Does running/walking the same amount of distance burn the same amount of fat? Say it takes me 10 mins to run one mile and 20 mins to walk it. Will the outcome be the same?

I did 1.2 miles in 30 mins today.. Burned around 150 calories. Holy crap! I knew I was out of shape, but I didn't know it was that bad- I'm exhausted. I think I'd rather just eat 150 calories less instead of running! First day actually trying to exercise in 3 years and I'm drained. I have asthma so I don't know if that makes it worse for me to run or maybe I'm just thinking of an excuse to make myself feel better!

I'm not even running. More like jogging/walking. Does anyone have a better plan for the treadmill? Does it get better the more you do it?

I've been stuck at 152-153 pounds for a week now

I also have asthma, so I can relate.

4 weeks ago I joined a gym, I could do intervals of maybe 1 minute running at 4-4.5mph, 2 walking at 3.0. Now I can run 2 miles straight at 5.0! That's a huge improvement in 4 weeks. The key in consistency. I very much want to run a half marathon in January so running is a big thing for me right now. It isn't for everyone though.

I have read that you burn the same amount of calories per mile whether running or walking. Obviously one just takes longer than the other.

Walking is great for you. It burns some calories but it is really good for your body. Start with walking and as your fitness improves, think about other kinds of exercise you might want to start doing. It really doesn't have to be running.

(You don't burn a ton of calories walking or running. Not compared to how long it takes to eat those calories! You're better off thinking about your exercise as separate from your eating: it's good for you and it will make you feel good and it will help you stick to your eating plan. The burned calories are a bonus!)

Like!

Personally, I strength train, and toss in some HIIT now and then. Whatever workout program you end up with, should be one you like to do, can do, and will do. As long as you are doing something, you are lapping everyone on the sofa!

I'm also asthmatic, and besides the occasional flair, it's mostly exercise induced. Drives me crazy. Sometimes I wonder if the tightness and feeling like I'm going to suffocate is all in my mind. I've never, in my life, been physically active. Having to exert myself is new, and I don't like the feeling of being uncomfortable. I'm sure those who have always been active or were active in their younger years have adapted to that feeling of discomfort while exercising hard.

It does get easier if you stick with it. If you really want to run, you just have to set a goal. I hear Couch to 5K is good plan. I did my own routine to build up my time based on this couch to 5K. It took a lot longer, but when you're lungs are on fire, it helps to build up more slowly. IMHO.

I say I run, but it's really more like a jog. I'm a slow runner. I have come to enjoy it more than other exercises, and it's my preference for the moment. Who knows what I'll end up doing next, but right now, running is my thing.

If it's really not your thing, I hear this Nordic Walking is a really great workout, and burns the same calories as running in about the same amount of time. I'm not sure if that's true or not, but it's something worth investigating.

Whether it's walking or running, the faster you go the more calories you burn.

I think you should stay around a comfortable level for you, try and push yourself a bit more at times. Even if you were to time yourself if your doing the same walk, pick points where you can try and beat a previous time, so you challenge yourself.

Also if your stuck around a certain weight, look at reducing your carbs.

Exercise is a complicated thing, and we can all argue biochemistry all day long until we are blue in the face regarding what happens at a cellular level to fat cells when we exercise at one level vs another. The fact is that you will get better the more you do it, and most of us are not qualified to make complicated arguments of exercise physiology(especially me). So that being said, I have heard that the distance being the same, the time doesn't matter, and the calories will be equal. Do I know this for a fact? No I do not. But I do know you should do the most challenging exercise you can maintain for the time you can maintain it. Intervals of high intensity are particularly effective at burning calories, and will help you improve your fitness for distance. You should not be easily walking along on the treadmill eating a donut and chilin' with your homies. Exercise is supposed to challenge you.So do whatever it is that you will do, and focus on getting healthier and challenging yourself. If that means getting off the treadmill and outside, then by all means do it. Because the exercise you will do is the one that will help the most.

I thought this was an interesting question so I just looked it up. The answer: it looks like running will burn more calories than walking (for the same distance).

According to the calculator I used, walking (3.5 mph) for 30 minutes burns 134 calories, while running (7 mph) for 30 minutes burns 420 calories. In other words, going twice as fast burns three times as many calories. Which means that if you were to run a mile, you'd burn 50% more calories than if you were to walk that mile.

F.

I learned in my biology class that running and walking the same distance burns the same amount of calories. This makes sense because the energy it requires for you to move your body a certain distance is the same regardless of the speed. A lot of calculators only use minutes (instead of distance) to calculate calories burned. Running for 10 minutes will get you a lot further than walking for 10 mninutes, hence the higher calorie burn.
However, the benefit of moving faster (ie, running) is that it works your cardio and gets your metabolism up for an extended period after you're workout. Just switching from speed walking to jogging can double your heart rate.
But hey, I run/walk as well, but my pace is only as fast as some people walk (jogging 3.7-4.0 mph). The longer you do it, the easier it gets! For a long time I worked out on an elliptical, but after I reached a certain level of fitness I had to switch to running on a treadmill in order to get the workout intensity I wanted.
Just pay attention to your body's signals. If you find yourself so exhausted after a workout, take the intensity down a little bit. You'll work up to it, but don't push yourself too hard too fast!

Except that when you run, you're using MORE energy than what is strictly required to propel your body (i.e., doing more up-and-down moving rather than just moving forward).

F.

Thanks everyone! I'll stick to the treadmill for at least a few months before I decide it's not for me. I really want to build a tolerance for running a solid amount of time without stopping. You know those people that can run for like 20-30 mins straight and sweat like crazy? I wanna be one of those people one day! Haven't explored weight training yet, but I will soon cus I have fat arms!

out walking like 5 min, then up to 10 min for a bit, then gradually moved it up. I had not exercised in a LONG LONG time. Jogging about KILLED me!!! I go to a local school after hours and walk on their track, it is 180meters or 200. I could not even jog .5 of it without about passing out.That was February

Now I can walk up to 5K and time depends on the music I have on I try to add more in. I can now walk two to three and jog one lap. Seriously happy abou that!!!

Take it little by little. But don't give up!!

I hope you find this useful/relevant:

I ran regularly in training for a 10k in March. I hated almost every minute of it. Dragging myself to the gym was a chore because I didn't like running. I would often cry after working out because I felt weak. Even as my speed and endurance improved, I still felt like crap. After finishing that 10k in just over an hour I gave up running. I haven't done it since. Instead, I've been speed walking; I still sweat plenty, get my heart rate up and work my legs but I feel strong. When I finish a workout I almost always feel jazzed. Sometimes I use the elliptical and set it to a medium resistance. I always lift some kind of weight or go to a class. I changed my entire routine and I couldn't be happier.

In a way, I'm sad to have given up running–I still think of runners as being strong and in shape–but I'm gladder to have found a workout routine that doesn't make me dread the gym!

Remember to mix it up! If you're getting bored with your exercise you're less likely to keep at it.

I walk on my treadmill at 3.0 mph for 1-2 hours sometimes. I figured that an hour of that would be equivalent (calorie-wise) to me running at 6.0 for half an hour. However, when I input those exercises into some "calories burned" calculators, I get different figures---the lower one being for the walking. I think it may have to do with one's heartrate, i.e., it obviously is much higher when running than when walking. I don't know, but that's just some food for thought.