Walking as Good for Heart as Running

Walking is as good as running to improve and maintain heart health, according to a new study.

The study was based on data obtained from 33,060 runners from the National Runners' Health Study and more than 15,000 walkers from the National Walkers' Health Study.

"Walking and running provide an ideal test of the health benefits of moderate-intensity walking and vigorous-intensity running because they involve the same muscle groups and the same activities performed at different intensities," said Paul T. Williams from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Life Science Division in Berkeley, Calif., and lead author of the study.

Results showed that energy spent doing a moderate level physical activity like walking, or doing a high intensity level activity like running, was equally good for the heart and had similar effects on blood pressure, cholesterol levels and diabetes.

The study looked at the distance that walkers and runners covered rather than the time.

Williams said that when people spent the same amount of energy walking or running, their health benefits were comparable.

The data also showed that walking reduced the risk of hypertension and high cholesterol by 7.2 and 7 percent respectively, while running reduced the risk by 4.2 percent and 4.3 percent.

People who walked had 12.3 percent lower diabetes, while people who ran had a 12.1 percent lower diabetes risk.

Data on heart health of the study participants showed that running reduced heart disease risk by 4.5 percent when compared to walking, which reduced the risk by 9.3 percent.

People in the U.S. are advised to get at least 2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate physical activity a week, along with muscle strengthening exercises two or more days a week, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, people find it difficult to get the recommended amount of physical activity due to busy lifestyles and social engagements.

"People are always looking for an excuse not to exercise, but now they have a straightforward choice to run or to walk and invest in their future health," Williams said in a news release.

The study is published in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.