Monday, June 20, 2011

Reasons to Get Your "Run" On!

How many times have you been to the gym and watched people walking away their time on treadmills? True, walking can be a great start in building cardiovascular strength, weight loss, and overall health & fitness, but, after reaching weight loss plateaus or struggling with endurance with other moderate exercises, why aren't you running?

Running can burn up to 50% MORE than walking the same distance. This is because in walking, our legs don't bend as much, and we are at a low center of gravity. Meaning, your are basically staying ground level. When you run, you are in a sense "jumping" from one leg to another, and that raises our center of gravity, adding more weight resistance, thereby burning more calories.

What's the Burn? A Calorie Calculator
You can use the formulas below to determine your calorie-burn while running and walking. The "Net Calorie Burn" measures calories burned, minus basal metabolism. Scientists consider this the best way to evaluate the actual calorie-burn of any exercise. The walking formulas apply to speeds of 3 to 4 mph. At 5 mph and faster, walking burns more calories than running.
Your Total Calorie Burn/Mile
Your Net Calorie Burn/Mile
Running
.75 x your weight (in lbs.)
.63 x your weight
Walking
.53 x your weight

.30 x your weight

Adapted from "Energy Expenditure of Walking and Running," Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise, Cameron et al, Dec. 2004.


The American College of Sports Medicine also reports that long distance runners have higher HDL (good cholestrol) levels and decreased triglycerides and over all body fat. Also, there was a 50% reduction in high blood pressure.

By all means, I'm not trying to tell you ONLY run! Because of health or physical problems, running might not be an option for some. I myself have a tendency to get shin splints if I push myself too much running, walking, or doing by cardio classes. I'm just offering up an option to those that continuously just walk on treadmills, not mixing it up, and complaining the scale isn't changing it's number!

References:
Runner's World
MedicineNet.com

4 comments:

  1. I have my daughter ride out to the park on her bike while I run along side her. That has been a great way to start running.

    It's murder on the knees, though.

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  2. I agree Tommy, which is why it's not great for everyone. Plus, there are a lot of high school runners, that now have bad/visible varicose veins in their legs. I don't think I'll ever be a long distance or marathon runner, but this definitely goes out to all the people that just walk on treadmills constantly, and never change it up and complain about how they aren't losing weight. *s*

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  3. I'm a runner all of a sudden. this has been going on for a few week and there's no sign of me stopping! I'm running for fitness, so I'm only working on 10-12 miles per week as I mix it up with my other exercises. Speed work is my favorite! I ran today and I've scheduled myself to run again Monday. weeeeee!!!! (have a great weekend, Cher!)

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  4. Yes, many have issues that they can't run BUT there are other options to push yourself if you can only walk "slow enough" to really not do what needs to be done.

    I am so happy that I now have my Hoka shoes that are letting me do my running and my interval & HIIT training again!

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