When it comes to keeping your heart healthy, a brisk walk may be just as beneficial as going for a run, a new study suggests.

US scientists monitored more than 33,000 people who ran regularly and 15,000 people who walked regularly over a six-year period. They found that brisk walking lowered the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol as much as vigorous intensity running. This also applied to the risk of heart disease.

The study noted that both walking and running ‘involve the same muscle groups and the same activities performed at different intensities'.

It found that running reduced the risk of developing high blood pressure for the first time by 4.2%, but walking reduced this risk by 7.2%. Running reduced the risk of developing high cholesterol for the first time by 4.3%, but walking reduced this by 7%.

Both running and walking reduced the risk of developing diabetes for the first time by just over 12%. Meanwhile, running reduced the risk of coronary heart disease by 4.5%, while walking reduced this risk by 9.3%.

The scientists noted that ‘the more the runners ran and the walkers walked, the better off they were in health benefits'.

"If the amount of energy expended was the same between the two groups, then the health benefits were comparable," they explained.

They added that people ‘are always looking for an excuse not to exercise'.

"But now they have a straightforward choice, to run or to walk and invest in their future health."

Details of these findings are published in the journal, Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.

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