running vs walking

[DebM412]

I run every morning, 4-4.5 miles, and love it for my cardio. I have lost weight and toned up. My Mom thinks that walking will offer the same exact benefits as running. My arguement here is I would have to walk twice as long as I run to obtain the same benefits as calorie burning, weight loss, etc. I am correct in my arguement?

Thanks,

Debbie

[misscloey]

I know! That is one of the reasons I have kept this particular habit, besides the fact that I love it. I have heard so much about red wine and it's many benefits to the body. I can't think of a better alcoholic drink to have. It has health benefits and makes you feel good!

[barn babe]

Misscloey, on the wine thing, when you asked about drinking wine, there is evidence that wine is anti-inflammatory, so it's not a bad idea to drink a glass a day even on low or no  carb.  

This thread about anti-inflammatory effects reminded me of that. I don't always get a glass in a day, probably 2-3 times a week. My partner drinks a glass every day, though, and he's low carb, too.  

[barn babe]

One cause of excessive inflammation is free radicals circulating around in the body. Exercise produces free radicals, so excessive exercise is going to produce an overabundance of such chemicals. And free radicals cause inflammation.

Inflammation in and of itself is not bad. What happens in certain conditions, though, is chronic inflammation that is low-grade and ongoing throughout the body. Things that can cause this are obesity, excessive exercise, overeating, and large amounts of stress (mild stress is a good thing in terms of inflammatory response, but again excessive amounts are problematic).  

The way to counteract the inflammatory response from excessive exercise is to cut down on cardio and do more weight training. Excessive cardio in particular is what they have tested for inflammatory responses. I haven't seen the studies per se, but I would guess that overtraining, running marathons and longer races, etc., would be problematic.  

Having said that, I run marathons myself and am certainly guilty of overexercising with cardio. I also do weight training, but my love of running goes back decades. I'm not sure if I can cut back. : )

Another thing that is anti-inflammatory is a low-carb diet, so cut back on your carb intake if you can.

There's nothing wrong with regular exercise. If you are looking for the ability to cut down on risk factors that decrease lifespan, like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, it's not exercise that will do it. It's calorie restriction, preferably with a low-carb diet. Exercise doesn't factor into longevity in the studies looking at the possibilities of increasing lifespan and cutting down on risk factors.  I think exercise can *contribute* to a decrease in these problems, like regulating blood sugar better so that you don't end up with diabetes, but diet and calorie levels play a larger role in prevention of all of this stuff.  

[DebM412]

Thank you for your reply! Can you explain to me what you were saying about excessive exercise can lead to inflammation, which can lead to heart disease? It does not seem possible that exercise can do this. I need to understand this. Thank you in advance.

Debbie

[barn babe]

You're right. It's the same benefits in a longer period of time. Nothing wrong with that. Some folks can't run, or don't like to run. I don't drive, so I walk pretty much everywhere for my transportation if I'm not taking cabs or Muni around town. I also run because I love it.

There are some effects that are the same from walking as from running, though. I believe there is a study out showing that walking does as much for bone health as running in preventing osteoporosis. Walking is still weight-bearing, so it's beneficial in that respect. Another upside to walking is less chance of injury.  It would also seem like it would be difficult to "OD" on walking, whereas some folks have an addiction to running. Excessive exercise can lead to inflammation, which we now know is a set-up for heart disease. I'm probably included in the "excessive exercise" camp, especially when I'm training for an upcoming race. Too much of a good thing, and all.