Running Versus Walking for Losing Weight
October 29th, 2007Over the years I have worked as a personal trainer, one of the most common topics of discussion I seem to have is the comparison between running versus walking for losing weight. Most people seem to think that they need to run to lose weight and that walking is not as effective as running. These same people are pleasantly surprised when I explain to them how walking is actually better than running if your goal is to burn fat from your body.
When you run your body needs a high quality fuel source for it energy requirements and therefore it will burn either food or muscle tissue before it will burn fat. Food and muscle tissue are the ideal high quality fuel source for a high intensity workout like running. Since running is such a strenuous activity, stored body fat will not supply the energy the body needs to be able to run for any length of time.
For those of you who like to walk, here is some good news. Walking is a low intensity form of exercise and probably the best workout for burning fat from your body. Since walking does not put such a strain on the muscular make up of the body or the central nervous system like running does, walking promotes fat loss. Fat can and will supply the necessary fuel the body needs while walking. Therefore, in a comparison between running versus walking for losing fat, walking wins.
Now it is important to know when the best time to walk to burn fat from your body is and that time is when your body has a minimum amount food in its system or when your blood sugar levels are low. Basically, your blood sugar levels will be at their lowest the longer you have gone without eating. Usually your blood sugar levels are at their lowest point on waking each day since you have not eaten since the day before. For this reason, walking on an empty stomach forces the body to use fat for energy instead of food.
Many of personal training clients have had great success with walking for losing fat, especially the ones who walk for an hour just after they wake each morning before they eat any food. Even if you did not adjust your diet at all, you would probably notice a drop in your body fat levels after a couple of months if you walked for an hour before breakfast at least 4-5 mornings per week.
Ideally, if you were to adjust your daily eating plan to avoid too many carbohydrates and an excess of fatty foods, you would lose a significant amount of body fat if you walked for an hour most mornings without having to perform any other exercise what so ever.
There are no tricks with this simple walking plan, just do not put anything in your mouth other than water before you begin your morning walk and you will find that walking is more effective than running if your primary goal is to burn body fat in a relatively fast and very safe manner. Once you get back from your morning walk you can eat breakfast as you normally would and go about your day.
My new book, the Big Book of Bodybuilding is full of up to date useful information on burning fat fast and building muscle for both men and women of all ages. With the right information and a little bit of effort, anybody can transform their body and their life. I have seen this happen with many of my personal training clients over the years, even with people who were significantly overweight and out of shape.
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