A study of 33,000 runners and nearly 16,000 walkers found that walking reduced the risk of cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease even more than running. An added benefit is that walking is low-impact, so there’s a lower risk of injury and joint pain. But there’s a catch: The walkers and runners had to expend the same amount of energy to get the same benefits—so you’d have to walk a lot longer for the same return.
READ MORE: The By-the-Numbers Health Benefits of Walking vs Running
