{"id":1152481,"date":"2026-08-16T21:26:32","date_gmt":"2026-08-16T21:26:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1152481\/"},"modified":"2026-08-16T21:26:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-16T21:26:32","slug":"walking-swimming-or-hiit-which-cardio-workout-is-better-for-you-it-is-not-running","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1152481\/","title":{"rendered":"Walking, Swimming Or HIIT, Which Cardio Workout Is Better For You? It Is Not Running"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Workout<\/p>\n

Not all cardio is created equal when it comes to sustainable fat loss. According to fitness trainer Chadoy Leon, the \u201cbest\u201d cardio isn\u2019t the one that leaves you gasping after a single session; it\u2019s the one you can repeat daily for a year without dreading it, without wrecking your recovery, and without triggering a hunger surge that wipes out your calorie deficit. In a recent Instagram post, Leon breaks down popular cardio methods from worst to best for long\u2011term fat loss, explaining why the obvious choice\u2014running\u2014often works against you, and why something as simple as walking can quietly outperform everything else.<\/p>\n

\"Walking<\/p>\n

6th (Worst): Running
Running may be the default cardio for many, but Leon flags it as the least effective for sustained fat loss. It tends to crank up appetite so the calories you burn are quickly replaced at dinner, it hammers your joints over time, and excessive mileage can start eating into muscle. \u201cThe cardio everyone defaults to is actually the one working against them the most,\u201d he notes.<\/p>\n

\"High-Intensity<\/p>\n

5th: HIIT Classes
High\u2011intensity interval training (HIIT) classes deliver a serious burn, but they come with a steep recovery cost. Leon points out that after a hard HIIT session, you\u2019re often too fried to lift with intensity or move much the rest of the day, which can lower your overall daily output. His verdict: good for an occasional push, bad as your everyday method.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

4th: Spin and Bike Sprints
Spin classes and bike sprints are easier on the joints than running and offer a comparable calorie burn, but they still tend to ramp up hunger afterward. That post\u2011ride appetite spike can make it harder to stay in the calorie deficit needed for fat loss, especially if you\u2019re doing them frequently.<\/p>\n

\"Mumbai<\/p>\n

3rd: Swimming
Swimming is fantastic for your joints and works your entire body, but Leon highlights a common pitfall: it\u2019s notorious for leaving you ravenous once you\u2019re out of the pool. That intense hunger can make sticking to your deficit more difficult, which is why it lands in the middle of his ranking despite its many benefits.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

2nd: Stair Climber
The stair climber moves up the list thanks to its big calorie burn with low joint stress, plus the added benefit of shaping your legs and glutes. Leon recommends tacking on 10\u201315 minutes on the stair climber right after your lifting session as a strong finisher that boosts fat loss without compromising recovery.<\/p>\n

\"Why<\/p>\n

1st (Best): Incline Walking
Incline walking takes the runner\u2011up spot for a reason: you get almost the same calorie burn as running without the appetite surge and joint pounding. Leon\u2019s go\u2011to prescription is a 12% incline at 3 mph for 20\u201330 minutes. He calls this \u201cthe one treadmill setting that consistently delivers\u201d for fat loss that\u2019s sustainable week after week.<\/p>\n

\"Outdoor<\/p>\n

The Real Winner: Daily Walking (Especially After Meals)
At the top of Leon\u2019s list isn\u2019t a flashy gym machine or a punishing class\u2014it\u2019s daily walking. Hitting 8,000\u201310,000 steps a day can out\u2011burn any single cardio session on the gym floor when you add it up across a week, all without wrecking your appetite or recovery. A 10\u2011minute walk after each meal also helps regulate blood sugar. As Leon puts it: \u201cSometimes the boring option is the winning one.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Not all cardio is created equal when it comes to sustainable fat loss. According to fitness trainer Chadoy…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1152482,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4322],"tags":[30114,298486,135738,313498,1630,105,6513,313499,388,177582,313500,313501,16,15,313502,313503,313504,313505],"class_list":["post-1152481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-cardio","tag-cardio-for-fat-loss","tag-cardio-for-weight-loss","tag-cardio-workout","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-health-and-fitness","tag-how-to-do-cardio-to-lose-weight","tag-lifestyle","tag-photogallery","tag-running-to-lose-weight","tag-swimming-to-lose-weight","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-walking-to-lose-weight","tag-what-cardio-exercise-to-do-for-fat-loss","tag-what-exercises-for-fat-loss","tag-which-cardio-exercise-is-good"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/117107309473727461","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1152481","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1152481"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1152481\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1152482"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1152481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1152481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1152481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}