Is walking a legitimate exercise?

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  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    I've also had friends say walking isn't exercise. Yeah, at your present fitness level which is probably pretty good. One guy said "Hell, I could walk for days, its so effortless." Oh, yeah? Strap a 50lb bag of potatoes on your back and see if its still effortless.

    My brother and SIL hiked to Machu Picchu with some friends and their adult kids (elders are 60-ish, kids are mid-20's). The runners in the group who thought they were super fit because they ran had problems with the trails and elevation. The walkers in the group had little problem. Yes, this is anecdotal but nobody can convince me that walking is not good exercise (especially because I lost 100 lb by walking and eating healthy before I injured my hip in a fall while walking in the mountains of Nepal)
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    On the 50lb sack of potatoes - when I was 50lb heavier with less muscle I could walk for days and it was effortless :P.
    Make it 100lb and it'd be pushing it a bit more.

    As for runners from the last post - not the ones where I lived until recently - a particularly hilly part of England and a running club that offered lots of options that went straight over the hills on trails :).
  • Tigg_er
    Tigg_er Posts: 22,001 Member
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    Walking is always exercise. No exceptions... no it doesn't matter what pace you're going at it's still exercise.

    Why? Because you're burning calories and working the muscles beyond their resting state. All these exceptions and qualifications people put are making are BS.

    Yes, you can gain additional benefits by pushing yourself harder and moving faster, but there is significant benefit simply to strolling.
    +1
    +2
  • AglaeaC
    AglaeaC Posts: 1,974 Member
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    I've also had friends say walking isn't exercise. Yeah, at your present fitness level which is probably pretty good. One guy said "Hell, I could walk for days, its so effortless." Oh, yeah? Strap a 50lb bag of potatoes on your back and see if its still effortless.

    My brother and SIL hiked to Machu Picchu with some friends and their adult kids (elders are 60-ish, kids are mid-20's). The runners in the group who thought they were super fit because they ran had problems with the trails and elevation. The walkers in the group had little problem. Yes, this is anecdotal but nobody can convince me that walking is not good exercise (especially because I lost 100 lb by walking and eating healthy before I injured my hip in a fall while walking in the mountains of Nepal)
    I walk on days when I don't run. They complement each other nicely.
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
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    Walking is always exercise. No exceptions... no it doesn't matter what pace you're going at it's still exercise.

    Why? Because you're burning calories and working the muscles beyond their resting state. All these exceptions and qualifications people put are making are BS.

    Yes, you can gain additional benefits by pushing yourself harder and moving faster, but there is significant benefit simply to strolling.
    +1
    +2

    I disagree

    Exercise is definied as "Activity requiring physical effort, carried out to sustain or improve health and fitness". So it is relative and qualified. For me walking is a mode of transport or something I do to relax. It requires very little physical effort and if it was all I did as physical activity then my current health and fitness would significantly decline. By definition for me walking is not exercise, for others yes of course it is.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    The OP's question was "Is walking a legitimate exercise?" NOT "Is walking a good exercise for you?". Yes, walking is a legitimate exercise and, like every other form of exercise out there, it may or may not be the best one for you, personally, to use to reach your goals. That does not give anyone the right to denigrate it to those for whom it is significantly beneficial.
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
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    The OP's question was "Is walking a legitimate exercise?" NOT "Is walking a good exercise for you?". Yes, walking is a legitimate exercise and, like every other form of exercise out there, it may or may not be the best one for you, personally, to use to reach your goals. That does not give anyone the right to denigrate it to those for whom it is significantly beneficial.

    Was anyone actually doing that? I think most people have been saying that it's relative depending on your fitness levels and goals.

    The OP's question was "Is walking a legitimate exercise?" NOT "Is walking a good exercise for you?". The answer is, it depends
  • pa_jorg
    pa_jorg Posts: 4,404 Member
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    Yes! I think it's the American Heart Association (and maybe a few other health/scientific communities) that recommends getting 10,000 steps daily. For most people - depending on stride - that is approximately 5 miles. Just an interesting fact and good reminder that all our individual steps and walks during a typical day can definitely add up!
  • VoodooSyxx
    VoodooSyxx Posts: 297
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    The OP's question was "Is walking a legitimate exercise?" NOT "Is walking a good exercise for you?". Yes, walking is a legitimate exercise and, like every other form of exercise out there, it may or may not be the best one for you, personally, to use to reach your goals. That does not give anyone the right to denigrate it to those for whom it is significantly beneficial.

    *shrug* I think some of the people doing that just assume that all walking is just like scootin around at da mall. I have a feeling some of them would end up laying on the side of the road foaming at the mouth if they went at it like some of the every day walkers around here.
  • Loralrose
    Loralrose Posts: 203
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    For myself, I distinguish between "physical activity" and "exercise." Exercise is something I do deliberately, outside my normal daily activities, that takes physical effort. Since I walk a fair bit just in everyday living, a 2-mile walk on level ground takes no effort. I might log it for calorie counting purposes, but I would not consider it "exercise." Two miles up a steep hill? Sure! Or wearing a heavy pack, or anything else that made it physically challenging.

    Each person is different. For some, walking may be a challenge. And you do not have to do heavy exercise to lose weight. In fact I think for weight loss and long-term health, overall physical activity is way more important than deliberate exercise.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    For curiosity I looked up "exercise" in the Oxford Wordpower Dictionary. The definition is: exercise-verb to do some form of physical activity in order to stay fit and healthy / exersice-noun physical or mental activity that keeps you healthy and strong. I would say that walking definately fits the category, in my opinion. So good luck OP! Best. :smile:
  • Jacob021
    Jacob021 Posts: 24 Member
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    I've started at 275 lbs about 45 days ago.
    Walking is my primarly exercise. I Usually walk about 4-5Km. (2.5-3 miles)

    Today I am 245 lbs.
    So far I consider this to be a success.

    So Walking works for me.
  • ktsmom430
    ktsmom430 Posts: 1,100 Member
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    You burn calories just by living with no additional activity. Two years ago, I could not walk up a flight of stairs without becoming out of breath. I did not begin to even take short walks until I had lost 90#. When I began walking, I was tired after 20 minutes. Yesterday, I logged 11.37 miles and 67 staircases climbed on my fitbit, mostly from walking. This is an average day for me now and I work full time. Most of my increased endurance is because I walk so much now. I pay little attention to calories burned. All I know is that I feel better than I have in decades because I am eating less and walking more every single day. So yes, for me, walking is legitimate exercise.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    Anyone who mocks walking as an exercise I think is just uninformed.

    ^^^^
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
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    depends.

    I have an aversion to exercise. Don't get me wrong, I want to do activity to make and keep me fit, but the concept of 'exercise' bores me. Personally I want to do an activity for the fun and enjoyment of the activity itself, rather than 'for the purposes of being healthy'

    I like to walk as I love the outdoors and there are so many interesting things to see smell and listen to. walking on a treadmill? no thanks.

    I like to swim as it clears my mind and de-stresses me.

    I like to Lindy Hop, because it's just plain awesome.

    so do I count walking as exercise? not in the terms of doing something good for my health which to me is just a useful side effect. Is walking great? yes.
  • Nicolee_2014
    Nicolee_2014 Posts: 1,572 Member
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    You're moving, it's exercise. Having said that though, I don't agree with the peeps that log cleaning & stuff on a regular basis. But, that is just me.
  • allotmentgardener
    allotmentgardener Posts: 248 Member
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    If it gets me up off my butt its exercise, and my two dogs make sure I get plenty of it! :D
  • matuskap
    matuskap Posts: 131 Member
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    Everyone says yes, i say partially.

    For out of shape/overweight/older/injured/recovering from injury person it might be. For a person who does running 4+ times a week with average of 12km/h not so much. I say this because i tried out a HRM for a while and when i recorded a walk there was just no change. An hour of walking was almost the same as just regular everyday existence (shopping/cooking/taking a bus to work...). And i certailny dont count that as exercise :D But the fact that i do run regularly for years plays a role here.
    For the groups of people i mentioned above, the difference between basic daily routine and walking is going to be muuuuch larger than it is for well trained people in endurance.
  • Chezzie84
    Chezzie84 Posts: 873 Member
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    This is probably going to sound weird but I have two types of walking:
    Concious and Unconcious (my boyfriend laughs at me when I say this for obvious reasons).

    Unconcious walking is the day to day stuff - bed to car - car to office - around the office - office to car - around supermarkert etc
    Consious walking is the walking that I actually make an effort to do - a walk up the canal, a walk through the lanes, a walk around Cannock Chase.

    I only count the concious walking as actual exercise.
  • CA_Underdog
    CA_Underdog Posts: 733 Member
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    I took two walks around my neighborhood today--and burned only 66 calories above my basal metabolism. While that strictly counts as "exercise", it wasn't good exercise, as it did little to burn calories, work my heart, or work my legs. Whether it's good exercise depends on how fit you are, how fast you walk, and on what terrain. If you're getting good exercise, that's what matters. :)

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