Walking as exercise

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  • spartan_d
    spartan_d Posts: 727 Member
    edited April 2017
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    So many people say that walking is great, fabulous, wonderful exercise. This is a huge exaggeration. Others say that it doesn't really qualify, and that's not accurate either.

    Walking does have some benefits, and as some here have personally attested, it can help people lose weight. I certainly encourage everyone to put in more walking if they can.

    At the same time, it is one of the lower, less effective forms of exercise. Sure, it might be the best option for people who are badly out of shape. It's also suitable for people who are injured or have certain disabilities. (I've been saddled with such injuries myself, so I can vouch for that.) Ultimately though, that's more a testament to these people's condition rather than to the effectiveness of the exercise itself.

    As pointed out in the WebMD article that I posted, walking has to be vigorous in order to reap any significant benefits. It is basically "exercise lite." Unfortunately, most people who adopt walking as exercise do so in a light, leisurely fashion. This will burn some calories, but not many, and it won't do much for strength, muscular endurance, or cardiovascular benefits. Even vigorous walking doesn't do a whole lot for such fitness metrics.

    Fitness authorities often promote walking as "great" exercise because, frankly, that's just about all they can get people to do. As the WebMD article says though, "Exercise lite has given many Americans a false sense that a stroll through the neighborhood is all you need to stay healthy. Instead of pushing people to be more active, it's given them an excuse to do as little as possible."
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    pr0nty wrote: »
    Hi, guys.

    I'm at the start of my weight loss journey and wanted to ask: am I better off walking at a slower pace for a longer time and burning more calories (e.g., 75 mins at 4km/h to burn 500 calories), or a faster pace for a shorter time burning less calories (e.g., 40 mins at 4.5km/h to burn 300 calories)?

    The second example is harder physically, heart rate-wise and building up a sweat, but the difference in calories burnt makes it confusing for me.

    I'm very heavy, so mainly focused on losing weight as opposed to being super fit right now.

    Thanks for any help!

    Which do you think is easier to stick with? At the beginning stages where doing anything basically guarantees an improvement, that's what I'd do.

    I'd want to make sure I create a habit of moving more without souring myself on the process - so pick the most fun/least tedious option. You should start feeling better as you lose weight and you get used to whichever level of exercise you pick. That's when I'd start looking at getting 'more' out of your exercise (whether that's more calories burned, more cardiovascular fitness, more strength, flexibility, etc).
  • pr0nty
    pr0nty Posts: 2 Member
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    Thanks for the thoughts, guys!

    @spartan_d I definitely don't think I'm using it as an excuse to slack off, although the temptation is definitely there some days. Lol. I'm making sure I'm walking fast enough to get my heart rate up, sore legs and sweat dripping and all.

    But like you say, @stealthq, I'm also aware of past failings and keeping in mind that if I push myself TOO far at the beginning, I might just give it up altogether.

    So I think I'm going to go with a mix of slightly slower walking and the pace that really gets the blood pumping. I've had some results so far, so hopefully that continues until I feel more confident about including other kinds of exercise. :)

    Thanks again!
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    pr0nty wrote: »
    Hi, guys.

    I'm at the start of my weight loss journey and wanted to ask: am I better off walking at a slower pace for a longer time and burning more calories (e.g., 75 mins at 4km/h to burn 500 calories), or a faster pace for a shorter time burning less calories (e.g., 40 mins at 4.5km/h to burn 300 calories)?

    The second example is harder physically, heart rate-wise and building up a sweat, but the difference in calories burnt makes it confusing for me.

    I'm very heavy, so mainly focused on losing weight as opposed to being super fit right now.

    Thanks for any help!

    @pr0nty
    The calorie burn from walking (normal range of walking speeds) is really in relation to the distance covered and not the speed at which you cover that distance.

    A bit of both would seem to be ideal. If you only have a short amount of time one day walk fast to work on your fitness, if you have more time then go for longer steady pace to get a good distance.

    As well as walking for exercise try and incorporate it in your daily routine, walk instead of driving/public transport, stairs instead of taking the lift (elevator). It all adds up and builds healthy routines for life.
  • AmandaDanceMore
    AmandaDanceMore Posts: 298 Member
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    Walking and hiking are my preferred form of exercise because i am outside and with my dogs (I love cycling, as well, but there are too many yahoos on the roads around me and I don't have the time most days to pack up the bike and get it to the trail). When I'm walking AND hiking (5-8 miles on rugged trails. Usually do that once a week) I find it does improve my overall fitness and helps me lose weight, if I'm paying attention to my eating habits. I try to do other things, as well, but walking is my biggest source of calorie burn.

    I did try running and was getting the hang for it, but my weird schedule often had me short changing the dogs to go for a run (one is too old to run, but good for long walks. The other just freaking hates to run). I feel super guilty if I don't give them enough exercise and quality time, and walking and hiking is super beneficial to all three of us. So, I walk.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    Walking 5 miles a day will be effective as your daily exercise if all you want is cardiovascular fitness, which is a lot.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Walking as exercise.

    Exercise - pushing the body so it has to make improvements in some manner.

    It likely is right now, and perhaps for awhile.
    Eventually the walking won't be exercise anymore - unless you move into the power walking (different form) and keep advancing, because you can only go so fast walking.

    If you lose weight while walking, you'll reach that point faster, since less mass to move around.
    If you reach that point and keep losing weight, you'll lose fitness actually.
    Or you wear a weighted vest, or add inclines/declines and keep the pace.

    But I've seen plenty of people once they got the activity tracker and started challenges, willing to give up a workout that would have caused more/better body transformations, in order to get steps in using their available time. And that was self-recognized, not my observation.
  • spartan_d
    spartan_d Posts: 727 Member
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    pr0nty wrote: »
    Thanks for the thoughts, guys!

    @spartan_d I definitely don't think I'm using it as an excuse to slack off, although the temptation is definitely there some days. Lol. I'm making sure I'm walking fast enough to get my heart rate up, sore legs and sweat dripping and all.
    That's great. You're avoiding the pitfall that most people fall into when they start a walking program. Hopefully, you'll soon start running or doing other forms of cardio that will raise your heartrate even further.

    I swear, when I look at the people walking around at the local community center track, I can't help but think that they're wasting their time. Almost every single one of them is strolling leisurely, as though window shopping through a mall. It's better than nothing, of course, but not by much.
  • mrsmeteor
    mrsmeteor Posts: 35 Member
    edited April 2017
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    spartan_d wrote: »
    pr0nty wrote: »
    Thanks for the thoughts, guys!

    @spartan_d I definitely don't think I'm using it as an excuse to slack off, although the temptation is definitely there some days. Lol. I'm making sure I'm walking fast enough to get my heart rate up, sore legs and sweat dripping and all.
    That's great. You're avoiding the pitfall that most people fall into when they start a walking program. Hopefully, you'll soon start running or doing other forms of cardio that will raise your heartrate even further.

    I swear, when I look at the people walking around at the local community center track, I can't help but think that they're wasting their time. Almost every single one of them is strolling leisurely, as though window shopping through a mall. It's better than nothing, of course, but not by much.

    The great thing about walking is that it's completely customizable. You can walk slow, you can walk fast, or you can keep it at a moderate speed. You can go for long, challenging hikes with hills and uneven ground, or you can fit in one or two shorter ones in a day. You can add little bursts of jogging, or you can add weights if you so desire.
    As a bonus, the only equipment you need is a good pair of shoes.

    It's exercise you can do for the rest of your life, as long as you're able to walk around. My mother lost 75 lbs before surgery at the age of 68, and she did it mostly by walking. My husband and I both walk every day, outside when the weather is nice and inside when it's not (thank you Leslie Sansone!) Sometimes we mix it up a bit by adding some bursts of jogging, but not always. Without it, I'd probably lose my marbles. It's helped me to lose 42 lbs and cope with stress better, and my husband has seen his blood pressure drop into the normal range.

    OP, keep enjoying your walks. It's good for you and, because it's low impact, it's sustainable for the long term. The fresh air is great, and if you have a companion you can have some great conversations. You can achieve your goals of better fitness or weight loss by making modifications.

    I love walking!

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