The conclusion might surprise you.
It has been discovered that a brisk walk may reduce the risk of heart disease more than jogging. The research involved 2 groups – one made out of runners and the other out of walkers. Of the 33,060 runners and the 15,045 walkers, the walkers benefited more through brisk walks than the runners. The participants were a variety between 18 – 80 years of age.
Whilst both are extremely beneficial, it was discovered that the runners reduced their heart risks by 4.5%, whilst walking reduced it by a whopping 9.3%. These extreme differences were also found in calorie counts, where fast-paced walking burned off more numbers than walking.
But wait – there’s more.
Brisk walking has also shown that it can reduce diabetes risks by an incredible 12%.
The research leader, Dr. Paul Williams, of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, said that, “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,”
“The more the runners ran, and the walkers walked, the better off they were in health benefits. If the amount of energy expended was the same between the two groups, then the health benefits were comparable.
“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.”
Investing in exercise is not just an investment of time, but also for the future – if such facts show anything, it’s that the investment is not a waste of time – nor a mark on your lifeline.