Running vs. walking: Which burns more calories?

While any exercise is good, there are some differences between the two.

"The first three miles of every run is awful," runner Nicole Friedman said. "But once you get over that hump, it's the best feeling ever."

"I get serenity when I walk," walker Joan Sepler said.

"The main difference is just that running burns calories faster than walking," said Lauren Friedman, a health editor with Consumer Reports.

However, if the walker covers the same distance, just over a longer time, health experts say she'll catch up calorie-wise -- and calories aren't the only benefit.

"Running and walking are both excellent for heart health," Friedman said. "When you run your heart does work harder than when you walk. But that doesn't actually mean that runners have better heart health than walkers."

When burning the same number of calories each day, studies both groups have a lower risk of heart disease than people who don't exercise. Both exercises, when done at least 30 minutes a day, are good for bone health!

Despite the benefits of both, many people prefer walking.

"I don't have the injuries that my husband has as an avid runner," another walker, Mary Huvane, said.

Experts say running injuries are often caused by doing too much too soon.

"It's best to ease into running and then gradually increase the speed and the distance and the frequency of your runs," Friedman said.

Contrary to what many people think, health experts say runners do not suffer from arthritis more than non-runners. In fact, their risk for arthritis is roughly 15-percent lower than for those who don't exercise at all.