Walking is better for your health than running

A brisk walk is better for your health than running, a new study states.

Researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California looked at data from 33,060 runners and 15,045 walkers aged between 18 and 80 and found that walkers had the edge in terms of health benefits.

Published in the Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology journal, the study claims that runners reduce their risk of heart disease by 4.5 per cent, while walkers cut it by 9.3 per cent.

Likewise, high blood pressure was reduced by 4.2 per cent by runners and 7.2 per cent by walkers.

The risk of diabetes was reduced by 12 per cent in both runners and walkers.

Doireann Maddock, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "We know the best type of activity for your heart is moderate-intensity aerobic activity and that includes walking, as long as you feel warmer, breathe harder and your heart beats faster than usual."

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