Does walking actually help?

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Replies

  • yvie63
    yvie63 Posts: 193 Member
    I lost 120lbs (gained 12;ns over the last month due to holidays) and the only real exercise I do regularly is walking.. it is a good, natural exercise that can be incorporated easily into your day and is great for mind and body - I aim for 10000 steps a day and sometimes do substantially more. So yes, it is totally possible to lose a decent amount of weight by just walking and keeping your calories under control!
  • amillenium
    amillenium Posts: 281 Member
    I don't walk to lose weight...it is just something I do because I enjoy being outside. It relaxes and destresses me.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    i lost my first 20 pounds through mostly walking. I do a lot more now (gym, weights, jogging) but that's personal choice and the fact I learned i really ENJOY these things.

    plenty of people have lost all their weight with walking.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    It comes down to your diet. Period. That being said, my main form of exercise for 3 years has been walking, although now it's usually on the treadmill with a 10% or more incline instead of outside, as it burns more calories (unless it's really gorgeous out).
  • murp4069
    murp4069 Posts: 494 Member
    MommyMeggo wrote: »
    I guess a fair question would be- which is better?...walking for 30min daily...or never?
    Seems pretty simple to me. Anything that gets your body moving regularly cant be bad for you. As long as you are at a calorie deficit it often leads to slow and steady weight loss as well as opening the door for incorporating other exercise and improving your health.
    I agree with others that there needs to be some strength training paired with the light cardio of walking for optimal results.
    Happy walking!

    I agree - is it better to walk or do nothing? I can't imagine anyone would say do nothing over walking! In my week I typically do a run/walk combo 3 days a week, and the days that I don't do that, I make sure to walk at least 30 minutes at a moderate to brisk pace. These are both in addition to using my elliptical 3-4 days per week for 30 minutes. While none of these cardio workouts result in TONS of calories burned, it's still calories burned that goes toward my deficit and therefore contributes to weight loss.
  • WinterSkies
    WinterSkies Posts: 940 Member
    OP, if you love walking, don't let what anyone says stop you from doing it! Cardio is not a pointless exercise. Any exercise that burns some calories and allows me to eat a little more and stay at my deficit goal is good by my books :)
  • sabified
    sabified Posts: 1,035 Member
    Walking was a great start to exercise for me. I lost about 30 lbs with watching my diet and walking. I started at 30 mins, then up to an hour and then I started working on my speed... and then I moved on to running and doing other exercises as well. Actually, I fell off the bandwagon for quite a while, and I've started walking again to get back in the swing of things. Any exercise is better than not doing anything, and if walking is what you like doing than go for it. Interesting enough, I've seen some walking hiit programs... I haven't done any cuz I'm just remembering about it now, but try googling it (or maybe pinterest?). I'm sure you can find something, if you feel like making it more challenging/mixing it up.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    You lose weight by eating less calories than you burn. You can lose weight without exercising at all.
    Exercise is good for your health and you can eat a bit more as you burn more calories. The exercise that is best for you depends on your goals and what you like to do.
    Walking burns calories. Fast walking burns more than slow walking. It is an easy exercise because you can do it anywhere and need no special equipment or skill. A beginner can start walking right now.
    If you are concerned walking isn't enough for you then just do some other exercises a few days a week.

  • AnjaliSD
    AnjaliSD Posts: 42 Member
    I imagine one of the benefits of walking is that while it's less efficient in burning calories, it also tends to results in people spending more time doing it. So the same person who can only go for a 30 minute job, might be able to go for a 1 hour walk, which means an extra 30 minutes spent not thinking about snacking, and more importantly 30 less minutes spent sitting.

    If popular news sights are to be believed, sitting is bad for us, and can't be undone with exercise. So maybe the best part of walking is that it keeps your body active without tiring you out?

    Also all the stuff people have already said about how moving uses calories, and weight loss being about calories in vs out.
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
    I started this whole thing by only walking. It kicked my butt. When I first started running I could only run for 60 seconds, so I did walk/run intervals. I still do them for long distances, because it's a great recovery interval. So I guess my answer is; I am a strong believer in the benefits of walking as exercise.
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
    I'm really glad for all the responses here. Thanks folks. I want to add my personal experience.

    One year ago today I was bedbound by myocarditis (heart inflammation). Today I weighed in 70 lbs lighter. Most of my weight loss occurred once I started walking 4 months into tracking. I can think of no downsides to walking. If you can take a step, you can walk. It might not be very far; when I started, I could barely make it 1/8 mile, and not every day (heart inflammation does that to a person).

    As I got my lupus under control thanks to a wonderful doctor who finally LISTENED to me after 25 years of symptoms but no one taking it seriously, I was able to increase the intensity and duration of my walks. Almost every day now I walk 3-5 miles (2 walks). Despite significant joint pain, I can manage this mobility without damaging my body. In turn, the significantly smaller weight is making it a lot easier to move on days lupus is kicking my butt because my body doesn't have to work so hard to move.

    Today is one of the days lupus is "winning" But because I'm also now tracking calories carefully, it won't set me back. And tomorrow, hopefully, I'll be back trudging through the snow, thankful I am able to move at all.

    Walking works.
  • ladipoet
    ladipoet Posts: 4,180 Member
    I walk every day for at least an hour. Sometimes I get more like 1.5 hours of walking in throughout the day. In the past 16 months combined with healthier eating habits and portion control, walking has helped me eliminated 135 - 136 pounds. Not bad, eh?! lol
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Walking is the only exercise I do. Without it I would really struggle keeping myself in a deficit. Every morning my calories start out in the red, by the end of the day they are waaaay in the green thanks to walking.
  • blossomingbutterfly
    blossomingbutterfly Posts: 743 Member
    olivia_roland wrote: »
    Ok, so I've heard a lot of pros and cons to the whole "walking to lose weight" discussion. I know walking has a lot of health benefits, but has anyone actually lost a decent amount of weight by walking? I love walking outside. The fresh air is great and it makes me feel better. But a lot of people have told me that cardio is pointless and I'm just really confused.

    Help please. Any advice on this topic would be greatly appreciated.

    Considering I've lost 75lbs thus far by mostly walking, I'd say it works. That and eating at a calorie deficit.
  • KateTii
    KateTii Posts: 886 Member
    Walking is such an easy way to move more. Nearly everyone can do it, it's free and it can fit it into your life much easier than other forms of exercise.

    In the end, it's still adding to the "Calories out" end of Calories in vs Calories out, which can help out with weightloss as well as overall health.

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