walking & yoga

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EmilyStrick
EmilyStrick Posts: 267
in Fitness and Exercise
is it good enough for walking and yoga to be my exercise? i play with my kid and swim and stuff, but as far as exercising to exercise goes, i really only enjoy walking and yoga. i walk 3 miles at a 4mph pace every day, and do yoga for an hour a few times each week. both make me feel good, and i can totally live with the calories i have. i go hiking some on weekends and ride my bike for fun. i refuse to join a gym because it makes me feel like a rat in a cage....and i gain muscle too easily and don't want to look like a big hoss. but anyway, just wanted some input. i want to be healthy, and i am losing weight, but i want to make sure i'm getting enough exercise to maintain good health.

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  • denisebehrman
    denisebehrman Posts: 4
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    It sounds like you are doing great with exercise and yoga as much as you have been doing. You do better than me. Today I walked 3 miles on the treadmill at 3.5 mph. You have just given me inspiration to go faster!! I wll try 4.0 and see if I can do it. As far as an optimal amount? I have heard that if you wear a pedometer, 10,000 steps is a good goal. I think I will take my own advice and start wearing my pedometer, ha! You are doing great!!!! Keep up the good work!
  • MommyofLily
    MommyofLily Posts: 149 Member
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    I think you're doing great! Three miles per day at that speed is awesome! I also do yoga and a lot of walking for the majority of my activity. I am feeling very healthy and in pretty good shape from mostly doing that as well. I think the goal is to be active almost every day for at least 30 minutes and it sounds like you're accomplishing that plus some. And as long as you're staying within your calories, you will do fine. To me it sounds like you are totally on the right track. And I hear you on the gym thing, I don't like sweating next to other caged rats lol. Good luck to you! Keep up the good work. We can do it!!
  • yoginimary
    yoginimary Posts: 6,786 Member
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    I do almost all walking and yoga as well. I do throw in a few cardio things once or twice a week. I think as long as you challenge yourself, at least once or twice a week, you're doing fine.
  • fitgirl232
    fitgirl232 Posts: 17
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    Walking can be sufficient as long as it is cardio for you. To get benefits for your heart you should be doing 30 minutes of cardio at least 3-4 times a week. Try taking your heart rate in the middle of one of your walks to determine whether it is in the cardio zone. Ideal cardio heart rate differs with age but it should be around 150-160. If your heart rate is maintained through your walking then you should be fine, if not, you may want to up the pace of your walk in order to get the benefits of cardio. You don't need a gym to get a good workout, and it is important to find physical exercise that you like to do. Even kicking a ball around in the park with your kids can be exercise, and swimming is an amazing all body workout! I think finding what you like to do is the only way to really stick to exercising.
  • ks2001
    ks2001 Posts: 40
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    You're fine!!

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