Is walking even excercise? can you lose weight

I lost 45 lbs walking. I gained most of it back with pregnancy...but have picked it up again. So yeah, definitely works. Get up and get movin'!

Strengthening your knee sounds like it would be a good idea, coming from a girl with a bit of a bum knee herself after getting hit by a truck and seeing many a doctor about it.

I posted a thread about almost this exact same thing and got some very helpful responses. Lunges and squats with correct form were recommended, as well as a whole list of exercises for the knee which I'll copy and paste for you here.

"1) Try sitting on a bed with the knee/leg stretched out ahead of you. Point toe straight up and tighten up the quad (which would actually slide the kneecap up slightly and tightly), hold for a count of 10

2) , can put a stretch band around your knees, feet and knees pulled up, and open knees like a clam slowly, hold for count of 5 or 10, then close knees.

3), sitting on a chair or bed, raise leg up and hold/tighten up quad, and hold leg in the air for count of 10, then slowly lower back down.

4) Can also do the knee stretch by standing at the foot of the stair, raise leg onto stair and , by keeping back straight, lean down toward the knee, hold for 10 count, then straighten back up.

5) standing on a stair, lower heel below the stair to get that stretch, hold 10 ct, then raise back up.

6) Standing, balanced, on 1 ( bad knee) leg, to get that core support as well as stabilize the knee, hold 10 ct, then stand, repeat

7)Can also put cones or something about 8 to 10 inches tall lined up about 8 across, with enough room between them to be able to stand. Step sideways completely over each cone as you work your way down the cones and back will strengthen both side muscles to knee and supporting hip muscles.

8) Can also put the stretch band around the ankles and walk sideways, feet apart, feet together, etc, up and down the length of a room (again , this strengthens the supporting knee side muscles and the hip muscles).

9) Can also loop the stretch band over a low bedpost or something, put the stretch band around leg and knee, and then stand about 1 foot away (enough to make the stretch band be stretched out with some tension to it), then bend the knee to unstretch the band, then straighten leg again to tighten the band, hold for 10 ct, then bend knee to relax the band and knee. Repeat for 10 to 15 ct.

10) stepping up onto a thick phonebook or low stair, bring other foot up, then step back down, leading each time with the bad knee leg.

11)Same as stepping up onto block or book, one foot at a time, leading with bad knee leg to step up, bring both feet up, then step off other side, then go back over it again, back and forth, left to right and back up onto and over a approximately 4 to 6 inch high object (same side muscles and hip muscles here). "


Also, here's a video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7gPajdzje0&list=PLekJo-XjNn3pLVS59FsNSO5MyoGb7eFiO&index=6

You lose weight with a calorie deficit...it's science...laws of thermodynamics. The most efficient way of incorporating a calorie deficit is in you diet. If you're using MFP the way it is intended, you don't have to do any exercise whatsoever...you have a deficit of calories built into you calorie goal...eat that and lose weight. In fact, MFP is a NEAT method calculator...this means exercise is extra activity and not included in you activity level setting...you're actually supposed to eat back exercise calories and net to your calorie goal with MFP.

Also, walking is good for general heart health...you're not going to substantially up your fitness level, but it's good for heart health. As far as calorie burn goes, you burn pretty much the same calories walking one mile as you do running one mile...you just complete the task faster when running and also improve your cardiovascular fitness.

Diet for weight control; exercise for fitness.

It all depends on weight etc blah blah but would I be correct in saying you'll burn 5 calories per minute by walking?

Lost 170 lbs. over 17 months walking in a therapy pool when I first started out at 560 lbs. because I couldn't stand long enough to support my own weight.... So yeah Walking is exercise and can help you lose weight..... Of course eating in a caloric deficit is as important as the exercise.... Best of Luck

Human beings are made for walking, and have walked for thousands of years.

We put on fat because we take in more energy than our body uses up. So go use up that energy. Walking is a perfectly good, safe, and healthy way to do it. I lost 20 pounds and dropped 2 clothes sizes a few years back simply by going out for a walk several times a week. Then I stopped, and guess what? The weight came back. Because my energy intake was no longer less than my energy output.

The only reason somebody would tell you that walking not a valid exercise is because there's no money for them to be made. Marketing people in this country have done a great job getting inside our heads and convincing us that for anything to be considered "exercise" you need to buy expensive equipment. Which is complete bollocks.

Go put some comfortable shoes on, head outside, and walk. Then walk some more. Until you break out in a sweat, even. The world is your playground.

If you're uncomfortable with that idea, then walk indoors. Around your apartment/house. Then walk some more. Until you break a sweat, even. Maybe get jiggy with it and add some dance moves. Have fun!

I lost 60 pounds walking two miles every day when I first started to get healthy! You can do it!!

It depends on factors like your fitness level and your weight. For a fit, thin person, a normally paced walk would not be a good primary cardio exercise. It is possible to increase the difficulty by wearing a weighted vest, although if you have a knee problem you should check with your doctor. Walking isn't a great main exercise, but if it's the only thing you can do, then you should do it. You will have to walk much longer than you would have to run to get benefits but you have to deal with your current physical condition.

I like to walk,but I can't get a real cardio benefit in a short period unless I'm practically race walking, which I find awkward to do and I'm not going to make myself look ridiculous. I prefer to run.

Actually i lost most of my weight from walking and not all of that was at a fast pace. So... what will make you lose weight? To be honest, any sort of movement at all where you are burning calories and ensuring you consume a calorie deficit.

I did it by buying a fitbit. It made me much more aware of how much I moved my butt and encouraged me to walk more. These days I run but that's only been since March and by that stage I had lost 50lbs just from walking.

it's working for me! both knees are a mess at the moment so it is my 'cardio' - had doubts initially but I am getting results