{"id":863969,"date":"2026-09-28T21:28:10","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T21:28:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/863969\/"},"modified":"2026-09-28T21:28:10","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T21:28:10","slug":"power-walking-vs-jogging-a-pt-reveals-which-is-better-for-fat-loss-strength-and-fitness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/863969\/","title":{"rendered":"Power walking vs jogging: a PT reveals which is better for fat loss, strength and fitness"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cardio<\/a> can be a surprisingly contentious topic, particularly when it comes to running vs walking. While some people swear by the former, others may shudder at the thought of a Saturday-morning jog \u2013 instead preferring to up their daily step count with a brisk lunchtime stroll. <\/p>\n

While the most important thing is that you\u2019re doing enough cardio (at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week, per NHS recommendations), according to personal trainer and founder of Owning Your Menopause<\/a> Kate Rowe-Ham, both activities can have unique benefits. <\/p>\n

It all depends on the individual (and their goal) \u2013 so it’s worth comparing them side by side.<\/p>\n

The benefits of power walking vs jogging<\/p>\n

Rowe-Ham says she would recommend power walking to \u2018almost anyone\u2019 because it’s \u2018low impact, so your knees, hips and pelvic floor won’t pay for it the next day; you can happily do it for an hour, and it won’t leave you needing a nap,’ she explains.<\/p>\n

\u2018Done briskly \u2013 think 3mph or faster, roughly a 20-minute mile \u2013 it genuinely counts as cardio, so don’t let anyone tell you it’s just a stroll.’<\/p>\n

On the other hand, she explains, jogging gives you ‘more bang for your buck’.<\/p>\n

‘[It offers] bigger calorie burn, faster gains in heart and lung fitness, and because it’s weight-bearing with a bit of impact, it sends a stronger signal to your bones,\u2019 she adds. \u2018The trade-off is that it’s harder on your body, it demands more recovery, and it’s much easier to fall off the wagon.\u2019 <\/p>\n

Is power walking or jogging better for fat loss? <\/p>\n

For fat loss, notes Rowe-Ham, \u2018jogging technically wins,\u2019 but it\u2019s also a tad more nuanced than saying one is inherently better than the other.<\/p>\n

\u2018In one study<\/a> of almost 50,000 people followed for six years, running produced around 90% more weight loss per unit of energy burned than walking in the heaviest group,\u2019 she says. \u2018But walking also helped hold off the slow middle-age weight creep in women, and the exercise you actually keep doing is theoretically better.\u2019<\/p>\n

Is power walking or jogging better for building strength and fitness?<\/p>\n

When it comes to strength, Rowe-Ham is frank: \u2018neither will sort you out [completely]; they’re both cardio, and muscle<\/a> comes from lifting<\/a> heavy-ish things two or three times a week.\u2019 <\/p>\n

\u2018And on overall fitness, jogging gets you fit faster, but power walking gives you most of the health benefits: heart, blood sugar, mood,\u2019 she adds. <\/p>\n

When to choose power walking or jogging <\/p>\n

The rule Rowe-Ham \u2013 who specialises in all things midlife fitness \u2013 always comes back to is that \u2018the one you’ll do four times a week beats the one that looks better on paper\u2019. In other words, enjoyment and consistency are the most important pieces of the midlife fitness puzzle \u2013 which is why she power walks and jogs.<\/p>\n

\u2018I jog when I’m short on time, my joints are happy, and I’ve got a bit of running in my legs already,\u2019 says Rowe-Ham. \u2018I walk when I want to move, but jogging feels like too much, or I’m rebuilding after time off, when something in the hips, knees or pelvic floor is grumbling, when menopause symptoms<\/a> have flattened me that week, or when I’m already lifting weights.\u2019<\/p>\n

6 power walking and jogging myths<\/p>\n

As for the myths Rowe-Ham would like to bust with regard to both power walking and jogging? There are a few. <\/p>\n

1. \u2018Walking isn\u2019t real exercise\u2019 <\/p>\n

\u2018It absolutely is, and volume matters: research in women aged 45-50 found bone density<\/a> improved when they walked briskly for 30 minutes, three or more times a week,’ she says.<\/p>\n

2. \u2018No pain, no gain\u2019 <\/p>\n

You don\u2019t need to push yourself to the limit to benefit. \u2018The marker is simple: heart rate<\/a> up, breathing heavier, you can only manage short sentences,’ she explains. <\/p>\n

3. \u2018Jogging wrecks your knees\u2019<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s higher impact than walking (not a bad thing \u2013 our bones need a degree of mechanical loading), Rowe-Ham assures us that this doesn\u2019t automatically mean jogging will ruin your knees.<\/p>\n

4. ‘You need to do 10,000 steps\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018That’s a marketing number; pace and total volume matter more,’ she explains. <\/p>\n

5. \u2018Running is all you need for your bones\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018Impact helps, but for real post-menopause protection you want impact<\/a> plus proper resistance training<\/a> \u2013 and walking is weight-bearing too, so it’s far from pointless,’ Rowe-Ham explains.<\/p>\n

6. \u2018Walking is the beginner or fallback option\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018Get the pace and duration up, and it can absolutely be your main workout, which is precisely what the walking specialists at Harvard say,’ she says.<\/p>\n

Beginner power walking workout <\/p>\n

\u2018For power walking, keep it really simple,\u2019 notes Rowe-Ham. \u2018Try intervals of two to three minutes at your normal pace, then 30 seconds fast, repeated five to 10 times.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018A timed walk works too: go for 30 minutes, note how far you get, and try to beat it next time,\u2019 she adds. \u2018And get the form right: stand tall, keep your eyes 10-20 feet ahead, keep your elbows bent to about 90 degrees, land heel first, and take quick, short steps \u2013 long strides actually slow you down.\u2019<\/p>\n

Beginner jogging workout <\/p>\n

\u2018For jogging, I’d start with run\/walk \u2013 60 seconds jogging, two minutes walking, for eight rounds \u2013 or a gentle 20-30-minute conversational jog,\u2019 says Rowe-Ham. <\/p>\n

\u2018Even a minute or two of running a day has been linked to better bone health in women, so a five-minute jog before your walk is never wasted.\u2019<\/p>\n

Want to train like Liz Earle<\/a>?
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\"liz<\/a>\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women\u2019s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis. \u00a0She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner\u2019s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity. \u00a0A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She\u2019s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cardio can be a surprisingly contentious topic, particularly when it comes to running vs walking. While some people…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":863970,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[205421,208776,6837,364505,874,337,97,265529,2245,364504,316394],"class_list":["post-863969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-collection-fitness-app","tag-collection-walking","tag-content-type-default","tag-contentid-0efb98e4-49a7-4065-8d0d-893eaf56b519","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-locale-gb","tag-shorttitle-power-walking-vs-jogging-for-fat-loss-and-fitness","tag-sponsored-false"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/863969","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=863969"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/863969\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/863970"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=863969"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=863969"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=863969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}