Walking at Home vs Walking Outside

BriKH23

Hello all!

I have been doing Leslie Sansone's walk at home video series the past couple weeks. I feel great after I "power walk" a couple miles, however this is all based from within my home.

I do walk outside when I can but the English weather isn't always cooperative! I don't drive so I walk everywhere anyways. Leslie Sansone seems to all engage more muscles than you would just by walking as well...but my question is: Does it make a difference walking inside vs outside? Would I burn more calories actually "getting" somewhere and moving forward rather than just marching erratically in place?

Thanks all!

tat2cookie

I love the outdoors! Sun, rain, cold, snow.... Don't care, I'll take it on!!

michelletowle52

Just dress for the weather and get out there you'll feel more refreshed out in the open air

BriKH23

Hi guys - thanks for the responses.

Just to clarify, I do not mean to totally replace outdoor walking with indoor walking. Sometimes when the weather is horrid (like with this weekend's stormy conditions) I figure, for me, an indoor workout is better than none at all. I see what you are saying, but I am just asking about the differences in calories burned if any.

jemhh

It doesn't make a difference. If you were training to be a race walker and wanted to do it using Leslie Sansone videos I would say otherwise but for general fitness, using the videos indoors is fine.

akern1987

I use her videos too, and I'll be honest, I feel like I've gotten a better workout after one of the walk at home videos then when I just go for a walk outside. She keeps the pace up, and on another bright note, I can do the walk at home thing in my pajamas! I say keep at it

rainbow198

I walk outdoors and use the videos very regularly and enjoy both. I do get a higher calorie burn and a better overall total body workout with Leslie. Especially when using 5 pound handweights.

I'm using the videos to train for my first half marathon and it's a workout!

KANGOOJUMPS

I am in Canada, and I do everything outside, through rain snow and ice! LOVE IT!, What a invigorating feeling, even when it is minus 30 out! Come to Canada and out with me!

BigChangeNeeded

Hi there.
Just wanted to post a quick thank you for starting this thread. I'd not heard of Leslie Sansone before, but I've just checked out the videos on YouTube and will be giving them a try. Thanks

Annie_01

I think I burn more calories walking inside. The reason might be that while walking inside I often change my pace from a moderate walk to jogging in place or running through the house like a mad women. I also add in some dancing around...side steps...knee lifts...arm raises...etc...etc. These are all things that I wouldn't do outside due to fear of being picked up because someone thought I was insane.

flatlndr

Not having seen the videos, I would imagine one thing you would miss is walking up and down hills.

I'm with you with regards to English weather ... but I have good waterproof clothing and footwear to address that. For me, nothing like a bit of fresh air.

SizeTenByTeatime

I've just walked 5.8 miles in the snow! Very invigorating.

Plus depending on where you live, there's a lot of nice scenery around which I imagine is more interesting to look at than a living room.

AuntSusie7

I used to use her DVD's a lot. I lost 50lbs using them 4-5 times a week. In one of her videos she addresses this issue. She praises the benefits of walking outside, taking a spin class, etc. Then, she states that walking outside does not move your body in the same way as her indoor walking do. You use different muscles; muscles you wouldn't normally use during an ordinary walk. Most likely, you aren't doing kicks, knee raises, side steps, or all the arm movements when you're outside. Her workouts are a good, full body aerobic workout. Keep at it, you will see the benefits.

AuntSusie7

By the way, I burn more calories with Leslie's walks than walking outside.

Annie_01

BriKH23 wrote: »

Hello all!

I have been doing Leslie Sansone's walk at home video series the past couple weeks. I feel great after I "power walk" a couple miles, however this is all based from within my home.

I do walk outside when I can but the English weather isn't always cooperative! I don't drive so I walk everywhere anyways. Leslie Sansone seems to all engage more muscles than you would just by walking as well...but my question is: Does it make a difference walking inside vs outside? Would I burn more calories actually "getting" somewhere and moving forward rather than just marching erratically in place?

Thanks all!

I think that most people are missing the above bolded.

OP...

I also walk outside a lot doing my errands. I walk to do my grocery shopping which the store is a mile away and then have to carry back 2 or 3 bags of groceries. I live close to a couple of malls so I walk to both of those when I need things. I walk inside when I want to to throw in 20 to thirty mins more of some type of movement.

I also understand about the weather. I live in an area where the temperature can climb quickly to 95-100 degrees in the summer. If I try to walk outside I quickly slow down to a crawl and cut my walk short.

If you enjoy doing the videos then keep it up. I have used them and also the podcasts for the C25K program which gives me intervals. I also found some jungle music that I use for when I feel like going wild.

flatlndr

If I compare walking on a treadmill to walking outside, I'd say I get more out of an outside walk.

However, it's a bit of comparing apples to oranges. You could get a good workout either way, depending on how much effort you put in. I suppose the only way you'd know is to use a heart rate monitor for both and compare.

Regardless, it's probably not terribly much different in the big picture. What's more important is that you are getting a workout, rather than sitting on the sofa watching TV.

SLE0803

I do the same as you...in nice weather I am walking outside. When it's colder/rainy/snowy then I am inside doing Leslie Sansone DVDs. I think it's great! Love it.

I will say the other day I missed my walks outside so I bundled up and took a walk.

(I'm in the suburbs of Chicago)

kshama2001

flatlndr wrote: »

Not having seen the videos, I would imagine one thing you would miss is walking up and down hills.

I'm with you with regards to English weather ... but I have good waterproof clothing and footwear to address that. For me, nothing like a bit of fresh air.

Ya, my FitBit One gives me up to 19 flights of stairs for my walk in the woods and I can definitely feel different muscles engaging.

I need some rain gear and an attitude adjustment about walking in the rain. I might try Leslie Sansone next time the weather is bad - last time I did laps around Walmart and wasn't crazy about that.

flatlndr

kshama2001 wrote: »

flatlndr wrote: »

Not having seen the videos, I would imagine one thing you would miss is walking up and down hills.

I'm with you with regards to English weather ... but I have good waterproof clothing and footwear to address that. For me, nothing like a bit of fresh air.

Ya, my FitBit One gives me up to 19 flights of stairs for my walk in the woods and I can definitely feel different muscles engaging.

I need some rain gear and an attitude adjustment about walking in the rain. I might try Leslie Sansone next time the weather is bad - last time I did laps around Walmart and wasn't crazy about that.

Given how muddy and wet I got on my hike today - courtesy of English winter weather - I'm starting to see the attraction of the indoor walk.

KaliH310

When I do indoor walking I like "JessicaSmithTV" on Youtube. She does a lot of intervals and some are high intensity but it's usually a good mix to keep your heart rate up. But I walk all year around no matter the elements. But when it gets down in the single digits you'll find me inside sweating up a storm.

myssjaxson

I doubt it would make a difference.
Though I prefer to run/walk outside. I feel like I accomplish more when I do/try harder. If you don't have a destination I would make sure you're going fast enough, compare timing when you walk outside and when you do inside and make sure you're not slowing down either way.

KyleneSusan

AuntSusie7 wrote: »

I used to use her DVD's a lot. I lost 50lbs using them 4-5 times a week. In one of her videos she addresses this issue. She praises the benefits of walking outside, taking a spin class, etc. Then, she states that walking outside does not move your body in the same way as her indoor walking do. You use different muscles; muscles you wouldn't normally use during an ordinary walk. Most likely, you aren't doing kicks, knee raises, side steps, or all the arm movements when you're outside. Her workouts are a good, full body aerobic workout. Keep at it, you will see the benefits.

I agree with the use of different muscles. I imagine that the muscles that are used to actually propel yourself forward are not getting used exactly the same way whist marching in place vs. walking outside. At the same time, the muscles that are used to pull the knees up as high as in a marching step aren't muscles that are typically used when going for a walk outside.

So I would assume that the calorie burn would be approximately the same, if the heart rate and intensity of the workout can be about the same. The difference would really be felt in which muscles are getting worked. And since it sounds like the OP is getting a good mixture of both types of walking in, no muscles are going ignored.

I asked my trainer what she recommended for the number of steps I should try to achieve daily and she said that for weight loss, I should aim for something between 12,000 and 14,000 steps a day, and that those steps could be walking or doing aerobic videos at home (which is what I've been doing several days a week).

So as long as you're moving about and getting steps in, I don't think it matters where exactly you're getting them.

Larissa_NY

BriKH23 wrote: »

Hi guys - thanks for the responses.

Just to clarify, I do not mean to totally replace outdoor walking with indoor walking. Sometimes when the weather is horrid (like with this weekend's stormy conditions) I figure, for me, an indoor workout is better than none at all. I see what you are saying, but I am just asking about the differences in calories burned if any.

Seconding everyone else. I prefer walking outside, but realistically, if it's super cold or raining it's not going to happen. Whatever my issues with Leslie Sansone might be, I have to think that movement is better than no movement, wherever the movement might happen to be located. The calories burned might be different and might not, though I don't know why they would be, but either will be more calories than you burn sitting on the couch.

TeaBea

jemhh wrote: »

It doesn't make a difference. If you were training to be a race walker and wanted to do it using Leslie Sansone videos I would say otherwise but for general fitness, using the videos indoors is fine.

This^

The biggest thing is consistency. I like being outdoors, but I'm a wimp. I know I won't walk outside in the snow, ice and subzero temperatures. Leslie keeps me active.

If you're worried about calorie burn, you can always sustitute some jogging and add extra arm movements while using Leslie. I don't think there is much difference in calorie burn anyway. It's all about what you put into it, indoors or out.

TeaBea

BigChangeNeeded wrote: »

Hi there.
Just wanted to post a quick thank you for starting this thread. I'd not heard of Leslie Sansone before, but I've just checked out the videos on YouTube and will be giving them a try. Thanks

Check out Jessica Smith too. Her walking workouts are not quite as simple. But, I like having the varitey of both.