Incline Walking vs. Running: Can Walking Be Just as Good for Cardio?
You don't have to run to get a serious cardiovascular workout. Research shows that walking uphill can make your heart work surprisingly hard.
Athletes World
• Incline walking offers a challenging, lower-impact cardio workout, while running provides a higher-intensity option for building endurance and cardiovascular fitness.
Two people step onto treadmills. One starts jogging on a flat surface. The other walks up a steep incline.
Twenty minutes later, their average heart rates are almost identical.
That's what researchers found in a 2025 study comparing incline walking with flat treadmill jogging. When the workouts were matched for calorie expenditure, walkers averaged 144 beats per minute, compared with 146 for joggers.
The surprising part? The walkers never had to break into a run. (2025 Study, PubMed Central)
Twenty minutes later, their average heart rates are almost identical.
That's what researchers found in a 2025 study comparing incline walking with flat treadmill jogging. When the workouts were matched for calorie expenditure, walkers averaged 144 beats per minute, compared with 146 for joggers.
The surprising part? The walkers never had to break into a run. (2025 Study, PubMed Central)
