walking instead of running?

I've read it's not how many miles you run or how long, but it's how long you can keep your heart rate up for a consistent amount of time. I can run for about 30 seconds, after that I get really tired. If I walk 2 miles 3-4 times a week and run briefly in my walks, will this have any positive effect? or am I wasting time?
 
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Any time you push yourself to do more, within reason (and nutritional/genetic limitations), you'll see improvement. That's how the body works. :)

Sounds like a good idea to me. What you'd be doing is basically a (long) interval sprint (or jog..I'd call it a sprint, if you can only do it for 30 seconds)-walk.

Run for a bit, when you can't run anymore, walk until you catch your breath, run some more. Eventually you'll find that you don't need to stop to walk..and then you can increase distance, intensity, duration, whatever. Go.
 
The Walk/Run approach is excellent. I do that myself, at times.

I love both (I'm an avid jogger, but I also like the benefits and serenity of a good long walk too). So I walk every other day and jog on the other ones (about 6 days a week; 3 days of 45-60 minute jogs and 3 days of 1 1/2 hour walks). Simple, easy, and be a great habit to stick with.
 
To clarify what Focus said, if you are looking to lose weight, you wanna go as hard as you can but, more importantly, you want to go as long as you can, even if that means walking rather than running. For cardio health, higher heart rate is better (running) than walking. So, if you can go as long as you can with a combination of walking and running, that is the best of both worlds.

After my open heart surgery 3 months ago, I couldn't run 200 yards without being breathless and would have to stop, walk, wait until my heartrate was manageable, less than 120, and do again. After a couple of weeks I was back to running 5K I did a triathlon with a 5K last sunday.
 
Walk to Run

Hey, just read a great article on this at both, in fact it talks about keeping up walking with other exercise...and gives you a easy week guideline to follow.

Best Wishes,

GSocks
 
Exercise is good for health. It includes running or walking. But it depends upon person to person. So it's better to check out your metabolic rate of your body and then go for walking or running.
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Dolly
 
Walking with small sprints as often as possible is the best way to go when starting cardio. Eventually, as you build endurance, increase the length of sprints and decrease the length of the walking in between. I did the same thing when I was first starting HIIT and it proved effective for fat loss. Just remember to always push
 
If you are seriously expecting to lose weight, then you have to put it in your mind that you need to make sacrifices. Walking is good for rehabilitation if you are injured or to keep your metabolism for slowing down. But for losing weight, I think you need to run. Not sprint. Run. Start with a trot, walk when you get tired, but I assure you eventually you will feel like your endurance is getting better and you can keep running all throughout your exercise time.
 
All depends. I see people jogging on the treadmills in our gym..they jog on the flat..maybe burn 500 calories..I put it on 15% incline and burn 1100 calories by walking for the same amount of time.
 
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