Is walking a legitimate exercise?

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Stilllosing26
Stilllosing26 Posts: 256 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm sick and tired of people saying "walking won't get you in shape", and "that's not exercise". What's your view on this subject? I walked two miles today. Was that exercise?
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Replies

  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    Yes, walking is exercise.
  • jhellwig828
    jhellwig828 Posts: 109 Member
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    For me it depends on the distance and speed. If I walk two miles at a good brisk pace - break a sweat, have to catch my breath - then yes, it's exercise. But strolling isn't to me. And I don't usually count anything under a mile either.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    I'm sick and tired of people saying "walking won't get you in shape", and "that's not exercise". What's your view on this subject? I walked two miles today. Was that exercise?

    Yeah that's exercise. Walking is actually an excellent way to burn some calories, improve your cardiovascular health and generally just feel better. Bodybuilders often swear by just going for a nice long walk in the mornings during a cut. Anyone who mocks walking as an exercise I think is just uninformed.

    If you have some pounds to lose really all it takes is adding a morning walk to your routine and paying attention to your calories. You don't have to break a sweat to be exercising, your aerobic range includes heart rates that are not going to make you pant and sweat.

    Most weight I have ever lost in a short time I lost doing nothing for exercise but walking.
  • kmash32
    kmash32 Posts: 275 Member
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    Yes walking is legitimate exercise. I lost my original 50lbs by walking and eating right. I am now back into things and this time am doing other exercises as well but I still walk 3 to 4 times a week. I find that the smaller I am the more calories I have to burn so walking alone doesn't always work but I will always keep it as part of my exercise regiment.
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
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    Most definitely!
    My husband and I, both in our 60's work out in the gym Monday-Friday, but every week-end we walk for miles and burn calories and enjoy each other's company.
  • PurpleCupcakes01
    PurpleCupcakes01 Posts: 141
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    It is for me
  • 120by30
    120by30 Posts: 217 Member
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    Seven years ago I lost 25 pounds and walking was the only form of exercise I did. Worked for me.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
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    I'm sick and tired of people saying "walking won't get you in shape", and "that's not exercise". What's your view on this subject? I walked two miles today. Was that exercise?

    Did you push yourself? For some people walking two miles is work. For others it's not. I don't call it exercise for me. For you it may be. It depends.
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,775 Member
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    In a word, yes.
  • ottermotorcycle
    ottermotorcycle Posts: 654 Member
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    "Legitimate" isn't a useful word here. All movement burns calories. All movement that you wouldn't have done otherwise burns more calories than you would have otherwise.

    Walking is a great place to start, but it is necessary that you challenge yourself going forward. As it gets easier, walk faster, or farther, or up a slight incline. A leisurely stroll might do for now, but in the future I'm not sure it will give you the results you want.
  • jec285
    jec285 Posts: 145 Member
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    Boy I sure hope so, because if it doesn't then the 70+ pounds I've lost walking and eating right are a lie.
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
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    Walking is a good exercise but if your aim is to keep progressing and improving your fitness you'll get to a point where walking won't get your heart rate up enough to challange you. Yes you'll still burn caloires but as your fitness improves the calorie burn for the same distance will reduce because your body gets more efficient, your heart rate lowers and you use less oxygen.
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
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    I'm sick and tired of people saying "walking won't get you in shape", and "that's not exercise". What's your view on this subject? I walked two miles today. Was that exercise?

    Did you push yourself? For some people walking two miles is work. For others it's not. I don't call it exercise for me. For you it may be. It depends.

    Ditto for me, a 2 mile walk wouldn't challange me in the slightest. I don't personally count it as exercise. This is not to say that it wasn't exercise for you. It's all relative.
  • claudie08
    claudie08 Posts: 159 Member
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    Walking is one of the best exercises a person can do to get them moving, and there are different ways to walk that can really give you a good workout, get your heart pumping and work your legs and butt.

    I know personally know people who have lost weight (as much as 60 lbs) by walking. Yes, they did watch their diet, but the walking truly helped their weight loss.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    I'm sick and tired of people saying "walking won't get you in shape", and "that's not exercise". What's your view on this subject? I walked two miles today. Was that exercise?

    Did you push yourself? For some people walking two miles is work. For others it's not. I don't call it exercise for me. For you it may be. It depends.

    You should go for a walk with me sometime, see if you still consider it unchallenging :-). Walking can be challenging, depends how much you walk and where you walk.

    Will only walking get you a sculpted toned fit bod...no. Will walking get you to a healthy weight and a decent level of fitness if you watch your calories? Yeah.
  • rosehips60
    rosehips60 Posts: 1,030 Member
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    I am a high school custodian and walk an average of 3.5 miles a night just doing my job. However, since it is not sustained movement it counts as activity not exercise. I would agree with some of the other posts that in order to be exercise it should be sustained and get you heart rate up at least a little
  • Strokingdiction
    Strokingdiction Posts: 1,164 Member
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    Nope, its parents legs and movement never got married.

    Illegitimate.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
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    I'm sick and tired of people saying "walking won't get you in shape", and "that's not exercise". What's your view on this subject? I walked two miles today. Was that exercise?

    Did you push yourself? For some people walking two miles is work. For others it's not. I don't call it exercise for me. For you it may be. It depends.

    You should go for a walk with me sometime, see if you still consider it unchallenging :-). Walking can be challenging, depends how much you walk and where you walk.

    Will only walking get you a sculpted toned fit bod...no. Will walking get you to a healthy weight and a decent level of fitness if you watch your calories? Yeah.

    Um okay . . .
  • DivineChoices
    DivineChoices Posts: 193 Member
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    I think it's a great place to start. I push myself on my walks, and at some point pushing myself is going to get me into jogging and then into running.

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