Running or walking: which activity burns the most calories!

By Heather

This blog is inspired by last week's guest blogger's claim that suggested that running and walking burn the same calories per mile.

I love both activties since they are both very natural to me, especially the walking. Surprisingly, although I would always say I hate running, after a few years of reasonably consistent jogging I HAVE TO go: something inside of me just says, it's time to go jogging now, get your kit on. This week I added running at -4 degrees celsius to my list of ever increasing foolishness!

Why do people think running and walking burn the same number of calories per mile?

Because walking a mile and running a mile involves moving the same body weight over the same distance. It appears this type of thinking is elementary and researchers have quashed this type of thinking once and for all with some empirical analysis.

In a paper titled, "Energy Expenditure of Walking and Running" by researchers at Syracuse University, they looked at the calories burnt by 12 men and 12 women when they walked versus when they run over a distance of 1,600 metres (a mile).

The results:

• The men burnt c.124 calories/mile when they run and 88 calories/mile walking
• The women burnt c.105 calories/mile when they run and 74 calories/mile walking

Why do you burn more when you run?

• You burn 5 calories for every litre of oxygen you consume/use up and running usually involves a higher requirement for and consumption of energy and hence oxygen.
• Walking doesn't change your centre of gravity much because your legs are fairly straight and close to the ground; but running, on the other hand, normally involves lifting your leg quite high above the ground so more energy is needed to fight gravity

Overall therefore the more intense you make your work out and the more out of breath you get, the more you're burning. Indeed, as you get fitter you need to work harder and harder to get out of breath. 

Why did the men in the experiment burn more than the women?

• They weighed more and they generally have more muscles to power hence more oxygen is consumed.
• A little formula for you:

Running

Walking

​Total Calories Burnt per Mile

.75 x your weight (in lbs.)

.53 x your weight (in lbs.)

​Net Calories Burnt per Mile*

.63 x your weight (in lbs.)

.30 x your weight (in lbs.)

​* Net calories account for the calories you would have burnt anyway if you were just sitting around.

Interestingly, you will enjoy a fitness advantage even before your body reaches your goal weight. For instance, although I'm chubbier than my husband he was annoyed to find that my resting heart rate and my blood pressure were both better than his. It's all the jogging I do, 10 km per week almost without fail will do that!

The above said, I can walk for two hours quite comfortably but I can only run for 35- 45 minutes before I've had enough especially when it's very hot or very cold so if you enjoy walking, keep walking, you're still burning more than you would do at rest.

References: 

• Runners World, 
• Energy Expenditure in Different Modes of Exercise, ACSM
• Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: Volume 36 (12) December 2004 pp 2128-2134

​Although your personal finances and your business success are my primary interest, I believe you only operate at peak efficiency when you're fit and healthy. If you feel good, it filters through to your work. To help you with that, click for your free ebook: The Quick Guide to Sexy
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