Rucking vs Running: Which Exercise is Better For You?

Is rucking or running better for you?

Rucking and running are both great forms of exercise. Rucking is ideal for low intensity “zone 2” heart rate exercise to increase your long term endurance and overall health. It’s easier on your joints and builds your aerobic system. Running can either be done at high intensity or low intensity, but generally is more tough on your joints since the form is more complicated.

I ruck and run every week. Both serve really important purposes to my overall health and exercise routine.

But rucking and running are very different. Just because each is great for cardio doesn’t mean you should think of them interchangeably.

I went through a lot of different forms of cardio before I finally found rucking. And once I did, I haven’t looked back—rucking is one of my favorite parts of every week.

So if I love rucking so much, why do I still run every week, too?

Well, I’m going to break down the health differences in rucking vs running so you can decide which form of exercise you want to bring into your weekly health routine.

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Rucking vs Running: How Do They Compare

I don’t like running. There, I said it.

I’m a healthy guy, and I love the energy I get from regularly training. But I found myself skipping my cardio days more often than not. For years.

And finally, I got fed up with myself and admitted that I just don’t like going for a 30 minute or hour-long jog. If I kept beating myself up about it and relying on “pure will” to get it done, it just wouldn’t happen consistently.

Then I found rucking. Now I have no trouble getting in my cardio every week.

So here are the main things you need to consider when comparing rucking vs running.

Enjoyment

One of my favorite phrases comes from the Navy SEALS: slow is smooth, smooth is fast. I take that to mean that consistency is greater than intensity—at least when it comes to a workout.

Taking a 30 minute jog around my neighborhood is boring and I hate it. I see the same dog barking at me. And I don’t feel like I really “got out in nature.”

But rucking is basically like a weighted hike. Sure, sometimes I grind through the end on a tough ruck. More often, though, an hour long ruck leaves me feeling refreshed and energized.

So I just like rucking better than jogging. I 100% believe that you should search for the workouts you enjoy rather than the “optimal for health.” Sure, you might find the ultimate optimal workout protocol, but if you only do it one day per week, it’s not really doing you any favors.

I stick with what I enjoy. For me, that’s weight lifting 4 days a week, sprints at the track once a week, and an hour-minimum ruck per week on the weekend.

Aerobic vs Anaerobic

Yes, I ruck and run.

But I don’t do any jogging.

So when you’re comparing rucking vs running, what kind of running are you really talking about?

Rucking is a fantastic form of low intensity cardio exercise. A lot of people categorize cardio in terms of what “zone” your heart rate is. Zone 1 is where you’re at all day—this is 50% or below your maximum heart rate.

Zone 2 cardio is between 60-70% of your max heart rate—the best way I’ve heard it described is that you’re elevating your heart rate, but you could still carry a conversation fairly easily.

That’s aerobic exercise: you can have a conversation during it.

It’s recommended to get between 3-4 hours of this “Zone 2 cardio” per week, but that’s pretty difficult honestly. Who has that kind of time? Maybe if it’s your main form of exercise, but I also like to lift weights and live a normal life.

Keeping an elevated heart rate for an hour or more is incredibly good for your health, especially if you can do it at least once a week.

Anaerobic exercise is more intense. It’s good to dip into the anaerobic system because that’s where you get your intensity from. I like a mix of both, so I do sprints once per week at my local track for high intensity (I go as hard as I can until I’m out of breath and feel like I’m going to barf). I’ll do 8 100m sprints with about a minute of rest in between. Overall, that HIIT workout takes about 20-25 minutes, including the warm up and cool down, so it’s quite short.

For rucking, I like to sit in that Zone 2 heart rate for at least 60 minutes if I have the time. So those workouts, while much easier to do, also take 60-90 minutes to complete.

3 Benefits of Rucking vs Running

Lower Likelihood of Injury

Running requires a more complicated form than rucking. Yes, you need to make sure your posture is correct when rucking if you want to prevent injury. But because running form is more complicated, you’re more likely to get hurt or feel sore from doing it.

Rucking is basically just weighted walking at a quick pace. If you have the right gear, you’re not at much risk of hurting your back or knees.

With running, you’re doubling or tripling the number of times your body impacts the ground over a comparable time period. That makes running tougher on your joints than rucking.

Aerobic Exercise vs Anaerobic

I already discussed this topic above, but the aerobic benefits of rucking bear repeating.

Aerobic exercise is fantastic for your heart health—it lowers blood pressure, improves circulation, and lowers your heart rate. There are all kinds of benefits that I can’t get into, but it’s enough to say that it’s critical for your longevity.

Anaerobic exercise is also important for your health—this is what helps build strength and power.

Weight lifting is my favorite form of training—I do it 4 days per week. I get the benefits of anaerobic exercise when performing the lifts, and then some aerobic benefit when I’m resting between sets. But weight lifting isn’t enough.

Rucking is a relatively easy way to get in an hour or 90 minutes of low intensity cardio work. I’ve found this helps me a lot with my energy, sleep, focus, and overall happiness.

As a dude, I’ve always been more attracted to the anaerobic exercises like lifting heavy weights and sprinting—looking for ways to boost my power and strength. But I feel so much better when I do even one hour of low intensity rucking per week.

Rucking can be a lot more social than running. Probably the biggest reason I can ruck regularly is because it’s also time I can spend with my wife on the weekend.

Generally, she walks slower than I do and isn’t as intense as I am. But if I throw 50 or 60 pounds on my back, I can work up a sweat walking at the same pace she is, and I can keep my heart rate roughly the same as hers just by cranking up the amount of weight I’m carrying, rather than adjusting the speed.

Of course, you can find plenty of running clubs and even some rucking clubs around you if that’s something you’re interested in. But for me, I will never get my wife to go on a jog with me. A little hike out in nature, though? Now I’m getting my exercise and spending quality time. So it fits into my life, and that’s how I can keep it consistent.

3 Benefits of Running Over Rucking

Less Gear Involved

Rucking requires a backpack, weights, and maybe a new pair of boots. You probably already have everything you need to go out on a run (minus a pair of running shoes, maybe).

Getting rucking equipment can come with an upfront cost of a few hundred bucks. Ultimately, I’m very happy with my investment in a good rucking backpack and rucking weights because it makes the process easier and more enjoyable (i.e. more “do-able”).

But if you don’t want to pick up new gear right now, then running is easier to start. Just throw on shorts, a tee, your sneakers, and head out the door.

Needs Less Time

Running takes less time. Like I said, my sprint workouts take 20 minutes all in. Going for a ruck takes between 2-3 hours if I want to drive to a trail, get at least 60 minutes of rucking in, and then drive back.

I don’t really ruck during the week because it takes a lot of time. But I treat rucking as almost more of a form of relaxation—yes, it takes a few hours, but I get to ruck out in nature, hear the wind in the trees and all that good stuff.

That said, none of us are flush with time, so if you want to get your cardio in and you only half 30 minutes, then running is the way to go.

More Dynamic Ranges with your Heart Rate

I don’t recommend running when you’re wearing weights. It’s too tough on your knees and ankles.

For that reason, you’re limited in how fast you can go when rucking (assuming you take that advice).

Also, when you start your ruck, you’ve picked the amount of weight you’re going to carry. So you have your weight and your max speed—the best way to increase your heart rate is by going up a hill, but if you’re walking on flat land, you don’t really have that option.

With running, you can really control your heart rate much easier. You can go as fast or as slow as you want. So if you want to get both your aerobic and anaerobic training in one session, doing a slow jog for 30 minutes followed by a set of sprints is an option.

To Ruck or Run, That is the Question…

What are you excited to do? That’s the most important question when you’re comparing rucking vs running.

I’m excited to wake up on Saturday and go for an hour long ruck out in nature. So that’s what I do.

Now, I don’t mind sprints, so I typically also do sprints one day per week. But I hate jogging, and no matter how healthy it is, I just won’t do it with enough consistency to really get the benefits.

From a health perspective, rucking is great for your cardiovascular health. So is running. But it comes down to which of the two you will be more consistent with.

If you’ll be more consistent with rucking, then that’s the healthiest training for you.

FAQs

Does rucking translate to running?

Yes, rucking can improve your running performance. If you ruck for 60 minutes or more in a training session, you’re improving your aerobic system, lowering your heart rate, and boosting your endurance. If you ruck with weight, you’re also building stabilization muscles in a manner that running doesn’t. So when you run, you’ll have more muscular endurance as well.

Will rucking build muscle?

If you’re a beginner to strength training, it’s possible that rucking will build muscle. Rucking will certainly improve muscle strength, even in advanced athletes. But the building of muscle (from a visual perspective) requires diet and progressive overload, so weight lifting is typically the best training for building muscle.

Is rucking better for your knees than running?

Yes, many people, myself included, find rucking to be much easier on your knees than running. Running is a more complicated movement than walking, so there’s a lot more issues that can crop up from misalignment or improper form. If you struggle with knee pain, I recommend rucking over running.

Is rucking considered cardio?

Yes, rucking is considered cardio. If you ruck at a pace that elevates your heart rate, but you can still easily carry a conversation, that’s called Zone 2 cardio, which is very beneficial for your long-term health.

William Barton

I ruck to build strength and endurance. Since I've started rucking, I've used this amazing hobby to see trails across the US. But nothing beats a ruck near my home in North Carolina.