Just go and do it

It’s an age-old question when it comes to exercise.

Which is better for you: walking or running?

The answer? It depends. Specifically, it depends on the individual, age, general health, conditioning, or the goal of the exercise program.

“There are pros and cons to each,” said Dr. Suzanne Lutton, a cardiologist with Intercoastal Medical Group. “The pros to running is that it burns more calories, and walking is easier on your joints.”

Indeed. For a 160-pound person, running for an hour at a fast pace will burn around 800 calories. By comparison, that same person can burn about 300 calories by walking briskly for an hour, the Mayo Clinic says.

On the flip side, there’s the injury factor to consider, Lutton said.

Runners can get runner’s knee, stress fractures and muscle pulls, to name a few. It’s estimated that 65% to 80% of all runners will be laid up with an injury, mostly from overtraining, active.com said. Plus, it is important to speak with your doctor before starting an exercise program, Lutton said.

“Walking is easier on the joints,” Lutton said.

But runners have less risk of developing osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, said Dr. Chippy Nalluri, a Sarasota cardiologist.

“Running is more efficient,” she said, in terms of benefits received for the amount of time spent on the activity.

 If a person decides to walk, Lutton suggests 12 to 15 miles a week to achieve maximum cardiovascular benefits. This distance has been proven to lower the risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stiffness, mental stress and obesity, she said.

While 12 to 15 miles may look like a daunting task to some, Lutton said it is all right to break the 12 to 15 miles down into several days as long as a brisk pace – 3.5 miles mph – is maintained.

“That is a good, safe range,” Lutton said.

What Lutton does caution against is being a weekend warrior and trying to pack a week’s worth of cardio exercise into two days. That could lead to an injury. Start out easy and work your way up, she said.

If you insist on running, walk first and then run, she said. As you build stamina, decrease the amount of time you walk and increase your running time. A person’s risk of injury is also lowered, too.

“It’s much safer that way,” said Lutton, adding that you need to keep a pace where you are not winded and are able to talk.

The bottom line, Lutton said, is to get out there and do something.

“Pick something you’re comfortable with and enjoy doing,” she said.

It’s an age-old question when it comes to exercise.

Which is better, walking or running?

And there is no definitive answer because it depends on the individual, age, general health, conditioning, or what is trying to accomplish with an exercise program, cardiologists said.

“There are pros and cons to each,” said Dr. Suzanne Lutton, a cardiologist with Intercoastal Medical Group. “The pros to running is that it burns more calories, and walking is easier on your joints.”

Indeed. For a 160-pound person, running for an hour will burn around 800 calories. By comparison, if that same person walked for an hour, then she would use up 300 calories, according to the Mayo Clinic.

On the flip side, there’s the injury factor to consider when starting a running program, Lutton said.

Runners can get runner’s knee, stress fractures and muscle pulls, to name a few. It’s estimated that 65% to 80% of all runners will be laid up with an injury, mostly from overtraining, active.com said. Plus, it is important to speak with your doctor before starting an exercise program, Lutton said.

“Walking is easier on the joints,” Lutton said.

But runners have less risk of developing osteoerthritis, said Chippy Nalluri, a Sarasota cardiologist.

"Running is more efficient," she said.

But, there is a question of time. Walking obviously takes longer. If a person decides to walk, Lutton suggests walking 12 to 15 miles a week to achieve the maximum cardiovascular benefits. Walking this distance each week has proven to lower the risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stiffness, mental stress and obesity, she said.

While 12 to 15 miles may look like a daunting task to some, Lutton said it is all right to break the 12 to 15 miles down into several days as long as a brisk pace – 3.5 miles mph – is maintained.

“That is a good, safe range,” Lutton said.

What Lutton does caution against is being a weekend warrior and trying to pack a week’s worth of cardio exercise into two days. That could lead to an injury. Start out easy and work your way up, she said.

If you insist on running, walk first and then run, she said. As you build stamina, decrease the amount of time you walk and increase your running time. A person’s risk of injury is also lowered, too.

“It’s much safer that way,” said Lutton, adding that you need to keep a pace where you are not winded and are able to talk.

The bottom line, Lutton said, is to get out there and do something.

“Pick something you’re comfortable with and enjoy doing,” she said.