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i believe everyone has heard that exercise is good for health, so what are the differences between different forms of exercise? which form of exercise is better for our cardiovascular health and overall lifespan?

today, we will take common walking and running as examples to talk about their differences.

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basic principles of walking and running

walking and running can be said to be the two most common aerobic exercises in life. they are basic sports skills that we have mastered since childhood. but have you ever wondered what the scientific similarities and differences between these two forms of exercise are?

walking is a low-impact aerobic exercise.it allows our feet to take turns touching the ground, supporting the body forward. when walking, our movements are relatively gentle, and each step is accompanied by a shift of the body's center of gravity, but our feet always land alternately, reducing the impact on the ground.

unlike walking,running is a relatively high-intensity aerobic exercise.it involves a "flight phase" where both feet are off the ground at the same time. in running, each step hits the ground with a greater impact because the weight of the body is momentarily supported by one foot.

whether walking or running, we can control the intensity of the exercise by adjusting the speed and incline. for example, walking uphill can increase the intensity of exercise without increasing impact, while running quickly on flat ground can burn more energy in a shorter period of time.

walking and running are good for health

what difference does the impact make?

almost all types of exercise are good for health and longevity,significant benefits for cardiovascular health, reducing hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes and coronary heart disease（CHD）risk. butbecause of different forms of exercise, walking and running have different effects on the body.

the study found that for every 1 met (metabolic equivalent) increase in energy expenditure, there was no significant difference between running and walking in reducing the risk of diabetes and chd, butwalking is slightly more effective than running in reducing the risk of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia.

from reference [2]: the horizontal axis is the energy consumption of exercise, and the vertical axis is the reduced risk ratio

considering that there is a significant weight difference between people who choose walking and running, the researchers conducted a comparison after adjusting for bmi.running was found to be slightly more effective than walking in reducing the risk of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, suggesting that running may have a more significant effect on improving the body's metabolic efficiency.another study found thatrunning has better weight loss effect,this is also confirmed.

however, as mentioned before, we can control the intensity of exercise by adjusting the speed and slope. when we increase the intensity of walking and compare brisk walking and jogging, we find that jogging may be more effective in increasing hdl-c levels, the so-called "good cholesterol"; while brisk walking is more helpful in reducing the waist-to-hip ratio and skin fold thickness. , that is, body fat, especially abdominal fat, which is closely related to the risk of cardiovascular disease.

walking and running can also help cognitive function, butrunning, especially endurance running, may have more significant structural and functional effects on the brain.especially in areas closely related to cognitive functions, such as the precentral gyrus, hippocampus and related functional connectivity.

it can be seen that walking and running are both forms of exercise that are good for the body, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. how should we choose?

walking and running

which method is more suitable for you?

generally speaking,walkit is a low-intensity, low-impact form of exercise suitable for people of all ages.especially those who are new to exercise, the elderly, or those with chronic medical conditions.this also makes it a first choice for many people due to the safety and sustainability of walking.

on the other hand,runningit is a high-intensity aerobic exercise.suitable for those who already have a certain foundation in exercise and want to further improve their cardiorespiratory endurance and weight loss.

in short, walking and running have their own merits. the key is to choose the most suitable exercise method according to your own needs and health status, gradually and persistently, and scientifically adjust the intensity and time of exercise, so that you can truly benefit from the health magic of exercise.

references

[1]Swain DP, Kelleran KJ, Graves MS, et al. Impact Forces of Walking and Running at the Same Intensity. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(4):1042-9.

[2]Williams PT, Thompson PD. Walking versus running for hypertension, cholesterol, and diabetes mellitus risk reduction. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2013;33(5):1085-91.

[3]Williams PT. Greater weight loss from running than walking during a 6.2-yr prospective follow-up. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2013;45(4):706-13.

[4]Suter E, Marti B, Gutzwiller F. Jogging or walking--comparison of health effects. Ann Epidemiol. 1994;4(5):375-81.

[5]Serra L, Petrosini L, Mandolesi L, et al. Walking, Running, Swimming: An Analysis of the Effects of Land and Water Aerobic Exercises on Cognitive Functions and Neural Substrates. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(23):16310.

[6]Hamaya R, Shiroma EJ Jr, Moore CC, et al Time- vs Step-Based Physical Activity Metrics for Health. JAMA Intern Med. 2024;184(7):718-725.

planning and production

author丨jiang yongyuan, master of internal medicine, third military medical university

review丨tang qin chief researcher of the science popularization department of the chinese medical association

planning丨zhong yanping

editor丨zhong yanping

reviewer丨xu lai linlin