Brisk walking reduces the risk of heart disease more effectively than running, when the energy expenditure of both activities is balanced out. Data compared from two studies of 33,060 runners and 15,045 walkers show that for the same amount of energy used, walkers experienced greater health benefits than runners. The effects on participants, who were aged 18 to 80, were observed over a period of six years. Running reduced the risk of heart disease by 4.5% while walking reduced it by 9.3%.