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

littlelily613

Walking is pretty much all I do for exercise right now. I want to gradually turn that into jogging on occasion as well, but right now it is walking. I burn lots that way as well, and it helps me lose weight much more quickly. The only downside is that it doesn't tighten the areas I need tightened.

Lorlei25

Walking with my pooch is more than just exercise, it is therapy! I love the fresh air, rain or shine it just feels good! I was in a car accident and for a while it was all I could do and it saved me! Literally!

D446

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

It depends on how must effort you're putting into it. If you're just going for a casual stroll for 30 minutes you won't burn as many calories as you would if you were power walking at 4.5+mph pumping your arms wearing 1lb wrist weights.

I burn more calories, according to my HRM, power walking than I do running at 6.5mph. It's all about where your heart rate falls.

Oh, and I started out doing only walking the first 8 months of getting back into shape and lost 63 pounds. Then I started gradually running and now run several times a week.

maybe you're right, i just feel like if you are healthy enough you should be investing your work out time more wisely by doing exercises that really challenge you. i dont feel that walking is a challenge.

Maybe you aren't pushing yourself hard enough when walking? I walk very quickly, and always feel like I have done a good workout after an hour. I cannot run as my knees are terribly bad, plus I actually enjoy walking!

saintspoon

What awesome replies thanks everybody for sharing !!

LoserCruiser

Walking is something the whole family can do and it can always be adventurous!

HowardRose

Walking is my primary excerise. I works well both physically and mentally.

angie_sample

i mostly walk.. i have tendinitis is in my hips and running really makes it flare up. i will raise the incline if im on the treadmill to burn extra calories.

fitnesspirateninja

Walking is my favorite and primary form of exercise. I'm having a lot of success with it now and in the past I have been able to lose weight by walking. I think it helps to mix it up a bit, but if you like to walk, I think you should walk.

ruthmarie1

I had an alcohol issue, and I was always VERY slim before that. I gained 80 lbs over the course of 4 years drinking heavily every night & its been 2 1/2 months since I quit drinking and I've lost 30 lbs without even trying really as far as the diet goes. I HAD to start with walking, because when you gain that much weight, you just can't run or do the things you used to be able to do. I have recently started alternating walking with running again & weight lifting. But thats just recent, those 30 lbs came off while I was only walking. I honestly think that running is better as far as stripping the weight from you faster...but of course you have to build up to that.

TexanThom

How many miles do you think a person that weighs 350-400lbs can run? I promise you learned to walk before you learned to run.

dreamshadows

I love going for a walk. It is good exercise.

Uts10BI

Walking is my main workout, which many have told me is not enough.But doing the math, walking 1.5 miles in 30 minutes at lunch every day gets my heart rate up to the target range that qualifies it as a cardio workout.
Its free,easy and it work for me, I'm down 10 pounds!
be well

smileyface45

bump

michelleepotter

Walking isn't my main exercise, but I agree it's great! I walk every chance I get, and I try to make sure to get in a walk on my "rest" days from jumping rope. I would definitely walk more if I had more opportunities.

I especially like walking while carrying my 3yo in the hiking backpack-style carrier I have. It increases my calorie burn by more than 20%, and he is great company!

davebarron

I lost 55 pounds and I mostly walk to and from work 25 minutes each way every weekday - mind you at pretty high speed. I have crappy ankles and knees so the only alternative is an elliptical trainer or other low impact exercise like snowshoeing. Now that I have reached my goal weight and am in maintenance mode, I still walk a lot and enjoy it a lot.

garlic7girl

Agreed! The good thing about walking esp outside is the terrain is different! So you get a good work out on different parts of your body! I went walking during my lunch break at work and encountered a HILL!!!!! My booty got a great boost that day!

derekmitchell

i have been walking from July 2011 and now I am up to 7.5 to 8 miles for a regular thrice weekly walk with occasions up to 13.5 miles. I have bad knees from basketball as a young man and I cannot run. I walk at a rate 4.5 to 4.7 mph but mfp only has 4.5mph speeds in the calorie counter. Luckily I use a garmin watch and website to supplement this and use that estimate to calculate my calorie count. I have lost 37 pounds so far.

kandilynn03

I walk for about 30 minutes a day, first thing in the morning. It's a great warm-up for the day. I started walking at 308 lbs. Then, I started changing my diet, which brought me down to 290 lbs. Now, I've started adding other forms of exercise. I'm doing power 90 and starting to try to do couch 2 5k.

About 10 years ago, my mom took off over 80 lbs walking. She got to where she was walking 7-10 miles a day. She had quit walking for a few years, and she gained most of her weight back, so now she's back on track and is walking with me. But she works now and can't walk so many miles in a day. But walking totally works.

VelociMama

Walking is the only exercise I really can do much of now, and I do it every day. It keeps my blood flowing, and I feel great.

marysue1965

walking is my main exercise, but i do add strength training, other forms of aerobics, & yoga, but i think walkings the best. so far i'v elost 22 lbs.

AntWrig

Walking is an excellent form of exercise. The nutrient partitioning effect is amazing and good for overall recovery.

mjbell642

WALKING is AWESOME !!!

My company just completed a 100 Mile challenge. Walk 100 miles in 3 months. I finished out at around 235. Walking is a great cardio workout. Easier on your joints. Great for your lungs. Great for your heart. Great for your puppy dogs... Great for your kids....
The list is endless...

Get out there and WALK WALK WALK !!!

shakethiahinton

This post is SO true! I started my new fitness and meal plan for weight loss on September 5 and I started off speed walking around my city lake first thing in the mornings before I did anything else or in the evenings when I got off work for about 30 minutes and I PROMISE in my first 2 weeks along with proper eating, I lost 11lbs!!!! I'm telling you, I was SPEED WALKING like a mad woman...the speed walking for the first 2 weeks led up to a very slow paced jog that took me 20 minutes to do a mile and half but quickly decreased to 16 minutes at a quicker pace jog! I can testify - WALKING STARTS IT ALL!!!!!

Lady_Bane

Walking 3 miles burns more fat than running 3 miles :P

jodi41086

I work at Hibbet Sports and do a lot of walking around the store, I wore my watch to calculate steps and I walked 10 miles just at work!!! Burned like 900 calories I didn't know how to add that into my daily stuff so I left MFP calories the same.

Koldnomore

It's all I do. 30 min 5 days / week and the occasional 12mile/20k hike - will be hiking more next year. We're planning to do the Rideau Trail in our area. It's 387-kilometre (240 mi) hiking trail linking Ottawa and Kingston..pretty pumped about it.

coconutbuNZ

Walking is great. I really enjoy my walks now, especially when the weather is fine.