Enjoying better health is simply a walk in the park

Brisk walking reduces the risk of heart disease more effectively than running.

Researchers have compared data from two studies of 33,060 runners and 15,045 walkers.

For the same amount of energy used, walkers experienced greater health benefits than runners.

The effects on participants, who were aged 18 to 80, were observed over a period of six years. Running reduced the risk of heart disease by 4.5 per cent while walking reduced it by 9.3 per cent.

Study leader Dr Paul Williams, from California’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, said: “Walking and running provide an ideal test of the health benefits of moderate-intensity walking and vigorous-intensity running. They involve the same muscle groups and the same activities performed at different intensities.”