Walking vs. Running – the debate continues….
First let’s define walking and running. Walking is the act of moving at a pace where one foot is always in contact with the ground. Running actually puts you in flight and for a brief period neither foot is in contact with the ground. Either exercise can provide cardio vascular benefits and burn calories but there are subtle differences that might tip the scale in favor of running depending on your desired outcome.
The debate continues but the short answer is if you want to burn more fat, expending more energy during a moderate to vigorous routine will do the trick. It takes a shorter amount of time to get to that fat store when running than walking. When exercising the first energy burnt is your store of sugar and once that is depleted the old nasty fat store is used to continue allowing your body to function and expend energy. If you’re only interested in burning calories and don’t care what is used to do it, then go for a brisk walk but it will take you longer to do it. If you walk 1 mile vs. run 1 mile, running will increase your calories burnt by 30%, it will take less time, and it will increase muscles as a side benefit. Cardiovascular benefits increase when vigorous exertion is expended as oxygen is delivered throughout the organs and muscles at an improved rate making your body perform more efficiently, not to mention the improvement in your blood pressure and cholesterol readings.
It’s a complicated topic but don’t kid yourself, if you’re taking the dog for a walk, unless he is a brute and doesn’t 
stop at every tree and fire hydrant to sniff where the last dog has been, you aren’t burning the calories you think you might be and forget about any cardiovascular benefits. For walking OR running to provide the overall health benefits for your heart, a consistent moderate or high intensity workout should be expended for a minimum of 20 – 60 minutes. The longer your stride during a walk or run will increase the intensity and prove to give you the most benefit and moving your entire body during the walk with increase that blood flow and oxygen delivery opportunities. So in summary, walking will burn calories and if the walk is brisk enough will provide cardiovascular fitness. Running will burn calories in a shorter time, provide cardiovascular fitness, improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels, increase muscle mass, and dip into the fat stores faster once the initial sugar is burnt off.
