For all the people who believe walking isn't exercise...
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Can someone show me where people on this site are saying that walking isn't exercise? I must be missing them.
Try in here - some peope are refusing to acknowledge the existance of extra NEAT
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/917516-859-calories-shopping?
We talkin bout shoppin?
Yep - it starts off about a 4hr shopping trip, and turns into people arguing that unless it gets your heart rate up, walking does not constitute exercise, it's just part of your daily activity.0 -
i love to fast walk! YEAH!0
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Can someone show me where people on this site are saying that walking isn't exercise? I must be missing them.
Agreed. I've never seen anyone, EVER, say that walking was not exercise.
I've said it.
Because many of the times it isn't.
And there are studies that support that- just google- "is walking exercise"- there are several studies that show walking isn't nearly as helpful as people tend to think it is. Partly because people are known to over estimate their exertion/caloric "burn" rate and under estimate their food intake.
From one of my other sites:
:Walking is not exercise! I've said this a million times. When I meet with clients for the first time, I always ask "are you currently exercising?" I"ve years "yes I walk" way too many times.
Unless you are so out of shape that walking brings you into your training zone, it's difficulty level just does not provide enough stimulus to get a reaction from your body. Yes it burns some calories, so does gardening, that's not a suitable replacement for working out either. I know- you power walk right? Okay one- you look silly and two. its' still not hard enough.
Walking is how we get from point A to B, so no- I don't consider it exercise.
so yes- people definitely believe that walking isn't really exercise.0 -
Right now my only cardio is walking 4k a day.
Work for me.0 -
Yep - I've seen the judgement about walking not being "real" exercise.
Well, let me tell ya - I just moved up to walking at a 3mph pace for 30 minutes. If you look at my ticker, I still have 75 pounds to go before reaching my goal weight. So for those who don't think it's real exercise, just try it carrying a 75-pound backpack and then tell me it isn't exercise!
I guess it depends on what your goals are. For the elderly people at my gym, just getting there and strolling on the treadmill is good exercise for them. For me, I've got my heart rate up and I'm breathing hard and sweating, so yes, it's exercise.
Shopping? No.0 -
I used to think that walk is for babies and old people. I used to be a runner and I did not believe in anything slower than running. But I developed plantar fasciitis and a spur and it was the end of my running and any high impact cardio. Recently I bought a Fitbit and I am trying to walk at least 15 thousand steps a day and at weekends about 10 km. I love it and I definitely feel my muscles being sore afterwards. It works.0
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bumping for later0
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Amen. I only did walking for 3 months when I started last summer, I lost nearly 3 stone in 3 months just by eating healthy and walking! It is an exercise and it does work for helping you get and stay fit and healthy, it's low impact and can be done by most people, best of all it's free....what's not to love.
Ignore the haters, your results speak for themselves :drinker:
EDITED: To add, I got my Polar FT4 the week I started MFP and wore it on every walk, I regularly burned 400-500 calories per walk, I went at as fast a pace as I could and sweated buckets. How anyone can say that's not exercise I do not know :noway:0 -
I think the walking people are talking about are the things such as walking around the mall, walking in the grocery store, the walking that you do around the office, the house, if you walk to work. Activities like that are normal, every day activities that you've always done.
Walking is great exercise and I'll log it when I go for a very brisk 3-4 mile walk with my dog but the every day stuff that I do I don't log because well, it's every day stuff.0 -
Walking = moving = exercise!
I can no longer run as well, so I walk my dog every single day 2-4 miles at decent pace, wear my HRM and burn great amount of calories that I mostly eat all back!
Keep walking girl! :flowerforyou:0 -
Walking is exercise! I work in a hospital and I go to wal mart. I see many very ovr weight people who can barely walk across the room. Or very obese people ride through the store in carts. Ask those people if walking would be a work out for them? If these people would/could have walked 30 minutes a day everyday I bet they would not be where they are now. Your body will adapt to what you do. and to the intensity that you do. never under estimate a walk!0
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Can someone show me where people on this site are saying that walking isn't exercise? I must be missing them.
Agreed. I've never seen anyone, EVER, say that walking was not exercise.
I've said it.
Because many of the times it isn't.
And there are studies that support that- just google- "is walking exercise"- there are several studies that show walking isn't nearly as helpful as people tend to think it is. Partly because people are known to over estimate their exertion/caloric "burn" rate and under estimate their food intake.
From one of my other sites:
:Walking is not exercise! I've said this a million times. When I meet with clients for the first time, I always ask "are you currently exercising?" I"ve years "yes I walk" way too many times.
Unless you are so out of shape that walking brings you into your training zone, it's difficulty level just does not provide enough stimulus to get a reaction from your body. Yes it burns some calories, so does gardening, that's not a suitable replacement for working out either. I know- you power walk right? Okay one- you look silly and two. its' still not hard enough.
Walking is how we get from point A to B, so no- I don't consider it exercise.
so yes- people definitely believe that walking isn't really exercise.
WAIT.0 -
Walking is my favourite exercise, especially outdoors in the natural light and with the company of our pup. It's healthy and therapeutic. I love it!0
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Walking is great. When I wanted to try losing weight but couldn't get into an exercise routine, I'd walk. My doctor told me once that if I can't exercise, I need to at least try to go for a walk for 20-30 minutes each day.0
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Back in the day, I was a professional grass cutter, spending my day walking as fast as the mower would go (3.5-4.0mph) behind a 52" mower, and eating 5,000-7,000 calories each day, and was rail thin. I slowly put on muscle over the years, and each winter would get a tummy that was gone by the end of the first month of cutting season.
My normal work breakfast was a quart of chocolate milk, a box of chocolate donuts, and a 44oz Mt. Dew. Lunch was supersized every thing at a fast food place, dinner was normally another trip to some fast food place. A would have 4-5 44oz sodas each day. A couple of us used to meet up after work at All You Can Eat places, but would try and be nice and not hit the same one more than once a month as we were all bottomless pits.
My resting heart rate was 52, and the doctor kept telling me if it went any lower he was going to put me on drugs to up it.0 -
:ohwell: Well I sure hope walking is a valid exercise!!!!!!
I've been banking on the exercise I get doing 30 minute dog walks, 3 x daily in addition to my weight training.
Mr. Fitbit says I'm somewhere between active and lightly active. This results in additional calories, making me easy to live with. That's good enough for me! :laugh:0 -
Wow guys, so many replies! I'd first like to say thanks to everyone who has congratulated me - it is a hard slog at times, but so worth it to see that physical proof it works! It's also great to see how many others are embracing walking as exercise and using it in that way. LOVE it! :drinker:
As for people who haven't heard this said before - walk up to any regular participant in gym classes and ask them if walking is exercise - I'd lay good money they will tell you it isn't. I personally come from a family of runners, who have historically given me a knowing smile and patted me on the head when I told them walking is exercise. They got a rude shock when I showed them my resting heartrate last night! There are lots of people who will argue it isn't, and I agree that a quick stroll around the park probably isn't going to do a whole lot for you. But anything that gets your heartrate up is exercise, and for many people, walking does just that!0 -
Hi everyone! I am a 23 year old woman with a BMI of 19.9. Due to a long-standing history of knee problems, I have been told I should not engage in high impact exercise i.e. most gym classes, and running. As such, for the past 5 years or so I have exercised and maintained my fitness via walking, and have not been for a run in over a year.
I have had arguments, many of them, both on this website and others, with people who believe that regular walking does not consitute exercise. I have had people scoff at the fact that I log (and eat back) calories I burn through walking, and telling me I will never, ever get fit via walking. It's a sore point for me, I'll admit it :laugh:
Today, I got my brand new Polar FT7 heartrate monitor in the post and decided to settle the argument. So here it is - my resting heartrate. Bear in mind this was taken approx an hour after I had walked and as such, may be an overestimate.
According to the statistics posted by this website ( http://www.topendsports.com/testing/heart-rate-resting-chart.htm ) a resting heartrate of 54 puts me in the 'Athlete' range for a woman of my age. I should probably highlight here that when I talk about 'walking', I'm not talking about a Sunday afternoon stroll around the block. I'm talking about engaging in regular (5+ times per week), long (3-7km), fast (7-8km/h) walks. Walks that make you puff like a steam train and sweat like a pig. But walks, not runs - exercise that is very accessable for people who, for whatever reason, can't engage in high impact exercise. For anyone interested, I have linked to my Runkeeper profile ( http://runkeeper.com/user/116437034/activity/157838441 ) which shows the frequency and volume of walking I do.
People will tell you you can't get fit walking - people are ignorant. Don't believe that just because you can't engage in high impact exercise that cadiovascular health is out of reach. Put on your shoes and walk people - I am living proof it can get you fit!
Happy to talk with anyone who wants more info and I'll accept friend requests from like minded people. Bonus points if you are from Australia!
Speed walking is better for you then jogging/running anyway.
I have bad knees and can only do low impact technically and I burn bunches of calories from just speed walking (as I call it)0 -
Well done, OP!!! Bravo Bravo!!
Walking is indeed exercise and a great one at that. I've outwalked 45 pounds and they haven't come back.0 -
I've lost most of my weight thanks to walking. I can't run. Can only lift light weights due to back and other medical problems so walking is the one thing I do and do often. When the weather is nice I walk at least twice a day for 20 min each time.0
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have lost all of mine via diet and walking....additional 1 night of zumba per week ( some weeks) 38 lbs down since july0
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They got a rude shock when I showed them my resting heartrate last night! There are lots of people who will argue it isn't, and I agree that a quick stroll around the park probably isn't going to do a whole lot for you. But anything that gets your heartrate up is exercise, and for many people, walking does just that!
A low resting heart rate isn't necessarily an indicator of good health or fitness. It can be just as much genetic as anything else.0 -
These 11lbs have been just from walking and aiming for my calorie goal
Btw you're a pretty lady 0 -
When you have jacked up knees walking is better than nothing. Walking for exercise is way better than nothing! Walking relieves stress, gets you moving, helps with building stamina and your lungs. I have no time for people who look down on walking. SO many people have lost weight just by walking.0
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I love running! Unfortunately, I have proven to myself since I started it in October that I am woefully injury-prone. So I constantly have to dial it back and what I do in the meantime is walk at about a 4 mph pace. It's by far the most natural exercise, in my opinion, and something most anyone can do regardless of fitness level (speed and distance may vary, of course). Plus, all you really need are decent shoes and you can do it anywhere! On breaks at work, there are dozens of people in the building who walk around the parking lot. Between my two 15 minute breaks each day and my lunch break, I can easily get a total of 30-35 minutes of walking in a day while at work. :flowerforyou:0
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According to the statistics posted by this website ( http://www.topendsports.com/testing/heart-rate-resting-chart.htm ) a resting heartrate of 54 puts me in the 'Athlete' range for a woman of my age.
That chart puts me as athlete as well. Mine was 52 bpm. I can't possibly be an athelete i can't run for longer than 1.5 minutes and I"m 270 lbs.
Not that I'm at all going against walking being exercise, its how I lost all my weight lol0 -
Lost my first 16 lbs. of this journey just walking, not even counting calories or watching what I ate. Walked a half marathon last month in 2:33:26.
I count all my walks, even the incredibly slow ones with the dog, as exercise, and eat back the calories. I've been maintaining since Oct. 1 within about a five pound range (112.8 was my highest weight and 107.4 was the lowest during that time). I do lots of other things for exercise now, but I still walk every day, even if it's just a quick 1/4 mi. with the dog.
Ignore the haters, and walk on.0
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