Walking as exercise

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Replies

  • Janedebond
    Janedebond Posts: 3
    Not only is walking good - it is much better for your joints than jogging.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    :laugh: walking is completely useless for weight loss :laugh:

    Please point anyone that says such stupid things in my direction :smile: 60kg lost now purely from walking as my primary exercise :smile:

    Nice going!
  • luckystan
    luckystan Posts: 1 Member
    I can not afford the expense of joining the gym or having exercise equipment at home, so I walk
    I walk three times a week at quite a fast pace. I walk for 1.5 hours and cover 6 miles. I burn off 500 calories for each walking session and I have lost a couple of inches off my waist too. I think it is safe to say that WALKING DOES WORK.
    As for those who doubt this form of exercise, because it exercise and great for your heart and your wellbeing..... invite them to join you and then see what they think.
    Keep up the good work!!
  • Patovader
    Patovader Posts: 439 Member
    I lost the majority of my weight by walking, its great exercise and it is also saving me a fortune in diesel :)
  • ibjoanie
    ibjoanie Posts: 2
    I wear a pedometer and try to walk 20000 steps a day. That's the only exercise I do during the week and I have lost plenty of weight. I am a slow walker, too - probably no more than 2.5 miles per hour. I get off the underground a few stops early and walk the rest of the way to and from work. I go out for a walk during lunch - 20 to 30 minutes. If I haven't met my walking goal by the time I am home, I will go out after supper and walk.

    Walk! It works!
  • pholbert
    pholbert Posts: 575 Member
    Yes walking works!
  • sweetdianachka
    sweetdianachka Posts: 318 Member
    http://www.npr.org/2012/08/20/159377837/getting-fit-why-more-people-are-walking-the-walk?sc=emaf


    A recent radio segment about walking. Bottom line, it may not help EVERYONE lose pounds, but even so, its great for you, so if you like it, do it.
  • NCJB
    NCJB Posts: 10
    Walking is a great calorie burner, and it works at countering the negative effects of our sedentary world.

    The myth that it is useless probably comes from sports.

    Walking will not benefit your stamina beyond a certain point(if it's all you do, it probably does, but if you say..box or play basketball it would be a waste of time compared to other training) To build your aerobic fitness your heart rate has to go above a certain point for 20 minutes or so depending on your age and conditioning, walking for most people won't do it.

    But keep walking, especially if your goal is to lose weight, or just be active in some form. It's relaxing, healthy, and low impact compared to jogging. If you plan to get into a boxing ring, then you may consider running in the time you'd normally spend walking :)
  • oohmercyme
    oohmercyme Posts: 279 Member
    Walking is great exercise! And you have to do something you enjoy to keep it up (IMHO). I would rather walk 100 miles than run 1. If running were my exercise, I'd never do it and therefore have no health benefit at all. Walk your butt off and enjoy :)
  • LauriesTrying2BeFit
    LauriesTrying2BeFit Posts: 414 Member
    walking is not a pointless exercise! i walked all the way through my last pregnancy even the day i was in labour i walked 3miles and i only gained 2lbs and i lowered my body fat in the process! i also love to walk and try to walk a good 3miles a day i have done this for over a year now and lost 60lbs! i only started doing more exercise after about 7months of just walking, i wear a HRM on long walks and burn up to 800cals on a 8-10mile walk!
  • jonnyman41
    jonnyman41 Posts: 1,032 Member
    only real difference between jogging and walking is that you have to walk for longer to burn the same cals but, especially if you are not fit enough for jogging, with walking you are more able to keep going until you actually reach a decent cal burn.
  • Illona88
    Illona88 Posts: 903 Member
    Walking is my primary form of exercise. As long you can pick up the pace enough to get your heart rate up it is a great way to burn those extra calories. I'm looking forward to fall and some cooler weather so I can really enjoy my daily walks without getting heat stroke

    Walk early in the morning if the heat is bothering you.
    It is nice and cool and then you can take a shower before going to work, to get the sweat off you.
  • KatManx
    KatManx Posts: 168 Member
    I love to walk. In fact I'd rather walk an hours worth than go out on a jog.
    I do go jogging every now and again with my friends but by this I mean jog until we get tired, give up too easily and power walk until we get our breaths.
    I do exercise onto of walking but sometimes my days are sos busy that I haven't got time for exercise or it gets late in the evening so I think shoot i have exercised today, I'm now tired so ill go on a walk, maybe to my friends out of town and back. Its an easy workout.
    However, everyone I speak to tells me that walking is useless. I'm burning no calories and I'm never going to get fit by walking. They tell me that instead of going on an hours walk why don't I go on a half hour jog instead. I have tried but with me being really unfit, I get tired too quickly and end up giving up and resulting to a 4mph power walk.

    Does walking actually work or is it a pointless exercise??

    Well i lost nearly 40lbs from going out walking - so yeah, its a pointless exercise! :)
  • GuineaMother
    GuineaMother Posts: 59 Member
    try interval training: 1 minute of jogging, 1 minute of walking, repeat until energy or time run out. Over time, you can increase the time jogging and reduce the time walking.
    ^^^ This.
    Walking is great!
  • kais79
    kais79 Posts: 41 Member
    I am likely just repeating what others have said but walking is the only exercise I do thus far. I have lost 59 lbs in just six months by changing my eating habits and walking. I don't even always get to walk for an extended period of time; but while at work when on break I am walking. It might only be 10 minutes but I am moving and that is what started me on my weight loss journey. I didn't even start going to the park and walking for an extended period of time for the first few months but still lost 30 lbs or so.
  • helyg
    helyg Posts: 675 Member
    I live in Wales (slightly further north than the previous poster though) and every walk encounters a hill. So yes, walking burns calories! I also cycle, but find that I get frustrated having to get off an push up big hills so end putting the bike on the back of the car and driving somewhere flatter to cycle. I can step out of my front door and walk and it is easy to fit into my day - walk the kids to school, walk to work, walk to the shops... and if I have time I loop back the long way and add another mile or so onto the walk.

    If you are walking fast enough to increase your heart rate then it is exercise.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    I DO BOTH!, but i start each and every morning with a hour fast walk! WORKS FOR ME!
  • flynnfinn
    flynnfinn Posts: 209 Member
    i can't believe someone told you walking is useless!

    i wear an HRM and i walk on a treadmill at 5.0 incline at a speed of 4mph. trust me...it is killer! i burn about 400-500 calories in about 75 minutes. i also walk outdoors through vineyards where i live...a 3 hour walk pushing a stroller with a 35lb kid is about 950 calories total. talk about a serious calorie burn!

    but for the most part, i do interval running/jogging/walking. this is what keeps me from getting bored. my intervals go like this:

    3 minutes - brisk walk
    1 minute - sprint (full on at 7-8mph)
    6 minutes - fast jog

    i repeat that interval 9x...for a total of 90 minutes. very intense and guaranteed to work up a sweat. but i don't do this everyday. my knees would fall apart if i did! i do this about 3x a week, MWF. and in between is when i do long walks.

    can't say i've lost weight doing this but it's certainly kept potential weight gain off!
  • Illona88
    Illona88 Posts: 903 Member
    Walking burns more calories than sitting on the couch, so it's certainly not useless.

    I mainly walk for exercise, because I can't run due to an injury and the gym is way too far away to be motivated to ever go there.
    It's seems to work for me just fine and I have also noticed that I have a lot more energy and I am more cheerful than before.
  • Keiko385
    Keiko385 Posts: 514 Member
    Walking is my primary form of exercise. As long you can pick up the pace enough to get your heart rate up it is a great way to burn those extra calories. I'm looking forward to fall and some cooler weather so I can really enjoy my daily walks without getting heat stroke

    Walk early in the morning if the heat is bothering you.
    It is nice and cool and then you can take a shower before going to work, to get the sweat off you.

    I have done that a few times this summer as well, I just cant get my schedule organized enough to do it every morning. So it is a lunchtime walk and a before dinner walk with the dogs (even they dont want to get out of bed for a morning walk)
  • martuo
    martuo Posts: 3
    Sounds to me like these people are ones you could do without. Anything you do uses calories so it follows will help you lose weight if you do enough and restrict your calorie intake sensibly. I have just completed the Yorkshire 3 Peaks challenge walk and lost weight without cutting back on my normal eating pattern..... I do jog/run sometimes just because I am short of time but still want to burn the most calories I can. Get out there and enjoy your walking, you'll be surprised by the results.
  • ivan1964
    ivan1964 Posts: 435
    Hello and welcome here. You can do anything you put your mind too. I hope you have a great day and feel free to add me if you wish. :smile:
    Walking only works for a while after that it help maintain thats it I walk about 20 a day and I cant loose any more but it does keep me where I am at.
  • gemmalianne84
    gemmalianne84 Posts: 75
    Walking is great excersise. Don't let anyone tell you different!
  • KipDrordy
    KipDrordy Posts: 169 Member
    Here's the deal. You will burn about as many calories walking a mile as you would jogging. The difference is calories burned per hour is much higher when you jog. But if you walk a mile, you're moving the same amount of weight the same distance as you would jogging. It takes the same amount of energy.
  • Gizziemoto
    Gizziemoto Posts: 430 Member
    I walk 30 minutes every morning and get an additional 30 through the day. AT night I use a treadmill and started carrying 2lb weights. My walk this morning without weights burned 192 calories. Walking is a wonderful exercise and easier on your joints that jogging. I am starting to job a little bit but I walking is my first love.


    Just keep walking and you will prove them wrong in no time at all!
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,218 Member
    Any exercise that you enjoy and gets your heart rate up is a good fit for you.

    For me it's walking. I've walked and completed 10 half marathons in the last 8 years and am training for my first full marathon in Nov 2013.

    I've walked off 45 pounds in the last year and am now at my GW.

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