Running vs walking: make room for both
You can start running and keep your walking breaks. We built First Gear around both, with a coach to cue the changes.
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General information, not individual medical advice. For questions about symptoms or readiness to run, speak with a clinician who knows your health history.
Walking earns its place in your session
Lower disease incidence associated with walking and running
At First Gear, walking is part of the session from the first step. If you want to start running, you can keep walking breaks. The research offers a useful reason to give both activities your attention.
Williams and Thompson studied 33,060 runners and 15,945 walkers over about 6.2 years. They compared reported activity at equivalent energy expenditure, not equal time, and recorded self-reported physician diagnoses. [1]
Greater activity was associated with lower incidence of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes in both groups. Differences between walking and running were not statistically significant for blood pressure, diabetes, or coronary heart disease. This was an observational comparison, not a trial proving either activity prevents disease. [1]
Our takeaway for your next outing is practical: choose a walk, a jog, or a session that includes both. You do not need to turn the evidence into a contest before you can get out the door.
Choose the impact that fits your circumstances
In a laboratory study of twelve men across several speeds, peak vertical ground reaction forces were about 1.0 to 1.5 times body weight during walking and 2.0 to 2.9 during running. These are force measurements, not measurements of bone-density improvement or injury risk. [3]
NIH guidance includes both brisk walking and running among weight-bearing activities, alongside resistance and balance exercises. It does not make running a requirement for bone health. [5]
This is where your own health advice matters more than a comparison chart. With low bone density or osteoporosis, ask a health professional which activities fit your circumstances. [5] Our heart-rate coaching cannot assess readiness for impact.
Give the time you have a clear shape
The CDC generally classifies brisk walking as moderate activity and running as vigorous activity. How demanding either feels depends on you. That is why a slower pace can still be a substantial effort. [4]
We keep First Gear sessions at a twenty-minute target so you know what time to set aside. Our coach uses heart-rate readings to cue jogs and walks in standard range coaching. You choose the pace, and you can keep walking or finish early. Pick a familiar path and let us give you the next cue.
Give the session a purpose beyond the scale
A separate observational study found that changes in running were more strongly associated with changes in body mass index than changes in walking in some participant groups. It did not assign people to a weight-loss treatment or predict individual results. [2]
We build First Gear around a session you can practice, with walking and jogging at your own pace. It does not promise weight loss. You can choose movement for the place you want it to have in your day, without giving every outing a target on the scale.
Let us coach the changes between walking and jogging
Start walking. When your heart rate has room for a jog in standard range coaching, First Gear cues one. When it approaches the top of your coaching range, our coach cues a walk. You hear what to try next, and you choose how to respond.
There is no pace to hit. You can walk sooner than the cue, keep walking through a jog cue, or choose "Walk the rest" to stop jog cues for the session. Walking belongs here even on a day when you do all of it.
Put on your Apple Watch, choose Lana or Cal as your coach, and set aside twenty minutes. Try your first session free, with no subscription. We start with the simplest step: a walk.
Try a session with room for both.
First Gear starts with walking and cues each jog and walking break from your heart rate in standard range coaching. Set aside twenty minutes and put on your Apple Watch. Your first session is free, with no subscription.
Common questions
Is walking as good as running?
That depends on what you are comparing. The study here found broadly similar associations with several disease risks when energy expenditure was matched. We give both a place in First Gear. For your next session, choose what fits your comfort, available time, and health advice.
Do you have to run for bone health?
No. NIH guidance lists several weight-bearing activities, including brisk walking, as well as resistance and balance work. With low bone density or osteoporosis, ask a health professional which activities fit your circumstances.
Does running or walking burn more calories?
A more demanding activity generally uses more energy per minute, but pace, duration, terrain, and the person all affect the total. Avoid treating a universal ratio or a watch estimate as an exact measurement.
Is it OK to walk during a run?
Yes. We build walking into First Gear from the start of every session. Our coach cues walking breaks from your heart rate in standard range coaching, and you can walk sooner or keep walking. You can try that run/walk coaching free for your first session, with no subscription.
References
- Williams PT, Thompson PD. Walking Versus Running for Hypertension, Cholesterol, and Diabetes Mellitus Risk Reduction. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology 33(5):1085-1091, 2013.
- Williams PT. Greater Weight Loss from Running than Walking during a 6.2-yr Prospective Follow-up. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 45(4):706-713, 2013.
- Nilsson J, Thorstensson A. Ground reaction forces at different speeds of human walking and running. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica 136(2):217-227, 1989.
- How to Measure Physical Activity Intensity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2025. Accessed 2026-09-11.
- Exercise for Your Bone Health. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, 2023. Accessed 2026-09-11.