Walking vs running: Which burns more calories?
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When it comes to burning calories, many people wonder: should I walk or should I run? A scientific analysis looked at how many calories are used when people walk or run 1 kilometer. The results might surprise you — especially if you're trying to lose weight or just stay healthy.
What the research looked at
Researchers studied 50 adults split into three groups:
- Normal-weight walkers (NWW)
- Overweight walkers (OW)
- Marathon runners (MR)
They measured how many calories each person burned while walking or running 1 kilometer. They also looked at body weight, fat percentage, and fat-free mass (which includes muscle, bones, and organs).
Calories burned: Walking vs running
On average, the number of calories burned per kilometer was:
- Normal-weight walkers: ~58.3 kcal
- Overweight walkers: ~61.2 kcal
- Marathon runners: ~61.7 kcal
Surprisingly, walking and running burned a similar number of calories in total per kilometer — whether someone walked slowly or ran at marathon pace.
Why body weight matters
While total calories burned were close, things changed when you look at calories burned per kilogram of body weight. Here's what they found:
- Marathon runners burned the most per kilogram
- Normal-weight walkers were in the middle
- Overweight walkers burned the least per kilogram
This means that although heavier individuals burned more total calories (because they carry more weight), they burned fewer per kilo. That’s likely because fat requires less energy to move than muscle.
What about muscle mass?
When the researchers looked at calories burned per kilogram of fat-free mass (like muscle), all groups burned about the same. This shows that muscle mass is key in how many calories your body uses, regardless of overall weight.
Men vs women
In general, men burned more calories than women while walking or running 1 kilometer. But once adjusted for weight and muscle mass, the difference disappeared. So for equal muscle and body size, men and women burn similar calories.
Can you predict your calorie burn?
Yes! There's a simple formula to estimate how many calories you’ll burn walking or running 1 kilometer:
Calories = (Your weight in kg × 0.789) – (Gender × 7.634) + 51.109
(Use 1 for men and 2 for women)
For example, a woman weighing 80 kg would burn about:
80 × 0.789 – 2 × 7.634 + 51.109 ≈ 98 kcal per km
Walking 3 km (about 1 hour at 5 km/h) would burn ~294 kcal.
Which is better: Walking or running?
Both are great—it depends on your goals:
- Running burns more calories per minute but is harder on the joints
- Walking is easier and safer for beginners or people with joint pain
- Both are effective if done regularly
Final tips
- If you're new to exercise or overweight, start with walking. It’s effective and gentle on the body.
- If you're able and want to save time, running can burn more calories faster.
- Try combining both—walk some days, jog on others.
Whether you walk or run, the most important thing is to keep moving. Every step helps you get fitter and healthier.