Aerobic Step Vs. Walking

When it comes to exercise, doing something is always better than doing nothing. If you're new to working out, walking is a great aerobic activity that won't cost much to get started. If you want to accelerate your fitness gains or achieve your weight loss goals faster, however, then step aerobics is a better choice.

  1. Setting Aside Time

    • Before making a decision about whether you want to create a walking routine, join a step aerobics class or both, you should to identify your fitness goals. For some, weight loss is paramount; others are more concerned about improving their heart health. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that adults walk for at least 150 minutes per week. If you participate in step aerobics, however, you can halve that recommendation to 75 minutes a week.

    Jump for Impact

    • Step aerobics can be low impact or high impact. Low-impact stepping is gentler and provides a transition from walking to high-impact aerobics. More intense step aerobic classes incorporate jumping and running. Although high-impact exercise improves bone density and strength, anyone with conditions that cause joint pain may find that it aggravates their discomfort. If you already have joint problems, you should ease into high-impact aerobics through walking and a low-impact step class. Check with your doctor before starting an exercise program, especially if you have an existing medical condition.

    Burn, Baby, Burn

    • If weight loss is your goal, then high-impact step aerobics will help you achieve it faster than walking will. To give you an idea of how much faster, consider how many calories a person weighing 155 pounds burns in 30 minutes during various exercise activities: Low-impact step aerobics will burn 205 calories, and high-impact step aerobics will burn 260 calories. Walking will burn 149 calories at a pace of 3.5 mph and 186 calories at 4.5 mph. The first speed is equivalent to walking a mile in 17 minutes, and the second is a pace of 1 mile in 13 minutes.

    Your Healthy Heart

    • Any activity that raises your heart rate improves your heart health. However, a study at University of Alberta discovered that step aerobics had a significantly better effect on cardiovascular health than walking did. The study of two groups -- one following a walking regimen and the other a fitness routine -- showed that both walking and aerobics helped with weight loss, but participants in the aerobic fitness program showed cardiovascular improvements, including a reduction in blood pressure. If you prefer walking over joining a step aerobics program, however, you can feel confident that walking will reduce your risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack or stroke by 31 percent, according to Harvard Health Publications.