Running vs Walking for Perimenopause: A Practical Guide
Running vs walking for perimenopause: both improve mood, bone health, and weight management. This guide helps you decide which is right for where you are now.
The Simplest Exercise Debate
Running and walking are the most accessible forms of exercise available. No gym, no equipment, no schedule dependency. For perimenopausal women, both offer meaningful health benefits, but they come with different demands on the body. Understanding what each one provides, and what it costs, helps you make a better choice for your current situation.
What Running Brings to the Table
Running is a higher-intensity cardiovascular activity that burns more calories per minute, puts more load through bones, and produces a stronger endorphin response than walking. For perimenopausal women who have maintained a running habit, continuing is generally beneficial for bone density, cardiovascular health, and weight management. The impact of running also stimulates bone remodelling, which is particularly useful as oestrogen-driven bone protection declines.
What Walking Brings to the Table
Walking is lower in intensity but far more sustainable for most women, particularly those managing fatigue, joint pain, or poor sleep. Research consistently shows that brisk walking delivers cardiovascular benefits comparable to running when matched for energy expenditure over time. Walking also has a measurable effect on cortisol reduction and mood stability. A 20-minute brisk walk outdoors is one of the most evidence-supported interventions for perimenopause-related anxiety and low mood.
How Perimenopause Symptoms Influence the Choice
Joint pain from falling oestrogen may make running uncomfortable or unsustainable. If your knees, hips, or ankles are flaring, walking is the smarter short-term choice. Hot flashes can make running feel overwhelming; a brisk walk in cooler conditions may be more manageable. If fatigue and poor sleep are your dominant symptoms, high-intensity running may deplete you further; walking supports recovery without adding stress to an already stretched system.
Who Should Choose What
Running suits women who are already runners, who have good joint health, and who want maximum cardiovascular and bone-loading benefit in minimal time. Walking suits women who are new to regular exercise, managing pain or fatigue, or who want something they can sustain every day without recovery concerns. For many women, the answer is to walk consistently and add short running intervals when energy allows, gradually building capacity without forcing it.
Building a Sustainable Routine
Three to five sessions of 20 to 45 minutes per week is a solid target for either activity. Walking groups and running clubs both provide community, which improves adherence significantly. PeriPlan lets you log workouts so you can track how your activity levels relate to your symptom patterns over time. Whether you walk, run, or alternate between the two, consistency across weeks matters more than intensity on any given day.
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