can I take it easy once in a while??

suziblues2000

I was wondering what would happen if I didn't go all crazy on my treadmill. Like maybe walk, but slow, 2.5 mph. Normally I go maybe 3.5 mph (hey, I'm just starting out!) and I end up sweating, standing in front of the fan, heart beating out of my chest and out of breath...a "good work out" I'd say. But how bout if I just went s.l.o.w. once in a while.
Is this okay? I mean am I really burning calories if I don't sweat and make my heart rate go crazy?
It's just that sometimes I want to get a walk in, a slow walk, not a fast one at all, but I'm wondering if I am wasting my time.

2wheelit

The acronym F.I.T. = Frequency - Intensity - Time. Some days its good to slow down and go longer. Change one dynamic of the FIT and it changes your workout. You will still be burning calories. Take it easy somedays, keeps you from overtraining which is a fitness killer

Atlantique

I don't mean to upset you with this answer, but believe it or not, you burn roughly the same amount of calories per mile whether you crawl, walk or run!

The big difference in the speeds has to do with your overall fitness. Walking slowly isn't going to increase it, but it still burns calories!

So sure, take an 'easy' day here and there and let your body recover.

philssis

If you'll do some research on muscle memory, I think your slow vs fast is good for that as well. Try getting off your treadmill and go outside. Walk as fast as you feel like, without a number dictating your pace. Feel good about it! Unless you have allergies, and then I'm sorry

meggonkgonk

I don't mean to upset you with this answer, but believe it or not, you burn roughly the same amount of calories per mile whether you crawl, walk or run!

The big difference in the speeds has to do with your overall fitness. Walking slowly isn't going to increase it, but it still burns calories!

So sure, take an 'easy' day here and there and let your body recover.

You posted something similar on another board and I never got the chance to say thank you! It has totally changed the way I workout!

chevy88grl

I've gotten to the point where walking doesn't get my heart rate up the way running does. But, I've been running on the treadmill for almost a year and my body has gotten used to it. When I hurt my back, I told myself I'd go to the gym and simply walk on the treadmill - at a good pace (like 4.2) but walking nonetheless. Well, after about 10 mins of this my body was bored (and so was I! LOL). So, I slowly worked my way back up to a comfortable running speed. I'm not back to where I was pre-injury but I'm getting there.

Purple_Orchid_87

want to walk fast (3.5-4.0mph) i walk on a flat surface
if I cant do fast and want to feel a slight burn, ill walk slower (2.0 - 2.5mph) on an incline which will also help tone
alternating and mixing it up helps and keeps it interesting for your body

Sarahr73

It is good to switch up what you do for exercise or your body will become accustomed to it and not burn as many calories. So, if you walk differently each day, you might actually be confusing your body enough to keep the burn going strong. So, go for it. Walk slower some days and faster others.

superjae5

Cycling (even if stationary) and swimming aren't as hard on the body as walking and jogging and yet burn calories sometimes at a better rate. If you have access to those things, maybe you could change it up with them along with your treadmill.

As for wasting your time, some exercise is better than no exercise. If you go for a leisurely walk (2.5mph) for 30 minutes, depending on your weight, you could burn 100+ calories. Use MFP's database to determine how many calories you are burning doing 3.5mph for 10 vs. 2.5mph for 30 (assuming the slower pace would be easier to do longer). If it's more to go slower for longer and it's a little easier, might as well start with the slower.

I don't know the details of your situation and I'm just throwing out numbers--aka you could be on the treadmill for hours or minutes--so adjust my advice to your situation.

I was thinking of trying out the elliptical trainer because a friend of mine does it and seems to burn a lot of calories. But I checked it against martial arts (what I do) and it's not tons different and since I enjoy martial arts more I decided to stick to that.

And maybe you can have an "easy" day where you just go for a walk and enjoy the weather (or around the mall if the weather is bad, etc.) You're still exercising, but you're still also taking it easy. Don't give up!

mcbundus

Now I don't profess to know a whole bunch about fitness, but I recently bought a heart rate monitor (acryonym: HRM - very happy with the purchase BTW :happy: ), and in perusing the manufacturer's website, I found an interesting article on 'Exercise Zones'.

I've been following it's suggestions, and I've found that the results thus far are hard to argue with. Your mileage may vary, but it seems to be working for me!

http://www.polar.fi/en/training_with_polar/training_articles/improve_fitness/the_three_exercise_zones/exercise_zones

[I apologize in advance for using a manufacturer's website - please note that I am not endorsing this particular manufacturer in any way shape or form - I simply purchased one of their products and found this article to be on topic.]

jerseygirlmaggie

The acronym F.I.T. = Frequency - Intensity - Time. Some days its good to slow down and go longer. Change one dynamic of the FIT and it changes your workout. You will still be burning calories. Take it easy somedays, keeps you from overtraining which is a fitness killer

Wow!!! Thanks for that. I just started this journey of getting fit & healthy and decided I would hit the gym hard and daily! I discovered last week that my recovery time on the elliptical was quick, not panting and out of breath like the first few weeks. But the main problem last week was no weight loss AT ALL! Couldn't figure it out because I was doing exactly what I had done the week before (except more time on the elliptical). I looked up what you mentioned about overtraining and I think that happened to me! Glad I decided to take a break for a couple of days and just do my walking & strength training. Got on the scale this morning and guess what? DOWN 2 LBS!!! So my new fitness routine will be hitting the gym 4 times per week and other forms of exercise the other 3 days (kind of shake things up a little).

So I guess to the OP, it worked for me to take it down a notch or two!

P.S. Here is the info I found:

Problem 6: Over-training
Just like not eating enough can lower the amount calories you burn, so can over-training. When you exercise too much, there is a point of diminishing returns when an increase in exercise energy expenditure is negated by an equal decrease in non-exercise energy expenditure. In other words, when you increase your exercise intensity, your body responds by decreasing the amount of calories you burn during the rest of your day.

Solution:
Take time to recover. If you reach exercise burnout, this is a great time to take a break for a few days, or try something gentle like yoga or a stretching routine.