For all the people who believe walking isn't exercise...

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  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
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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?

    JVzPr3P.gif

    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.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,473 Member
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    i love to fast walk! YEAH!
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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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.
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
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    Right now my only cardio is walking 4k a day.

    Work for me.
  • icimani
    icimani Posts: 1,454 Member
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    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.
  • RomanaW
    RomanaW Posts: 108 Member
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    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.
  • wormy80
    wormy80 Posts: 64 Member
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    bumping for later
  • P05T5CRIPT
    P05T5CRIPT Posts: 285 Member
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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:
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    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.
  • icmuse
    icmuse Posts: 263 Member
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    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:
  • KarenLue
    KarenLue Posts: 94 Member
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    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!
  • KarenLue
    KarenLue Posts: 94 Member
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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.
  • moby_chick
    moby_chick Posts: 86 Member
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    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!
  • bookworm_847
    bookworm_847 Posts: 1,903 Member
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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.
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
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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.
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
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    :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:
  • Msdirection
    Msdirection Posts: 54 Member
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    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!
  • katedevall
    katedevall Posts: 240 Member
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    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.

    20130319204917.jpg

    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! :smile:

    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)
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,215 Member
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    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.
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
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    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.

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