. This change will significantly increase the effects of your exercise. During physical activity, the body increases the production of cortisol – stress hormone that is closely related to increased food cravings and appetite. After a regular running exercise you will spend few hundred calories, but the craving for food will be so strong that you will probably get back all of those calories. On the other hand, during walking the level of cortisol is decreased while the level of serotonin is increased. The latter is providing a feeling of pleasure and improved mood. These feelings reduce food cravings.

Long walk vs short run

There is no universal answer for this question. It depends on the amount of time you spent on this physical activity and the intensity. However, no matter if you decide to walk or run, try to practice several different intervals of acceleration instead of using the same pace. Sources:
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