Walking vs. Jogging

Mile for mile, walking generally burns about 25 percent fewer calories than jogging and is less beneficial in terms of improving cardiovascular fitness, says Maurice Puyau, an exercise physiologist with the USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine.

But, if you walk farther and more frequently than you would jog and keep your heart rate up while walking, don't worry. You'll burn calories and get great benefits.

Your body weight, effort level and the distance covered are the major factors that affect the number of calories you burn and the cardiovascular benefits you reap when walking or jogging.

To estimate the calories burned when walking on a flat surface, use this quick calculation:

Calories Burned = 0.57 x Your Body Weight x Miles

When jogging:

Calories Burned = 0.75 x Your Body Weight x Miles

To walk off 1 pound of fat, or 3,500 calories, a 150-pound person would need to walk 41 miles, or about 40 minutes a day, five times a week, for a month. Walking combined with small changes in your diet can significantly speed weight loss.

To get the greatest cardiovascular benefits from walking, choose a pace that allows you to talk but makes singing difficult.

- From Kids' Nutrition Q&A, USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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