Walking vs gym

whitneyb0421

I've been tracking my calories and eating better for almost a month now. My next goal is to start being more active. Should I start by walking or just start going to the gym right Away? Is one better than the other? Suggestions please

MelaniaTrump

Test yourself before signing into a contract at a gym that you might stop going to.
See if you can walk regularly for a month first.
Same time of day you would go to a gym.

mom22dogs

I do both. Cardio and weightlifting are both important.

astrampe

Do both...Walking is what humans do, go to the gym to add a bit extra.....

cwolfman13

It depends on what you want from a fitness standpoint...walking is great activity and a great way to get started but it has a pretty low ceiling in terms of improving your overall fitness. You'll ultimately need to do something more intense if you really want to improve on your fitness...and personally, I wouldn't do that in a gym...there's plenty you can do in the great outdoors.

Personally, I only use the gym to lift...I primarily cycle for my cardiovascular training and do so primarily outdoors.

azulvioleta6

Do both, but it probably does not matter where you start.

Personally, I find that I cannot maintain or lose weight without lifting weights, but YMMV. Walking is necessary for general cardiovascular health, so do that too!

kshama2001

Both are important.

http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/many-daily-steps-really-need-better-health​/

... the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doesn’t have a step recommendation; instead it recommends that adults get 150 minutes of moderate exercise like brisk walking or 75 minutes of vigorous activity like running per week. For anyone counting, that works out to anywhere from 3,500–8,000 steps per day.

And, no matter how much aerobic activity you get, the CDC still recommends getting at least two hours of strength exercise per week. That raises an important point: Dumbbells lifted don’t count toward your step count, but they make huge improvements to your overall health, Neides says.

lauraesh0384

It's all a matter of personal preference. I personally can't stand going to a gym. I have free use of one in my apartment complex but I've only been a handful of times. I walk in my apartment where I can blast music or walk along to a TV show. When I go to a gym I feel like I'm constantly watching the clock. I'm much more likely to exercise in my apartment than go to a gym.

heatherheyns

Whatever works for you. For some, going to a gym works best. For others, walking around their neighborhood is something they stick with. So, try both if you can and see what fits best into your life. I do both, I walk for my daily step count and I go to the gym for more intense exercise.

Shana67

You should do whatever you are the most comfortable with. When I was 1st losing weight back in the 90s (!!!), I lost 20 lbs simply by walking. I started going to the gym after that, because winter was coming and I don't do cold

ElJefePerron

heatherheyns wrote: »

Whatever works for you. For some, going to a gym works best. For others, walking around their neighborhood is something they stick with. So, try both if you can and see what fits best into your life. I do both, I walk for my daily step count and I go to the gym for more intense exercise.

This! Summer is around the corner so walking can be great! Nothing like vitamin sun to recharge the soul.

Gyms are great for strength based activities and on rainy days.

trigden1991

Whichever you will be consistent with. One thing to consider is that walking is free.

Carpercia

Walk and then slowly move into couch 25K!

girlinahat

start with a routine you can build on. For me this was getting up early (ie rather than pressing snooze or checking social media I just got up) and walking to the park, once round the park, then home. I did this daily. Then I looked into couch to 5k and added walk/runs into the mix. This morning I did a 30 minute run, which was made all the more achy by the 5miles off-road trail I did Sunday. I'm signed up for more trail runs as that's what works for me. I still favour walks with friends along coastal paths etc.

All that time I did the walking, I also had a gym membership. I started my running programme on the treadmill until the mornings got lighter and I went outside. I intend to go back to the gym for weights soon (I'm training for a race so running is taking precedence).

That's what works for me - I also cycle, swim, and go swing dancing. The gym is an add-on. It helps me when the weather is bad and provides weights when I want to lift weights. Ultimately the gym will help me get fitter and stronger to allow me to be a better runner/cycler/swimmer/dancer. Classes aren't my thing.

one other thing with walking over the gym that others have mentioned - you are outside, getting vitamin D, exploring the world, saying hello to other people out walking/running. You see things around you and it can be an excellent stress reliever. Go walking, go to the gym when you want to push yourself in a different way

Jeyradan

It depends on your personal circumstances! Are you comfortable training around others, or do you prefer to do it alone (my partner, for instance, doesn't like to be watched)? Do you need accountability, or are you very self-motivated? Do you enjoy the kinds of exercise or the classes offered by your local gym? Can you afford their membership fees month-to-month?

Personally, I don't use a gym because I can't afford one - but I know for a fact that I do better with accountability, so committing to something outside the house is more effective for me than just promising myself I'll work out. For myself, I found a lower-cost alternative (in my case, a local aikido class that lets me train up to six hours a week for half the cost of a gym) that still offers a learning curve and seeing other people (both of which mean I'm held accountable for keeping going; if I don't, I won't progress fast enough to keep up, and people will notice if I'm not there).

I also walk a lot, though, and I find it enjoyable for reasons beyond simply the exercise value (like fun, fresh air, discovering new things, and it's a free way to get from place to place!), which might help to motivate you. Cycling can be a lot of fun for the same reasons, if you have a bicycle and safe conditions under which to ride.

If you want to do strength training or cardio, but the gym isn't appealing for whatever reason (cost, timing, other people), you could try an exercise podcast, a book (another poster on the forum recommended "You Are Your Own Gym" to me), or a workout app on your phone (I use Sworkit and do three half-hour strength training sessions a week, plus random 5- to 15-minute workouts whenever I feel like it or want to earn back a few extra calories).

Hope that helps!

LivingtheLeanDream

Walking is something that can be done any time so it would be a great start. For me personally I don't want to spend the time travelling to and from a gym (it would be a 60 min round trip for me) so I spend that 60 mins walking/running and have done for the last 4 years and will continue to do so
Being consistent is key to any activity

ladyreva78

The best advice I received is to find something I enjoy. If it feels like a chore, then there's no way you'll stick it out for any amount of time and, as RunRutheeRun said, being consistent truly is the key.

whitneyb0421

Wow thanks guys!!! Great advice on here I'm going to just try both out and see which one I enjoy more. I really don't want to pay for a gym I was thinking maybe workout DVDs or YouTube stations and walking too maybe 30 minutes of both? I will try it out and try to make it fun

LivingtheLeanDream

Youtube is great for all sorts of workouts you can do at home, try Jessica Smith/ Fitness Blender/ Hasfit

UncaToddly

I used to belong to Gold's Gym when they put up a brand new onein the area and worked out a deal with work for memberships through payroll deduction. I got into a good routine and kind of enjoyed it but mostly for the things that didn't really help, like the hottubs and lazy pool. It was great for the weight training though with loads of equipment I would never have at home.

The downside, was that when I was doing the treadmill it was too easy to just stop. When I started working on my weight again after getting up to 387 I thought I would join Planet Fitness to start because it would be easy to just jump in and get on the treadmill and if my knees or back couldn't handle it I could just stop, get in the car an go home. I have yet to do so.

I started doing walks around the neighborhood/city and have found that I enjoy that much more. The scenery is better and feels like less of a chore. While I can always decide to not go any farther, I am still committed to having to walk from where I am back to where I started LOL.

One of the things I have really enjoyed is when my wife and I go out to eat or go to the store or whatever, I will often walk home instead of taking the 3, 4 or 5 mile ride home. Varying the route has helped a lot with it because the scenery is different and you see different things that you don't really see at 25-50 miles perhour in a car.

PaulaWallaDingDong

Whatever you'll do. Walking is great. It's my main exercise. The gym has lots of equipment that you wouldn't have at home so you can branch out with your routine, but you don't necessarily need that much variety if you don't want it. If you want to improve strength and stability, you can do it with dumbells and bodyweight exercises at home, though how far you can go with it might be limited.

It's all about what your goals are and how much you want to commit. Until you're sure what you want, keep walking.

dykask

If you don't want to pay for a gym learn about body weight calisthenics. When you get more advanced you can walk to a park that has some bars and use them to do really advanced calisthenics like pull-ups! Then walk back. Save the money from a gym membership, buy nice shoes, workout cloths and a good fitness tracker ... or whatever you like. There are tons of body weight exercises that can be done instead of gym machines. Also since they use multiple groups of muscles together you end up with a nice slender type of build.

scrubman

You can walk and do strength training with even going to the gym. On your walks stop and do 15 wall push-ups. Then keep going till you find a lower wall and do reverse dips. Point is you can mix in upper body work while you are on your walk.

TeaBea

whitneyb0421 wrote: »

Wow thanks guys!!! Great advice on here I'm going to just try both out and see which one I enjoy more. I really don't want to pay for a gym I was thinking maybe workout DVDs or YouTube stations and walking too maybe 30 minutes of both? I will try it out and try to make it fun

Check out "walking style" workouts on YouTube.....great for getting your workout done in crappy weather.

http://jessicasmithtv.com/exercise-videos/

www.youtube.com/user/walkathomemedia

I do a mix of cardio days & strength days. Just try out different things for awhile, find something you will stick with.

Francl27

Eh I mostly go to the gym to walk when it's not nice out (or when I want a better burn with incline).

lemurcat12

I say do both, but am interpreting "walking" as focusing on increasing regular activity in my daily life and "gym" as intentional exercise. I try to walk as much as possible -- I walked home from my swimming yesterday and stopped at the store on the way, since the bus was going to require a lengthy wait anyway. I also always walk when I can instead of driving, bike to work when possible, and often get off a stop early when commuting to work. But all of this doesn't replace intentional exercise in my mind -- I also found activities I love, including some weight training and running (but it doesn't matter -- whatever you enjoy), and do that.

Lounmoun

As long as you are moving, you should do what you like. If you have specific goals that require equipment you may find a gym more helpful.
A gym is not an option for me. I walk and do workout videos.
I've been doing a you tube playlist rotation from Jessica Smith for a bit and walking briskly 30 minutes to an hour a day.
http://jessicasmithtv.com/plug-play-weekly-youtube-workout-rotation-playlist/

Timshel_

Cardio for system health and strength training for muscle and skeletal health. Both for quality of life too.

Find ways to do both that you actually enjoy or you won't stick with them.