This is Why You Should Walk, Not Run To Lose Weight.

This is Why You Should Walk, Not Run To Lose Weight1

Most of us have heard rumors throughout the years that walking is better than running as a form of healthy exercise to lose weight. ‘They say’ that running is worse on your joints and even your heart! Accordingly, the answer to the debate may not be as obvious as it seems. There have been plenty of arguments over the past several years relating to the benefits of walking in comparison to running and the results are in.

A U.S. News & World Report released in April says that we should walk, not run to lose weight. To study walking versus running, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California conducted a six year National Walkers’ and Runners’ Health Study. It was reported that when they compared men and women who increased their walking or running, they found that running expended more energy than walking.

People who choose to run may be different however, they may be more physically fit, for example – than people who choose to walk.

It is stated that while walking may not provide the same calorie burning effects as running, it can prove to be a much healthier alternative for some individuals. Where running increases cortisol, walking decreases it.

So – let’s talk about Cortisol for a minute

Cortisol is another term for hydrocortisone – a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex and usually used medicinally to treat inflammation resulting from eczema and rheumatism. The adrenal cortex is the outer portion of the adrenal gland located on top of each kidney. The adrenal cortex produces steroid hormones which regulate carbohydrate and fat metabolism and mineralocorticoid hormones which regulate salt and water balance in the body.

Why do we care?

The production of cortisol – which is also known as a stress hormone, is increased by intensive cardio exercising. This hormone is said to increase food cravings since your body wants to substitute the calories that you have burned with the cardio exercise. Accordingly, you will not only substitute the burned calories, but you are also likely to consume even more calories when you do intensive cardio exercises.

After an intense cardio exercise, you become leptin-resistant. This means that your body cannot feel full. As stated by WebMD “In leptin resistance, your leptin is high, which means you’re fat, but your brain can’t see it. In other words, your brain is starved, while your body is obese. And that’s what obesity is: it’s brain starvation.”

Leptin is defined as a protein produced by fatty tissue and believed to regulate fat storage in the body.

Take note that the thyroid gland can also be negatively affected by cardio exercise. The thyroid gland produces T-4 hormone. This hormone is transformed into T-3 hormone, a hormone that regulates the function of your metabolism. The increased levels of cortisol prevent the gland to produce the T-4 hormone. When your metabolism is not functioning properly, it is unable to burn fat and therefore you lose energy.

There are other things to consider. When you do steady state cardio (like running), you definitely burn calories from fat, but you are also burning calories from muscle. Muscles are more metabolic and burn more calories at rest than fat does.

The body is designed for efficiency, meaning if you do the same thing over and over again, the process becomes easier. This will apply to your running workouts too. The workouts will start to feel more effortless, but your metabolism learns this and reacts in such a fashion so that fewer calories are burned with the same exercise output.

According to a report in the Huffington Post – this is where traditional “steady state” running falls short on a long term weight loss plan. It was stated that research was conducted at the University of Tampa that found that doing steady state cardio — such as running on the treadmill for 45 minutes at a consistent pace that’s not near maximal effort — helps out with weight loss … but only initially. Subjects are said to have lost a few pounds during the first week and then the weight loss tapered off. This is because their metabolism had adjusted and now didn’t need to work as hard to burn off the fat.

Otherwise, results are in from another, more recent study conducted by Chris Slentz and his colleagues at the Duke University School of Medicine in North Carolina. The study recruited 120 overweight or obese middle aged men and women. They were then randomly assigned to one of three exercise programs or to a non exercising control group.

The participants worked out on treadmills, cycles, or elliptical trainers at an intensity equal to either walking or jogging and all were told not to change what they ate.

Those who exercised the equivalent of walking 11 miles a week had lost the same amount of weight – about three pounds – as those who exercised the equivalent of jogging 11 miles per week after six months.

“It takes longer to burn the same amount of calories when you’re doing moderate-intensity activity like walking instead of running or other vigorous exercise,” explained Slentz. “Intensity doesn’t have a significant effect on weight loss or fat loss,” he adds. What matters is the total number of calories you burn.

What about your Overall Health though?

A study conducted in 2013 by the American Heart Association’s Journal of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology concluded that “Equivalent energy expenditures by moderate walking and vigorous running exercise produced similar risk reductions for hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes and possibly CHD.

Remember the loss of muscle mass by running that we just discussed a moment ago? – Running is said to stress the immune system. Dr. Uwe Schutz, from University Hospital of Ulm, Germany told Reuters Health that – for example – long distance runners are more susceptible to developing infections. Because such training as long distance running not only burns fat, but also muscle tissue – this places undue burdens on the body’s immune system.

Running can also Damage your Heart

In the journal Circulation, researchers are said to have performed echocardiographic measurements of cardiac function in 60 recreational runners before and 20 minutes after the 2004 and 2005 Boston Marathon. What they found was that before the race, none of the runners had elevated serum markers for cardiac stress. After the race, 36 runners, or sixty percent, had elevated markers of a certain triplet of proteins called troponin. Troponin is a major component of cardiac muscle but elevated levels of subtypes of these proteins can lead to cardiovascular damage.

Furthermore, the researchers also discovered that 24 runners, or forty percent, developed signs of myocardial necrosis, irreversible damage to heart muscle cells They also discovered that at least 10 studies from 2004 to 2006 that documented increases in myocardial damage.

Consider that there is no evidence that a brisk walk will destroy heart muscles or cells!

There are ongoing studies related to the risks and rewards when it comes to exercising. The verdict is still undecided when it comes to hip and joint health. It has been stated in a study published by the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association that running does not cause osteoarthritis, but after a certain point, reduced risk of disease is offset by an increased risk of injury and osteoarthritis. You’re more likely “to deplete the joint of the lubricating glycoproteins, disrupt the collagen network, slowly wear away the cartilage, and cause numerous microfractures in the underlying bones,” according to the research study.

According to Mother Nature Network, running can also damage cartilage. There was a study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine which is referenced here stating that there is a continuing controversy as to whether long-distance running results in irreversible articular cartilage damage. This specific study concluded that through the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), biochemical changes in articular cartilage remained elevated after three months of reduced activity. This suggests a higher risk for degeneration after the patellofemoral joint and medial compartment of the knee showed the greatest wear and tear.

The results are as of yet undecided. There are benefits to walking and running, both, for a healthy workout. It is important to take your diet into consideration when mapping out an exercise plan. Researchers and doctors agree that each individual should follow a plan according to their particular situation.

Talk with your doctor relating to health concerns you have about running or walking in terms of your cardio weight loss plan. It is important to remember that running puts more effort on your body than really necessary. Walking WILL do the trick… it just might take a little longer.

Have patience. Be safe and healthy!

https://www.consumerhealthdigest.com/fitness/this-is-why-you-should-walk-not-run-to-lose-weight.html