Does running or incline walking offer a stronger advantage when it comes to burning fat?
In the ongoing debate between incline walking and running for weight loss, both exercises have their unique benefits and drawbacks.
Portia Boston, a NASM-certified personal trainer, Pilates instructor, and certified holistic health coach, highlights the effectiveness of incline walking. By increasing the incline, your body works harder against gravity, leading to higher fat utilization and calorie expenditure. This intensity can rival or even exceed running at certain speeds due to the added demand on muscles and cardiovascular system[2][3][4].
For instance, every 1% increase in incline can lead to about a 10% increase in calories burned[3]. Moreover, incline walking is generally lower impact and easier to sustain for longer durations, which supports longer-term consistency, a critical factor for fat loss[2][4].
However, the calorie burn between incline walking and running depends on the pace and intensity. Running at a fast pace on a flat surface often burns more total calories than walking on an incline at a slower pace[1]. Thus, the key is the total calorie deficit created across activities rather than the method alone.
Popular incline walking workouts like the “12-3-30” (12% incline, 3 mph, 30 minutes) encourage fat burning with lower impact and improved muscle engagement[2]. On the other hand, running can be a more time-efficient calorie burner but carries higher joint impact and demands more recovery[3][5].
The best approach depends on your fitness level, goals, and what you can do consistently for a calorie deficit[2][5]. In summary, if the calorie deficits are equal, incline walking can be more effective for fat loss by promoting greater muscle activation and sustainable exercise duration, but faster running may burn more calories per unit time. Consistency and total calorie deficit remain the most important factors for fat loss.
Both incline walking and running offer numerous health benefits. They improve heart and lung health, reduce the risk of chronic illnesses like osteoarthritis and heart disease, and provide mental health benefits like the release of endorphins that trigger a positive feeling.
Incline walking is a low-impact exercise, making it kinder on the joints compared to running. This makes it an excellent option for anyone with fussy knees. It adds resistance to a workout, recruiting the glutes and quads more than a flat walk, resulting in a stronger lower body.
However, it's important to note that neither incline walking nor running specifically targets belly fat. The location of fat in your body and where you'll lose it is primarily determined by hormones and genetic makeup.
When it comes to building muscle, targeted strength training like dumbbell leg workouts is more efficient. Running can help build lower-body muscle, but more noticeable results can be achieved through sprinting and hill runs.
Investing in a decent pair of walking or running shoes is essential for both sports, and a fitness tracker can help track distance, calories, and other metrics.
An adult weighing 140lbs can burn 310 calories by running at a speed of 6-6.3 mph for 30 minutes, while the same person burns 177 calories by walking uphill at a moderate pace on an incline of 1-5% for the same amount of time.
In conclusion, whether you're a beginner or an experienced fitness enthusiast, both incline walking and running can be effective tools in your weight loss journey. The key lies in finding the activity you enjoy and can do consistently to create a calorie deficit.
- Portia Boston, a fitness professional, advocateates for incline walking as it can burn more calories due to increased intensity and higher fat utilization.
- In fitness-and-exercise, consistency is crucial for fat loss, and incline walking can support longer durations, promoting a more sustainable exercise routine.
- However, the calorie burn between incline walking and running varies; running at a fast pace on a flat surface typically burns more calories than incline walking at a slower pace.
- Science emphasizes the importance of total calorie deficit for weight loss, making both incline walking and running effective if they result in a sufficient calorie deficit.
- For mental health benefits, both sports offer improvements in heart and lung health, reduced risk of illnesses, and the release of endorphins that boost mood.
- When considering weight management, targeted strength training like dumbbell leg workouts is more efficient than either incline walking or running for building muscle.
