Walk or Run?

[Arnav2017]

Apologies if this is a very basic question but what is more beneficial mainly if the target is to loose the weight?

Walking or Running?

[USAF-Larry · Accepted solution]

Either, @Arnav2017, depending upon your fitness level, your comfort level, and your goals.  The important thing is to get moving.

[WendyB]

I agree. It depends on what you like as well.

Me I will run sometimes but I prefer Walking a lot better.

[AndyDandyPandy]

Running is always the best. The faster your heart rate the more calories you burn, the healthier your heart is and many more. Not anyone can just start running though. I'm talking about 2-5 miles nonstop. Even thin people who are normal weight cannot run well if they're out of shape when doing distance running. I started from walking then jogging and finally running. Start training and become a runner. You'll enjoy it. Running is the mother of all exercise.

[Dominique]

First of all, any activity is better than no activity. Do what’s enjoyable and sustainable for you. If running feels like a chore and it puts your joints at risk, then it’s not going to be good for you.

If you look at walking and running purely from an energy expenditure point of you, running burns more calories than walking per unit of time. OTOH, many people can easily walk two hours straight, but would have a hard time running (even at a mild pace) for more than half an hour. Also, walking is an activity you can do everyday without a need for recovery, while intensive running may need recovery.

I’d say neither is better or worse (for fat loss), each have their benefits. I personally do both, but I prefer walking. I definitely burn more calories (in absolute terms) walking, simply because I walk an average of 1.5 hours per day, while I only run 20-30 minutes per day.