Walk or Run? Cut Carbs or Fat?

I often get asked binary questions on all sorts of topics. I’m notoriously hard to pin down to one black or white answer, like when I was on the BBC 1 Breakfast show (see below). This is mainly because most questions have nuance to them. Here are some common topics I discuss:

Walking vs Running to Change Shape

Most people seem to think that running or fitness is the only way for fat loss. While it is great to smash out some exercise, not least for the health benefits, for fat loss I’d say probably pick walking over running. This is because running for most people is fairly limited in how much you will do in any week, while you can walk almost unlimited amounts time allowing. Aerobic exercise for many people also greatly increases hunger and eating, walking does not seem to do this to any great extent. You can of course do both, but most people are still sleeping on walking and its potential for changing your body shape.

Low Carb vs Low Fat to Lose Weight

The age-old debate, the 1980s vs the 1990s in mainstream diet advice. They are both off in my opinion, total food intake vs movement is still the major determinant of your body composition. If I had to pick one, then I’d pick low fat. Far too many people increase their food cravings from low carb while the high amount of energy in their diet is not actually from carbs, but the fat found within food labelled as carbs or sugar. Chocolate has more fat than carbs, people call pizza carbs when fat again is the higher calorie input, same with cake etc. Most people snack on nuts, a high-calorie fat-based food. There is no need for us to debate this that much as you can find out what is best for you simply using your own body’s reactions.

Muscle vs Tendon Stiffness Training

Isometrics have become popular through TikTok recently and for good reason. Traditional lifting builds muscle through movement, whereas isometrics (holding tension without movement) seem to develop tendon stiffness and force transfer. If I had to i’d pick muscle training as so many options within it, but people are sleeping on isometrics, especially if they’re hurt or can’t load joints properly. Holding positions near end range is a great way to strengthen connective tissue while staying pain free.

Muscle vs Fascial vs Nerve Stretching

It’s now fairly clear that muscle length is mostly controlled by the brain, not simply the muscle itself. Other factors like fascia and nerves play a huge role. The safest position for your body is usually one where all three systems are balanced.

In simple terms: muscle stretching is what most people think of , longer static holds, relaxed breathing, trying to lengthen the tissue. Fascial stretching involves gentle movement or massage-like pressure through the area, and nerve stretching uses light gliding movements when the nerve is elongated, not aggressive pulling.

If I had to pick one, I’d go fascia. It covers the muscles and the nerves, it links everything, and it’s the system most people ignore. When you free up the fascia, you often get dramatic improvements across the board, with more flexibility, better posture and even a calmer nervous system.

Exercise in the Morning vs Evening

There are plenty of studies on this. Some suggest athletes perform slightly better training in the morning, others lean toward late afternoon when body temperature and reaction times are highest. But those results come from people who are often training twice a day and chasing tiny marginal gains.

For normal people, the main issue is consistency. The best time to train is whenever you’ll actually do it. Personally, I prefer mornings. If you train early, you get two chances to get it done, busy early on then you can still train later. Morning training also happens before the social events or daily dramas have had time to derail you.

Intervals vs Steady State Aerobic Training

This one has been argued for decades. Intervals are sold as the magic bullet, all the results in less time, while the new trend is steady-state, Zone 2 style training. The truth is, both have value. For most people, the issue isn’t picking the perfect method, it’s just doing enough total exercise each week.

True interval training, as used by athletes, is far more specific than people realise. It involves hitting targeted power outputs, managing lactate levels, and pacing recovery properly. Steady-state training is more forgiving, builds endurance and consistency, and is easier to recover from. If I had to pick one, I’d go intervals, most people enjoy the more and err on the side of exercise caution over hard effort. However, if you want to reach a high level of fitness, you’ll eventually need both types and the sub divisions within each.

What This Means For You

Most fitness debates are built around finding “the one right answer”, but there rarely is one. Everything works in context. What matters is consistency, understanding the trade-offs, and knowing what’s right for you at this moment in time. Your best choice isn’t the theoretical perfect one, it’s more the one you’ll actually do.

Video – From when I was on the BBC 1 Breakfast Show talking about Milk for children in school: 

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