The two most popular workouts for weight loss include walking and running/jogging especially for beginners. A basic 20 to 30-minute workout, in the form of walking, is recommended by experts for not only weight loss, maintaining body but also rejuvenating the mind. Brisk walks and jogging is a preferred form of workout by many people who have a hectic schedule and can’t hit the gym.
There is always a debate with people who walk and runners as which is a better form of workout to lose weight. Most people believe that running burns more calories than walking. But there are other factors one needs to take into considering while choosing the perfect workout.
Research
A six-year survey published by the Medicine and Science in Sports Exercise collected data from more than 30,000 runners and 15,000 walkers to determine which group lost more weight and maintained it for a longer time.
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The study concluded that both runners and walkers were burning the same amount of calories in a week but the runners were able to maintain their weight better over a period of time. The factor of high-intensity workout and exercises come into play for better maintenance of weight. As compared to low-intensity workout, vigorous exercises increase your metabolic rate and burn more calories hours after finishing the workout.
The high-intensity exercises can be finished quickly, giving more time to include extra exercises in your routine.
In another study published in the Journal of Obesity, researchers investigated the hormonal regulators of appetite in walkers and runners to observe which group ate more in the following 60-minute after a workout. As per the study, both groups were served a buffet after their exercise session and the results were calculated. The walkers ate 50 calories more than they burned during walking, while runners ate 200 calories less than what they burned during running.
Although running looks like the more effective workout for maintaining body weight in the long run but if you want to be regular with working out and don’t enjoy running, the best way forward is ‘Walking.’