Swapping Walking for Running Helped Me Lose More Fat

After 10 years of jogging, I officially ran out of steam.

As much fun as I had finishing my first marathon in 2024, the training burned me out. In the months that followed, I had no desire to hit the track near my home, let alone sign up for another race. Plus, my go-to running buddies and I all moved, making running a more solitary and, frankly, boring activity. While I could join a new local run club, I resisted.

So, in the second half of 2025, I put the brakes on my decade-long running routine. Instead of running 3 to 4 miles almost every day (and taking only two workout classes a week), I started a new schedule. I alternated taking strength-training classes with strictly walking days. That way, I go to a hard workout class about 3 to 4 times a week (still trying to fit in short walks when I can), and stroll for longer stretches the rest of the time, at least 3 miles.

Swapping running with walking gave me pause at first. On one hand, I knew plenty of people who were more physically fit than me and avoided running at all costs. At the same time, I was a runner for so long, and I worried about gaining weight or becoming more sedentary.

To my surprise, I ended up burning fat more effectively than when I was running, losing about 5 pounds in about a 6-month timeframe. But the best part was mental: I felt calmer and less spread-thin, enough to actually enjoy exercising again.

I end up moving more — and burning more fat

Because I was so sick of running, I wasn’t moving as fast as I used to, and I couldn’t motivate myself to go any quicker. As a result, running three miles didn’t burn as many calories for me anymore, because my body had gotten used to that pace and plateaued. To see results, I would need to increase my speed, distance, or incline — the last things I was interested in doing.

Since walking burns fewer calories than running, I knew I had to dedicate more time to walking to get the same results. Now, I aim for about an hour of walking a day, double the time I spent running.

Even so, it’s been a lot easier to keep up with. I don’t need to change into workout gear or try to squeeze in a treadmill session (that includes shower time) on my 1-hour lunch break. I just get up and go.

Since I live in one of the most walkable US cities, I don’t have to plan it out that much, either. I can just get off at an earlier subway stop to walk more, or step outside when my schedule frees up.

It’s also been simpler to keep up with this routine when I’m on vacation. Instead of aspiring to run (and always deciding I’d rather sleep in), I commit to a daily walk or hike. That much, I can always do.

I get more out of my hard workout days

Keeping a steady schedule of alternating workout and walk days means I feel more rested when I take my classes.

Even if I find time to walk before class, I don’t feel as depleted as I would after a 3-mile jog. I find myself lifting heavier and having more energy to really push myself — which is the only way to build muscle. Plus, I learned from wearing a heart rate monitor that I personally burn about the same number of calories in a weight training session as I do on a 3-mile jog (with the added benefit of gaining strength).

When I do run, I opt for shorter and much faster sprints. Most of the workout classes I take have a cardio component, where the goal is power. I aim to reach a zone 4 heart rate zone on the treadmill, going at a more challenging pace. I’ll run anywhere from 2 to 4 minutes faster per mile — all of which is easier and more fun for me to work on when I’m not running all the time.

Better results, minus the stress

My mindset around running left me feeling frazzled and resentful. It seemed like all I did was work out, but I wasn’t seeing results.

Forcing myself to scale back and walk didn’t just improve my gym performance or help me reach my weight loss goals faster. It also calmed me down.

I started going on morning coffee walks with my husband, or taking laps near the office to decompress from a long day of curving my back like a cooked shrimp over my laptop. My other habits, like snacking less or cutting back on alcohol, also became less of a sacrifice. If I wasn’t constantly stressing myself out to run in 20-degree weather, I didn’t need a little treat to make up for it.

I’m glad the opposite of my fears came true: By changing up my long-held routine, I’m getting fitter. I just needed to take some baby steps first.