Is walking good exercise

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fitnessqueen91
fitnessqueen91 Posts: 166 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I spoke to this girl at work and she worked as a apprentice at the gym to train to be a PT. I said I walk a lot and she said walking isn't exercise. I know walking is not as intense as other forms of sport but I thought walking was good for you. Most days I walk to and from work for half an hour each way. Is walking beneficial and a waste of time?
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  • fitnessqueen91
    fitnessqueen91 Posts: 166 Member
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    I always thought that walking was good for you and can help to loose weight.
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    Walking is beneficial and is not a waste of time. It is not as intense as other forms of exercise, but it burns calories and has other benefits. It can help you lose weight insofar as it burns calories.
  • dbanks80
    dbanks80 Posts: 3,685 Member
    edited November 2015
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    Sounds like she's preparing you to buy some PT sessions from her.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,892 Member
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    Walking is great! Especially brisk walking, or walking up hill, or walking up stairs, or walking on sand ...

    But any sort of walking is good, both mentally and physically. :)
  • zorahgail
    zorahgail Posts: 91 Member
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    @innerfatty91 yes, walking absolutely is great for you, not just for weight loss. Walking is how I started, and continues to be part of my regular routine now (maintaining a weight loss of 85-90 lbs.).
  • lemmie177
    lemmie177 Posts: 479 Member
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    Walking is definitely good for you. IMO, the human body was meant to spend most of its time walking. It's one of those activities that can be very therapeutic and leave you feeling more energized than when you started.

    That being said, I, personally, would not log it as exercise and don't bother recording it. For someone who finds it significantly strenuous or is otherwise very sedentary, I would expect them to deal with it differently.

    It really depends on your perspective to consider it a waste of time. If your goal is to burn as many calories as possible per minute or to increase leg strength, and time is limiting, then I'd consider walking incredibly inefficient. But if we're talking about 30min spent walking where you'd otherwise just be sitting on your butt, then of course its not a waste of time.
  • PinkyPan1
    PinkyPan1 Posts: 3,018 Member
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    I not only lost 22 lbs walking but I also regained my health. I had a heart attack almost 2 years ago and I am fit and healthy. My doctor told me to lose 10 lbs and walk a mile per day. I have now power walked 2524.17 MILES as of today. These are not steps but miles have walk daily. Keep on walking.
  • kar328
    kar328 Posts: 4,150 Member
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    Most of my exercise has been walking. I usually run 2, then walk 3-4. My walking time is now 4 mph or a bit over, and according to my Fitbit, burns about 110 calories for each of those miles (15 mins/mile). There are ways to burn more and quicker, but walking is great therapy for me, I go outside, even in not so great weather, listen to music and let my brain wander. When I work 2-3 twelve hour shifts in a row and don't get out there in the middle of them, I can definitely feel a difference in my mood.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,892 Member
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    I am up to 950 km of walking so far this year ... and I have been logging it. :)

    I've also lost 54 lbs in that time ... several factors went into that, but walking was one of them.
  • fitnessqueen91
    fitnessqueen91 Posts: 166 Member
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    PinkyPan1 wrote: »
    I not only lost 22 lbs walking but I also regained my health. I had a heart attack almost 2 years ago and I am fit and healthy. My doctor told me to lose 10 lbs and walk a mile per day. I have now power walked 2524.17 MILES as of today. These are not steps but miles have walk daily. Keep on walking.

    Well done for losing 22 pounds and on getting better! My mum also had a heart attack recently but hasn't been able to walk much as she has stomach problems that prevent her from walking much but she really misses walking. I hope she gets better soon so she can go on her walks.

    That's an awful lot of miles! Again well done. I will keep on walking. It makes me feel like I'm more active and I love fresh air as opposed to cramped transport and it gives me time to think and relax.
  • fitnessqueen91
    fitnessqueen91 Posts: 166 Member
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    zorahgail wrote: »
    @innerfatty91 yes, walking absolutely is great for you, not just for weight loss. Walking is how I started, and continues to be part of my regular routine now (maintaining a weight loss of 85-90 lbs.).

    Well done on your weight loss!! Same, walking for me is routine.
  • fitnessqueen91
    fitnessqueen91 Posts: 166 Member
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    dbanks80 wrote: »
    Sounds like she's preparing you to buy some PT sessions from her.

    Very likely. I can't stand all these PTs and people who work at the gym. Most of them don't know very much, well I guess most of them are apprentices and still learning.
  • Pawsforme
    Pawsforme Posts: 645 Member
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    I'm down 21 pounds in the past four months, and brisk walking is my main exercise. I have no plans (and see no need) to change that. It works for me physically and mentally.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
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    To echo what all the others have said.
    Yes, walking burns calories. I don't know exactly, but I am going to venture a guess that the number of calories burned during an hour of walking is roughly the same as the number burned during an hour in the gym, because there is no resting when you are walking.
    Also, walking is great for your heart and your health. Just a little, regular walking -- I think it is half an hour a day -- greatly improves cholesterol and triglyceride levels and helps you maintain healthy insulin sensitivity!
  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
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    I walk a lot!
    I think walking fulfills one of three basic exercise 'macros'... just like the food macros, there are different kinds of exercise and they do different things for us. Walking is a great recovery activity between heavier work outs. It's great for stress relief. It helps get the body ready to sleep well at night. An average size adult will burn about 200 calories walking three 20-minute miles in an hour. Speed things up or add a good grade and you'll get more burn. I think of my walking as a sort of active rest.
    The other exercise 'macros' are high intensity intervals and lifting heavy things. You can run or peddle HIIT intervals, or dance, or swim or whatever you like but you will be sweaty and fatigued when you're done. And you can use body weight, weight machines, free weights or crazy cross fit props to fulfill your lifting need.
    Your gym bunny sounds undereducated. Walking is definitely a form of exercise. And it is the perfect 'gateway' exercise for people who may think they don't like to work out. I love trying new things and pushing past former limitations, but walking will always be a solid part of my life. Between September 29 and October 27 I walked 250 miles... Crazy right?
    I love walking!
  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
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    @PinkyPan1 your story is impressive... Bravo!
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    Walking is good exercise but it is far from the most intense calorie burner per unit of time or distance.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    It's better than nothing.
  • tcarp8
    tcarp8 Posts: 370 Member
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    If the other option is sitting, I think it's pretty good exercise
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Walking is wonderful and had helped many people, including me, get started on their journey to health & fitness. 18 months ago I couldn't walk more than 1/4 mile without excruciating foot knee and hip pain and rest stops. Now I walk 4-5 miles every single day, plus other workouts too and have lost 118 lbs in the process.

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