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When it comes to losing weight, many people believe jogging is automatically better than walking. After all, running feels harder, makes you sweat more and burns more calories. But is walking actually better for fat loss?
The answer may surprise you.
Walking vs. Jogging: Which Burns More?
If you compare the same amount of time, jogging generally burns more calories than walking. For example, a 70kg person may burn roughly 130–190 calories during 30 minutes of brisk walking, compared with around 250–370 calories while jogging for the same amount of time.
So, calorie for calorie, jogging wins.
But weight loss isn't just about what happens during one workout. It's about what you can consistently do over weeks and months.
Why Walking Can Still Be Great for Weight Loss
Walking is simple, accessible and relatively low impact. You don't need special training, and you usually don't need as much recovery afterwards. That makes it easier to build walking into your everyday routine.
You could walk before work, during your lunch break, after dinner or while running errands. Even short walks can add up when you do them regularly. Now imagine two people trying to lose weight. One runs intensely for two weeks, gets exhausted and stops. The other walks 30–60 minutes most days and keeps going for six months. The second person's exercise habit may ultimately contribute more to weight loss. Consistency can beat intensity when intensity isn't sustainable.
Want to Burn More While Walking?
Walking doesn't have to mean strolling slowly. You can increase the challenge by:
- Walking at a faster pace
- Walking uphill
- Using a treadmill incline
- Increasing your walking duration
- Adding more steps throughout the day
Incline walking can significantly increase the effort on burning calories while generally creating less impact than running.
What About the “Fat-Burning Zone”?
You may have heard that walking burns more fat because lower-intensity exercise uses a higher percentage of fat for energy. There is some truth to this, but it doesn't mean walking automatically causes more body-fat loss. Your body uses both fat and carbohydrates for energy during exercise. For actual weight loss, what matters most is your overall calorie balance over time. In simple terms, you need to consistently use more energy than you consume.
So, Should You Walk or Jog?
The best choice depends on your fitness level and lifestyle. If you're new to exercise, walking is an excellent place to start. If you're already fit and want to burn more calories in less time, jogging can be useful. You can also combine both.
Try walking for two minutes, jogging for one minute, and repeating the pattern for 20–30 minutes. As your fitness improves, gradually increase the jogging intervals.
Walking doesn't magically burn more calories than jogging. Jogging usually burns more calories per minute.
But walking has one huge advantage: it's easier for many people to maintain. And when it comes to weight loss, the workout you actually keep doing is often more valuable than the workout you quit after two weeks. So, don't underestimate a simple walk.
Put on your shoes, get moving and make it a habit. Small steps can lead to big changes.
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Badrulamin Luthfi (mobamil96@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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