Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise preferentially utilizes fat as a primary fuel source and is associated with a lower risk of overtraining and injury compared to high-intensity exercise.

Study: Eight weeks of moderate aerobic exercise on body composition and markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in middle-aged obese females

This study shows that moderate exercise like walking on a treadmill helps reduce body inflammation and stress, even before losing weight — which means it’s gentle on the body and less likely to cause overtraining or injury than intense workouts.

Study: Is isoenergetic high-intensity interval exercise superior to moderate-intensity continuous exercise for cardiometabolic risk factors in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus? A single-blinded randomized controlled study

The study found that moderate exercise improved waist size and heart health more than intense exercise, even though both made people fitter. This suggests moderate exercise is gentler on the body and may be less likely to cause overtraining or injury.

Study: Mitochondrial long chain fatty acid oxidation, fatty acid translocase/CD36 content and carnitine palmitoyltransferase I activity in human skeletal muscle during aerobic exercise

This study shows that when people cycle at a moderate pace for two hours, their muscles get better at burning fat for energy, thanks to changes in key proteins and enzymes. But it doesn't say anything about whether this kind of exercise causes fewer injuries than intense exercise.

Study: Effect of high-intensity interval training vs. moderate-intensity continuous training on cardiometabolic risk factors in overweight and obese individuals

The study found that slow, steady exercise helped people lose weight more reliably than short, intense workouts, and no one got hurt or overtrained in either group. This suggests moderate exercise is just as good and maybe safer.