What Other Cardio is the Equivalent of Running 2 Miles?

Running is a high-intensity, high-impact cardio exercise that burns a lot of calories. How many calories you burn depends on the amount of effort exerted. Biking, swimming and walking are other cardio exercises that can burn the same amount of calories if running is difficult for you. Comparing calories burned in 2 miles of running to calories burned doing other cardio exercises will tell you about how long to exercise to achieve the same fat burning as you would from running.

Calories burned during 2 miles of running depends on your running speed and your body weight. Heavier people burn more calories than lighter people, and running faster burns more calories than slower running. Running 2 miles at 5 mph, a 125-pound person will burn about 192 calories, and a 185-pound person will burn about 284 calories. Running 2 miles at a very fast pace of 10 mph, a 125-pound person will burn about 198 calories, and a 185-pound person will burn about 293 calories.

Walking is a lower-impact cardio exercise that is easier for people who need to build up their fitness level or who have joint problems that make running difficult. However, it doesn't burn as many calories as running, unless you do it fast enough. Fast walking burns significantly more calories than slow walking. At 3.5 mph, 125-pound person walking two miles will burn about 137 calories, and a 185-pound person will burn about 203 calories. At 4.5 mph, a 125-pound person will burn 173 calories, and a 185-pound person will burn 257. At both weights, you'll need to walk about 2.3 to 2.8 miles to burn the same calories as running 2 miles, depending on your walking speed.

Read more: Calories Burned Through Strength Training

Biking is low-impact exercise that is easier than running for people with knee problems because body weight is supported. Regardless of weight, in 24 minutes -- the same time it would take to run 2 miles at 5 mph -- you can burn an equal amount calories by biking at a moderate pace of 13 mph. To match the calorie burn of a run at a faster pace of 10 mph, you'd have to cycle for 12 minutes at a pace of 20 miles per hour.

Swimming is one of the lowest-impact forms of cardio because your entire body weight is supported by water. In 12 minutes -- the time it would take to run 2 miles at 5 mph -- a 125-pound person will burn about 72 calories swimming moderately and 120 swimming vigorously. A 185-pound person will burn about 106 calories swimming moderately and 178 swimming vigorously.

Read more: How to Calculate Calories Burned