Lo que les dejo aquí es un trabajo que compara los efectos de correr y caminar respecto a la hipertensión, el colesterol y la diabetes mellitus. Se los resumo: andar es tan efectivo como correr. Así que no tienen excusas. No hace falta machacarse. Basta con ser persistente. Y andar todos los días.

Walking versus running for hypertension, cholesterol, and diabetes mellitus risk reduction.

Source

Life Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Donner 464, 1 Cycloton Rd, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. ptwilliams@lbl.gov

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To test whether equivalent energy expenditure by moderate-intensity (eg, walking) and vigorous-intensity exercise (eg, running) provides equivalent health benefits. APPROACH AND RESULTS: We used the National Runners' (n=33 060) and Walkers' (n=15 945) Health Study cohorts to examine the effect of differences in exercise mode and thereby exercise intensity on coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors. Baseline expenditure (metabolic equivant hours per day [METh/d]) was compared with self-reported, physician-diagnosed incident hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus, and CHD during 6.2 years follow-up. Running significantly decreased the risks for incident hypertension by 4.2% . The risk reductions were not significantly different for running than walking for diabetes mellitus (P=0.94), hypertension (P=0.06), or CHD (P=0.26), and only marginally greater for walking than running for hypercholesterolemia (P=0.04).

CONCLUSIONS:

Equivalent energy expenditures by moderate (walking) and vigorous (running) exercise produced similar risk reductions for hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus, and possibly CHD.