I just walk - that's ok, right?
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Replies
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Absolutely! its my favourite way to get cardio.3
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Late to respond but walking is fantastic exercise. It is my main cardio. I used to run more but I keep coming back to walking.2
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Thanks for all the encouraging words and support! I will keep up the walking!!8
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Everyone has different goals! The exercises you said people are encouraging you to do are for strength training, toning and gaining muscle when you are not eating at a deficit. You are walking, which is a form of cardio. It will help you lose weight and burns more calories than strength training. Walking might help you tone a little bit, but you most likely will not end up with a six pack or really "chiseled" arms, etc. If that's okay with you then keep up what you're doing!3
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Verity1111 wrote: »Everyone has different goals!
^^^^^ Bingo!
I love running & riding my bike & lifting weights etc etc etc but that's me, not you. Walking is great exercise for both you and your dog. Keep it up!3 -
Walking your dog for 4 miles every other day is OK big time. That is called adding quality to your life, your dogs life and your husband's life, big time. Let's stay in touch. Get descriptive about what you see and what you like. What is it that makes you want more life?0
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I walked outside today for 3 miles. It was around the big lake, and the fall colors were gorgeous. If you enjoy walking, then keep doing it! I swear people, especially Americans, go to the extreme in everything...and that's why so many of us fail.7
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I lost a grand total of 120 lbs in just over a year using MFP and.. yup... walking. There is not a single thing wrong with walking for exercise. Once you lose the weight you want to lose if you want to build muscle you can do it then. Heck, I tried building muscle while in a deficit and it did me little good. Sure, I could trade some fat for muscle, but most of that muscle was being built in my legs and core walking. Don't feel you're getting a good calorie burn? Walk faster. I walk up to 4mph most days now, and jog part of my walks up to 5.5mph. If there is one other thing I can recommend doing when you're comfortable with it, it's body weight exercises. No equipment required. I even do it during my walks, I'll walk a mile, stop and do 10-20 push ups, and continue walking. It's not a waste of time.7
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Walking is better than not working out for sure, however, it is not optimal. And many of these statements such as "walking does more for your legs than squats" are blatantly false.
Adding resistance workouts and some small doses of more intense cardio will improve your health, fitness, and body composition more than just walking. Sorry there is just tons of research to support this.
That being said if walking is what you want to do then it is a much better choice than nothing, and not a waste of time.0 -
Walking is better than not working out for sure, however, it is not optimal. And many of these statements such as "walking does more for your legs than squats" are blatantly false.
Adding resistance workouts and some small doses of more intense cardio will improve your health, fitness, and body composition more than just walking. Sorry there is just tons of research to support this.
That being said if walking is what you want to do then it is a much better choice than nothing, and not a waste of time.
How is the tone of this post helpful?
Exercise snobbery puts a lot of people off any form of exercise.
OP, please ignore this.
Let me share my story.
I have psoriatic arthritis, degenerative arthritis, and fibromyalgia. I was 210 pounds and sedentary for years. I was using a cane. I finally had enough and decided to change my life. I, a chronic exercise hater, decided that I was going to get off my butt and start walking. I had always liked just walking.
I took my cane and hobbled down to the corner. I did it again the next day. And the next. Eventually I walked 1/4 mile. Eventually that became a half a mile. Eventually, I no longer needed the cane. Eventually it was a full mile.
Then I started playing games. I decided that I'd walk faster between these two telephone poles and normal pace for the next three and repeat.
Then my walks grew to two miles.
Before I knew it, I was walking 5 miles a day. Eventually, my pace sped up so that I had gone from hobbling with a cane to walking 4 mph.
All this time, I was dieting. As I felt lighter, I felt more fit, and the weather had changed. I had joined a gym to walk indoors on a treadmill. Oh!!! Shiny things to play with. I started working with weights because I wanted to strengthen the muscles that supported my bad joints.
When the weather turned nice again, I decided I wanted to run. I started C25K. By the time Thanksgiving rolled around, I ran a 5K Turkey Trot.
I'm now 117 pounds and run every day.
All of this started because I decided I was "just going to walk".
This may or may not happen for you. It doesn't have to. Walking has many benefits. I still do a great deal of it every day. It keeps my joints from stiffening up. It helps me sort through life's little problems. It's the best mood lifter there is (well, that and running).
Don't ever feel you're "just" walking.46 -
Walking is better than not working out for sure, however, it is not optimal. And many of these statements such as "walking does more for your legs than squats" are blatantly false.
Adding resistance workouts and some small doses of more intense cardio will improve your health, fitness, and body composition more than just walking. Sorry there is just tons of research to support this.
That being said if walking is what you want to do then it is a much better choice than nothing, and not a waste of time.
Agree with @GottaBurnEmAll.
Walking is 100% optimal.
Where's links to the peer reviewed articles to back up your claims?
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Walking is one of my favourite forms of exercise with the only downside being you have to spend a long time doing to really rack up the calories burnt if you're trying to lose weight (as I am). That's why I started my fitness journey with a lot of walking, increasing the duration and pace before starting the C25K running programme. Now I get most of my exercise from running and cycling but still like to through in the occasional hike as well.1
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On days that I do not do interval training, I don't jog but do a quick 30 min brisk walk. It is just as effective. I only do interval training because it just feels good to run really fast.
As you may already know, and others have said here, weight loss is not only about "working out". You need to:
1) drop your calorie intake and
2) do aerobic activity that will help metabolize the fat that your body has stored.
For #1, MFP has a great calorie tracker (which is why I joined!) and for #2, just look up what your Target Heart Rate should be for your age and make sure you walk in that zone for at least 20 minutes. Here is a link to check your THR from the American Heart Institute.
Good luck!
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I've heard it said that if your dog is fat, you aren't getting enough exercise . But seriously, nothing wrong with "just" walking as a primary form of exercise. Basically all I do and since I've been motivated to do it regularly, I've lost more than 40 lbs without the knee soreness I would get when I tried to run regularly. I would advise to include some strength training as well though. Easy enough to do at home without a big investment in equipment. Best of luck to you and your dog!
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Walking is better than not working out for sure, however, it is not optimal. And many of these statements such as "walking does more for your legs than squats" are blatantly false.
Adding resistance workouts and some small doses of more intense cardio will improve your health, fitness, and body composition more than just walking. Sorry there is just tons of research to support this.
That being said if walking is what you want to do then it is a much better choice than nothing, and not a waste of time.
Agree with @GottaBurnEmAll.
Walking is 100% optimal.
Where's links to the peer reviewed articles to back up your claims?
You are really going to ask me for peer reviewed articles that adding resistance workouts and some high intensity cardio is more effective. There is tons of research on this subject and I am not going to spend the time to look it up.
To be clear walking is fine I said it is far better than not exercising. It is not the best use of time or the most optimal for health and fitness. Sorry to interrupt the big pat each other on the back session with a little fact. Clearly it isn't wanted here. Cary on with the congratulations.
1 -
Walking is better than not working out for sure, however, it is not optimal. And many of these statements such as "walking does more for your legs than squats" are blatantly false.
Adding resistance workouts and some small doses of more intense cardio will improve your health, fitness, and body composition more than just walking. Sorry there is just tons of research to support this.
That being said if walking is what you want to do then it is a much better choice than nothing, and not a waste of time.
Agree with @GottaBurnEmAll.
Walking is 100% optimal.
Where's links to the peer reviewed articles to back up your claims?
You are really going to ask me for peer reviewed articles that adding resistance workouts and some high intensity cardio is more effective. There is tons of research on this subject and I am not going to spend the time to look it up.
To be clear walking is fine I said it is far better than not exercising. It is not the best use of time or the most optimal for health and fitness. Sorry to interrupt the big pat each other on the back session with a little fact. Clearly it isn't wanted here. Cary on with the congratulations.
Yeah, high intensity being superior to low intensity is a myth.
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/fat-loss-hiit-steady-state-cardio
It comes down to preference.
I will agree that adding two days of some form of strength training a week is optimal, but that can be anything from bodyweight exercises to powerlifting.
But the worst thing of all is your attitude. Exercise snobbery sucks.8 -
Walking is better than not working out for sure, however, it is not optimal. And many of these statements such as "walking does more for your legs than squats" are blatantly false.
Adding resistance workouts and some small doses of more intense cardio will improve your health, fitness, and body composition more than just walking. Sorry there is just tons of research to support this.
That being said if walking is what you want to do then it is a much better choice than nothing, and not a waste of time.
Agree with @GottaBurnEmAll.
Walking is 100% optimal.
Where's links to the peer reviewed articles to back up your claims?
You are really going to ask me for peer reviewed articles that adding resistance workouts and some high intensity cardio is more effective. There is tons of research on this subject and I am not going to spend the time to look it up.
To be clear walking is fine I said it is far better than not exercising. It is not the best use of time or the most optimal for health and fitness. Sorry to interrupt the big pat each other on the back session with a little fact. Clearly it isn't wanted here. Cary on with the congratulations.
So it's a one size fits all prescription without regard to context? One particular workout routine would be "optimal" for an obese 65-year old woman who's never worked out in her life, a 22-year old aspiring bodybuilder and a 30-year old, extremely lean cyclist looking to improve his times on the bike?
"Optimal" is something that can be achieved in phases and workout routines should be geared to one's abilities, limitations and goals. I'd have a pretty hard time with the advice that an obese beginner with no fitness background should be out doing hill sprints. There are many people who are so sedentary and out of shape that even walking a mile a day would be a huge improvement for their current health/fitness levels.
Context is important.6 -
I am encouraged and will go take my dog for a walk in 30 minutes after reading this. It is raining outside but I have a rain jacket! My dog does too!7
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DeniceDavis1 wrote: »I am encouraged and will go take my dog for a walk in 30 minutes after reading this. It is raining outside but I have a rain jacket! My dog does too!
Do eet! Your dog will be grateful too!! I walk my dog everyday rain or shine!! I live in San Diego, CA, so rain is sparse! LOL1 -
Walking is better than not working out for sure, however, it is not optimal. And many of these statements such as "walking does more for your legs than squats" are blatantly false.
Adding resistance workouts and some small doses of more intense cardio will improve your health, fitness, and body composition more than just walking. Sorry there is just tons of research to support this.
That being said if walking is what you want to do then it is a much better choice than nothing, and not a waste of time.
Agree with @GottaBurnEmAll.
Walking is 100% optimal.
Where's links to the peer reviewed articles to back up your claims?
You are really going to ask me for peer reviewed articles that adding resistance workouts and some high intensity cardio is more effective. There is tons of research on this subject and I am not going to spend the time to look it up.
To be clear walking is fine I said it is far better than not exercising. It is not the best use of time or the most optimal for health and fitness. Sorry to interrupt the big pat each other on the back session with a little fact. Clearly it isn't wanted here. Cary on with the congratulations.
So it's a one size fits all prescription without regard to context? One particular workout routine would be "optimal" for an obese 65-year old woman who's never worked out in her life, a 22-year old aspiring bodybuilder and a 30-year old, extremely lean cyclist looking to improve his times on the bike?
"Optimal" is something that can be achieved in phases and workout routines should be geared to one's abilities, limitations and goals. I'd have a pretty hard time with the advice that an obese beginner with no fitness background should be out doing hill sprints. There are many people who are so sedentary and out of shape that even walking a mile a day would be a huge improvement for their current health/fitness levels.
Context is important.
This right here is a good post. Read it. Live it. Love it.8
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