WALKING!: It's great excercise NOT wussy excercise!

marieautumn

maybe its just me but i dont think walking burns too many calories. but i agree everyone needs to start some where.

wisebadger53

I do workout at the gym 5 times a week, but still get out on my off days for a 30 minute walk at lunchtime. Some nights and weekends I also squeeze in either a walk or even a little 30 - 40 minute run whenever I can. I really feel that this has enabled me to maintain a fairly constant weight loss, even though I sit at a desk for 8 - 10 hours from Monday - Friday.

Walking is NOT a wussy exercise - especially if you push yourself to walk farther and/or faster as you get more used to it.

Keep up the good work!

charlotte66

i love walking!!! thats my main exercise atm as i dont have time for much else. i walk to school and back thats an hour of walking already done then i take the baby around the park a walk before picking my daughter up from nursery i love walking!!

devonette

Back on January 1, 2006 I weighed in at 190 lbs. (5'4", age 50). I was following the Biggest Loser Club diet (3 meals, 3 snacks,1200 to 1400 calories per day) and my only exercise was walking in my neighborhood at about 3 to 3.5 miles per hour, 2 miles, twice per day (total of 4 miles per day). By the middle of June 2006 I weighed 145, and I looked and felt wonderful! We went away for three weeks that summer, so I was a bad girl with food and exercise during that time, picked up a few of the pounds back, but then went back to the diet and exercise, and by mid November 2006 I weighed 137 lbs, and still looked good and felt great! So, that's a success story with using only walking as exercise!

However, once you make your weight, you need to make sure you keep up the walking and watch what you eat or it will all have been for nothing. Not long after I reached 137, we were hit with Thanksgiving and Christmas and all the good food that comes with it, and I developed a heel spur and lumps on the ball of one foot, and had to have a foot operation, and that kept me from walking for three months. Pair the two, no exercise and bad holiday foods through to Easter, and not getting back on track after that, and by the end of 2007 I was almost back where I started. It has taken me a couple of years, but I'm starting back on track again now, and hope to repeat the success. I'm doing the same walking schedule this time, but I'm throwing in a half hour of aerobics or strength training, depending on the day, because my arms have gotten way to fat and flabby.

Bottom line, if you are not looking for sculpted muscles if you can keep up the walking, even in bad weather, and keep watching what you're eating, and your goal is to lose weight, you should be fine.

shutterbug282

I can't afford a gym membership. (:
I do a lot of walking, especially at the weekends. I really like photography as a hobby so I often go out and walk a lot. I know loads of people say that walking doesn't make a difference, but I walk really fast and get my heart rate up. (:
I've tried jogging, but I don't enjoy that as much (:

TashaS

I walked off 47lbs before getting pregnant with my first baby - and then walked off all my baby weight plus an extra 5lbs after my first baby! Baby #2 is now 8 months old and the weather is turning warmer... time to walk off the baby weight again!

dcyr009

I've been walking an hour a day since Dec 2012, and lost 45 pounds. I also added in Leslie Samsone walk aerobic tapes at night. I've added her tapes to excercise parts of my body that walking doesn't always get to like my arms and back. She is a good motivator too. Walking keeps you lean and doesn't bulk you up.

choochoobell

Bump for later...after my walk!

MisterDubs303

See my ticker.
My primary exercise has been walking. For the first half of my loss, it was my ONLY exercise. Now, to be fair, I did a lot of walking on the treadmill at an incline. I set a goal to push myself by increasing the incline by 1/2 degree regularly until I was able to max out the treadmill. This way, I could keep it low impact, but still increase the difficulty or intensity. I was paranoid about messing up my knees at a high weight.

I also walked the dog several times per week starting this time last year. I'm a big time believer in walking, whether flat, hiking, or on the incline treadmill. Eventually, though, strength training really should become a big part of one's exercise.

Another cool benefit of all that walking (and treadmill walking): A resting heart rate of 44.

maybe its just me but i dont think walking burns too many calories. but i agree everyone needs to start some where.

Correct. The downside of flat walking is that it is not nearly as efficient as almost any other exercise. If you have the time, or can use the emotional benefit of just getting out (and who couldn't) it's great. And yes, doing anything is a start. I can run now. There is NO WAY I would have run a year ago.

Peppychristian

Walking has been pretty much my only form of exercise. With three young kids and my budget the gym is not an option but I am successful. I do use a walking video which helps add other movements and a little variety but it still boils down to walking.

cheermom11

I LOVE walking! Whether it's on the treadmill or outside where I get the added bonus of fresh air & vitamin D, it keeps my body in motion. I get compliments all the time on the looks of my legs and tell people that they're slim and solid just by doing something that's that simple. No gym needed...

Sweet_Potato

I can get everywhere I need to go just by walking. I walk to work, the library, the pool, the grocery store, the yoga studio, the place where I take language classes, the museums, etc. I also have dogs that I walk twice a day. Walking doesn't burn a ton of calories, but I like being outdoors and it really makes me appreciate my neighborhood. There's a lot you don't see when you're confined to a vehicle. I also like to do photowalks with my camera. Occasionally I do other exercise, but probably 90% of my exercise time is spent walking.

montana_girl

I lost my first 80 pounds with "just" walking. I increased my time, speed, and distance as the weight came off. And walking was a great leeway into my running. Once I mastered walking a 5K without feeling like I was going to die, then I started incorporating the running.

Even though I do a bunch of different exercise now, walking is still my favorite by far! :happy:

doyledozo

I am also a walker. I have a 1 year old and an injury prone knee. I've tried stepping it up to a jog but that darn knee had other ideas. I use the 5 mile walking/bike path by my house. According to my HRM I burn over 1000 calories when I walk it fairly quickly.

Qatsi

Walking has been my primary exercise since joining MFP. At first I was getting winded after 15 minutes, but I've gradually built up my stamina to where I am consistently doing 60-90 minutes every morning before work.

I wear a pedometer and have set a daily goal of at least 10,000 steps per day. Except for three days last month when I was sick, I haven't missed a day in six weeks.

I plan on adding strength training to my exercise routine fairly soon - want to be toned when I reach my goal in a few months - but the walking has been a major factor in my success so far.

UpEarly

Check out my ticker below! That was pretty much all from walking! Every now and then I do step aerobics or cardio drills and I do lift about twice a week, but most of my workouts are just plain old walking. I carry a pack for some extra weight, move at a fast pace (4.25 - 4.5 mph) and climb lots of steep hills. It's still challenging even though I consider myself to be very fit.

xxDenisexx

I always walk,i walk to take my son to school then from there i walk to work which is about 35 mins,then walk back another 35 mins then later walk to and from school picking up my son, so i find walking a great exercise to do.And i do that everyday apart from a sat

kokeefe97

I LOVE walking! My asthmatic lungs don't agree with running, so I walk quite a bit.

frugalmomsrock

I love walking. I have a double stroller with a LOT of miles on it! I stopped driving to the store that I frequent (unless I'm making a big trip). I usually make 3-5 small trips a week and just walk there instead (I still drive once a week or 10 days to get the frozen stuff). Gets us our daily dose of Vitamin D, fresh air, and exercise for me.

melb2003

I love walking. When I started working out, I was 292 lbs. I use to walk a lot in high school and I lost 35 lbs in like 8 weeks. I've been walking at least 3-4 times a week, and now I'm at the point where I don't focus on the time I'm walking, but I focus on the distance I travel. Last night, I walked 5 1/2 miles at like a 9 incline and burned over 1100 calories. I strongly suggest to those who walk on a regular basis, try to add a 2 incline to your walk. You burn about 250 more calories an hour and you'd be amazed how after a couple weeks, it'll feel so easy for you. When I started to walk I walked a 3.2 speed with a 4 incline which was about 525 calories an hour, 3 months later I'm at a 3.8 speed with a 9 incline and that is about 950 calories an hour.

Walking is awesome!!!