Walking - don't think it will work?

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TransTina
TransTina Posts: 82
in Fitness and Exercise
I was never a fan of 'walking' being an 'excercise'. For one, I didnt get sweaty and out of breath, and therefor it couldnt be 'doing me any good'.

However, together with eating well, I decided to start walking to and from work. 1.8 miles each way.

In 10 weeks I have lost 25lbs!!


I am now completely convinced its the walking that has certainly helped me get the lightest I have been for 15 yrs. - I'm now 2.2 Kg from 'ideal weight'. BRING IT ON!!

Plus all the money Ive saved in fuel. Win Win!!

Folks, if you haven't yet tried it..... give it a go.
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Replies

  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    Whenever you can habitually increase your total daily activity, it can be a big boost for weight loss. Walking to work is a great way to do that.

    Keep in mind that you may plateau as you gradually "absorb" the daily activity into your overall eating/activity plan (this tends to happen over the long term).

    Adding some additional higher-intensity exercise and resistance training will help keep you going and help to maintain that excellent weight loss.
  • rawfitness
    rawfitness Posts: 68 Member
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    nice job!
  • TransTina
    TransTina Posts: 82
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    Actually Azdak,

    I originally started losing with eating well and indoor rowing. It is when I platauxed (sp?) one week, I was dispondent I started to walk to kick start it again.

    As soon as I plateaux again I'll have to get me jogging trainers out!

    Thanks for advice x
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    Good for you - I live about 19km from the office, a little far to walk but during the summer I'll ride my bike 2 or 3 days a week.

    Imagine how much money could be saved in health-care costs not to mention the reduction of greenhouse gasses if more people did like you? (Not practical for everybody but I live within easy walking distance of a grocery store and I'll see neighbours hop in the car & drive over to pick up milk and bread)
  • TransTina
    TransTina Posts: 82
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    Thanks Brian!

    Ive actually got the bug now, and walk everywhere where it is practical. Of course I log all the calories burned too!
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    Walking is great! I think it's the favorite cardio of body builders.
  • tequila09
    tequila09 Posts: 764 Member
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    great job!!! my work is like 18 miles away from me so i definitely could not do that but at the gym i walk on the treadmill on an incline and walk fast!! i'm too scared to run on it hahahah but i'm hoping it will get the job done!!!
  • Riverofbeauty
    Riverofbeauty Posts: 205 Member
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    I swear by walking. I think it's fantastic and definitely one of the best forms of exercise you can do! Lots of people lose weight just by incorporating walking. Good job!
  • kardsharp
    kardsharp Posts: 618 Member
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    if you want to add to your walking routine, start doing fartleks (Swedish for speed play). Pick a telephone pole or other land mark and say from this one to the next, I am going to speed walk - go as fast as you can. Then slow down and walk at a normal pace. Then do it all over again. You can up the # of times you do this or you can up the speed. Fartlek's work wonders.

    Kristine
  • TransTina
    TransTina Posts: 82
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    if you want to add to your walking routine, start doing fartleks (Swedish for speed play). Pick a telephone pole or other land mark and say from this one to the next, I am going to speed walk - go as fast as you can. Then slow down and walk at a normal pace. Then do it all over again. You can up the # of times you do this or you can up the speed. Fartlek's work wonders.

    Kristine

    Sounds good! Ta! x
  • montana_girl
    montana_girl Posts: 1,403 Member
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    Walking was my only form of exercise for the first 80 pounds I lost. I would walk on my breaks at work and that was about it. I am true believer in the power of walking! :smile:

    Congrats on you weight loss -- that's awesome!! :happy:
  • Slim_Donna
    Slim_Donna Posts: 44 Member
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    I love walking too and try and walk wherever i go if at all possible. Even a trip to the shops i try to walk. It has toned up my legs a lot and it's cheap too, i would recommend it to everyone.

    Congratulations on losing 25lbs :happy:
  • TransTina
    TransTina Posts: 82
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    I swear by walking. I think it's fantastic and definitely one of the best forms of exercise you can do! Lots of people lose weight just by incorporating walking. Good job!

    Agree! x
  • TransTina
    TransTina Posts: 82
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    I love walking too and try and walk wherever i go if at all possible. Even a trip to the shops i try to walk. It has toned up my legs a lot and it's cheap too, i would recommend it to everyone.

    Congratulations on losing 25lbs :happy:

    Thanks Donna x
  • pinkess
    pinkess Posts: 12 Member
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    I used to walk the same distance to and from work and it's only since i moved 20 miles away and started driving that I put the weight on! I can't wait to move closer to work again so that i can start to walk or even cycle to work! I just have to fit walking to the shops in and force myself to walk 5 miles every Saturday!!
  • chelsey202
    chelsey202 Posts: 24 Member
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    if you want to add to your walking routine, start doing fartleks (Swedish for speed play). Pick a telephone pole or other land mark and say from this one to the next, I am going to speed walk - go as fast as you can. Then slow down and walk at a normal pace. Then do it all over again. You can up the # of times you do this or you can up the speed. Fartlek's work wonders.

    Kristine

    I love walking but I was a bit scared to start running. I started doing the Couch 2 5k program and love it. It's pretty much this idea of jogging for a bit, then slowing down, repeat, but more exact/structured. I hadn't run much before I started so it's definitely do-able.
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
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    I plan to walk all the way to 98lbs lost.

    ...weeelll, hopefully I'll be running by the last stretch.
  • Colofit
    Colofit Posts: 177 Member
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    I had to take an extra job of walking a ladies dogs 5 days a week for 45 min a day and I am certain that has been part of my weight loss (lost a total of 10 in 9 weeks) I do additional workouts at the gym 3-4 days a week but am so happy I "had" to do the walking! Also forces me out in the fresh air no matter what the weather conditions which I think is great for overall health as well! Keep up the walking and good luck in your further goals!!!
  • JamesBurkes
    JamesBurkes Posts: 382 Member
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    I agree, walking is vastly underrated. An interesting thing I've noticed wearing my HRM is that the number of calories burned are quite respectable considering it isn't "balls to the wall, when will this end" kind of exercise. In an hour of walking at just over 3.5 miles an hour I can burn 700 calories (there are a few big hills on my route, though). I only burn 850 jogging for the same time, and 900 doing an hour of P90X Plyometrics! Yet with walking I can do it every day without overtraining my muscles or burning out my joints.

    Because of time constraints I've been relying on HIIT for my cardio and while my fitness has gone through the roof I've seen little in the way of fat loss. Yet when I was working less a few years ago I walked 5 miles, 5 days a week and lost around 2-3 lbs a week. And all without aching muscles, sore joints or the feeling of being drained.

    Needless to say I've recently added walking to my schedule (even though it means getting up at a stupid, stupid time) in order to be able to do it again. I just wish I could program it into my usual day-to-day schedule, such as by walking to work. Unfortunately I work 25 miles away so that, or even cycling, isn't really an option.

    Just as an addendum - when I moved house away from work and I had to stop walking the 25 mins there and back everyday (I'd stopped doing the 5 mile walks by this point), I gained 30lbs in 3 years, all other things being equal.

    Walking is just excellent for fat burning, as long as you're not just strolling.
  • birdieintx
    birdieintx Posts: 298
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    I have found throught the years that no matter what kind of workouts I am doing if I don't walk also I don't lose as much weight. It really does help.

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