It seems like you have to choose between running and walking on an incline. We don’t think you have to choose one or the other, but knowing the pros and cons of each can help you figure out which one might be better for your health goals.
Incline walking is a low-impact but very effective workout that has become very popular in the last few years, in part because of the viral 12-3-30 workout. Lauren Giraldo, a fitness influencer, came up with the method. It involves walking on a treadmill (or walking pad) with an incline of 12% for 30 minutes at a speed of three miles per hour. It got popular in 2020 and is still popular today. And for good reason: it really works. Also, running has its own benefits. The list goes on and on, from improving heart health to burning calories and relieving stress.
We break down the pros and cons of both incline walking and running so you can decide which one is best for you or if you want to do a mix of both.
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Walking on an incline vs. running
For heart health
Dr. Christopher Broyd, a consultant cardiologist at Nuffield Health Brighton Hospital, says that both incline walking and running can help your heart health as long as they keep your heart rate in the moderate-to-vigorous intensity zones for a long enough time. “Both are very good at reaching that level, but they do it in different ways.”
He goes on to say, “Incline walking increases cardiovascular effort by adding resistance rather than speed. Walking uphill forces the heart and lungs to work harder to deliver oxygen to the muscles, often raising the heart rate to levels comparable to a light or moderate run.”
This makes incline walking a great choice for anyone just starting to get fit because it’s easy on the joints and doesn’t put a lot of stress on them. It also raises your heart rate. “Incline walking is great for your heart health because it raises your heart rate without requiring repeated high-impact foot strikes,” says personal trainer Monty Simmons.
But when it comes to improving heart health, sprinting is hard to beat, and the benefits of running are endless. “Running provides a strong aerobic stimulus from a cardiovascular standpoint. Since most people aren’t used to running, it creates a significant training effect quite quickly,” Simmons says.
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“If you pace yourself right, you can stay in an aerobic zone instead of going straight into anaerobic intensity, which can be uncomfortable if you’re new. Running improves VO₂ max, overall stamina, and the efficiency of your heart and lungs over time.”
Dr. Broyd agrees that “running raises the heart rate faster and more intensely. It puts more strain on the cardiovascular system, which makes it easier to reach higher training zones in a shorter amount of time. This can lead to improvements in aerobic capacity and overall efficiency of the heart and lungs.”
So, in general, both are great for your heart health. But if we had to choose…
You might like Woman setting up her laptop to do a low-impact cardio workout at home on a yoga mat with snow outside the window and headphones on. I asked professional trainers for 5 low-impact cardio workouts I can do at home this winter instead of running. A woman is pressing a button on a screen while working out on a treadmill. This 20-minute treadmill workout is a great way to get fit and burn calories no matter what the weather is like. A woman is working out on a treadmill in the gym doing the Norwegian 4×4 workout. She is wearing a fitness tracker and a sports bra and looks determined. This 40-minute treadmill workout helped me run 5 km 8 minutes faster. Here’s how to do it.
Running is the winner.
