is walking any good for exercise?

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goron59
goron59 Posts: 890 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm not that great at hitting the gym, mainly because I get claustrophobic and it's difficult to go there when it's almost empty, so I tend to get my exercise in by walking.

These are usually longish walks (over an hour) and reasonable pace (over 3.7mph average), but is it any good?
MFP thinks I'm burning a lot of calories, but is there something better I could be doing with my time?

Running is not really an option as my ankles/knees flare up if submitted to too much high impact work.

Any thoughts/advice most welcome.

Replies

  • peanut352
    peanut352 Posts: 75 Member
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    Yes Definately! Walking is an awesome excercise! I lost my first 15 or so pounds with JUST walking. Just keep stepping it up a notch every few weeks, and you will see results!
  • Topbobdog
    Topbobdog Posts: 55 Member
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    Walking is great exercise Elliptical is amazing no stress on your joints and shreds calories. Walking though is still one of the most popular and beneficial weight lose exercise. Its a full body workout I usually try to walk/run around 10 miles a week. So far staying under calories and walking with some other stuff mixed in i'm averaging about 2lbs a week.
  • Amarillo_NDN
    Amarillo_NDN Posts: 1,018 Member
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    Walking is one the best work outs there is. Depending on the speed you walk will depend on how good a cardio work out you get. And most important, it is "FREE" and you can do it anywhere. At home, outside and any shopping center or large stores.
  • platoon
    platoon Posts: 340
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    Walking is great! Is swimming an option for you?
  • qwho
    qwho Posts: 157
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    I agree, walking is great, I work full time and the exercise I get is walking at work, I average 4-5 miles a day and in 6 weeks by counting calories and walking at work I have lost 16 pounds!
  • Levahna
    Levahna Posts: 132
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    I lost most of my weight by walking. I just started doing other things lately. Enjoy walking and get the most out of it!
  • Topbobdog
    Topbobdog Posts: 55 Member
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    Running is not really an option as my ankles/knees flare up if submitted to too much high impact work.

    Any thoughts/advice most welcome.

    Vicks Vapor rub works amazing on sore knees and ankles its the same stuff thats in all those muscle creams for cheap and almost everyone has a bottle laying around. I have problems with my knees also (football injury) and after a hard workout i usually rub some Vicks on my knee to cut down the inflammation and help me relax and sleep
  • Dammitviv
    Dammitviv Posts: 117
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    Walking is a great exercise, if you want to challenge yourself a little more, alternate between powerwalking (long fast strides, pace over 4.0 mph) and regular walking doing 2 or 3 minutes of each. You can also carry small (1 to 2 lb) hand weights and get your upper body involved; just don't try ankle weights, they're dangerous for your knees.

    Also, if you have or can afford a bicycle, cycling is great outdoor exercise, burns a lot more calories, and is low impact on your knees. Its my favorite exercise.
  • 4lafz
    4lafz Posts: 1,078 Member
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    Walking is perfect. Just keep a good pace and once you are more conditioned find some hills to hike! You have to up exercise as you move more :-)
  • epa422
    epa422 Posts: 1,009
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    As someone else mentioned, interval walking would boost your calorie burn if you feel like you're just not getting enough out of your current long walks. Prevention.com has interval walks available for download to an mp3 player. They also have instructions in case you don't have an mp3 player but you might have to do a little searching for those. (Also, if they make you register, be sure to use an email acct you don't care about getting spammed.)

    http://www.prevention.com/health/fitness/find-a-workout/summer-challenge-podcasts/article/7f08627a395a9110VgnVCM20000012281eac____
  • sandara
    sandara Posts: 830 Member
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    All I've done for exercise is walking. Most of mine is done indoors though. Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds videos. I don't care for the treadmill and my neighborhood isn't good for outside walking. So the WATP's are great for me.
  • ropsnik
    ropsnik Posts: 68 Member
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    I too have bad knees and also felt a bit embarrased being a 60 year old on a treadmill in a gym filled with people less than half my age. However, I found through wearing a Hear Rate Monitor that my HR never went above 95 when I did 3 miles of walking outdoors. I also did find that on a treadmill that when you raise the elevation it is easier on your knees than walking on concrete. And I can maintain a HR of 120 (my 75% HR level) and get a better cardio workout. Now I feel very comfortable at the gym as my primary place of exercise and I also walk outside to supplement my acitivity . Most people who are in the gym give each other support as you would find on MFP site.
  • WalkingGirl1985
    WalkingGirl1985 Posts: 2,047 Member
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    Walking works!!! I walked to lose my first 30 pounds and I STILL walk and I continue to lose weight. I don't run either because of my Asthma. Walking is perfect for me!!
  • CHANGES4ME
    CHANGES4ME Posts: 132 Member
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    IF MFP THINKS U TRACKIN 2 MUCH EXERSISE, WHAT BOUT ME? LOL... I SOPOSE 2 TRACK BOUT 5000 BURNED A WK, I ADVERAGE OVER 6000, SUM TYMES AS HIGH AS 7000... BUT I FOR 1 CANT TELL U HOW GREAT WALKIN IS, EVERY 1 ELSE IS BEEN DOIN A GREAT JOB.... BUT THERE R OTHER WAYS ALSO.. THERE IS SWIMMING LIKE SUM 1 WAS TELLIN U, THERE IS CHAIR AROBICS, OR 1 OF OUR FAVIRITES; BIKE RIDING IN THE PARK, THERE R EVEN SUM STRENGTH AREAS THAT U CAN STOP & DO....... JUMP ROPE:wink: , THE STRENGTH BALL, LOOK ON LINE FOR TRACKING EXCERSISES, & MAN WILL U B SUPRISED ALL THE VERY MANY WAYS U CAN BURN CALORIES.....
    & LET ME TELL U 1 KOOL THING. 1 OF MY FRIENDS TOLD ME BOUT A PERDOMETER... I GO NO WHERE W/O MINE.... I TRACK APPROX 500 CALORIES OR MORE, & OVER 12,000 STEPS EVERY NITE I WORK.... U SHOULD GET U 1... GO 2 OMRON.COM... MINE WAS ONLY 24.95.... U WEAR IT IN YOUR POCKET, CLIP IT, ETC.....IT IS VERY ACCURATE..... KATY IS ON HER 2ND 1....BEEN USING HERS 4 6 YRS NOW.....GL IN FINDING THE RITE FITNESS 4 U...... PAMMY:wink:
  • LotusF1ower
    LotusF1ower Posts: 1,259 Member
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    I'm not that great at hitting the gym, mainly because I get claustrophobic and it's difficult to go there when it's almost empty, so I tend to get my exercise in by walking.

    These are usually longish walks (over an hour) and reasonable pace (over 3.7mph average), but is it any good?
    MFP thinks I'm burning a lot of calories, but is there something better I could be doing with my time?

    Running is not really an option as my ankles/knees flare up if submitted to too much high impact work.

    Any thoughts/advice most welcome.

    Walking is excellent exercise and although it may not burn as many calories as running, swimming or cycling or machines at the gym, it certainly burns enough of them to aid you in your weightloss plan.

    Enjoy!!
  • maureak
    maureak Posts: 107 Member
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    Walking is great exercise - you can walk just about anywhere and don't need any special equipment. If you want to make your workout more productive, you can add weights. I'm told ankle weights put stress on the knees so I don't use them. But I do use wrist weights and hand weights. You can progressively add heavier hand weights to make the walk more challenging.

    You're supposed to mix up your work out and not always do the same thing. So every couple of days, I add a few lunges into my walk (10 lunges every 20 minutes). You can find other ways to mix up your walk.

    Hope this helps!
  • goron59
    goron59 Posts: 890 Member
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    Thanks all for the comments and suggestions.

    I'll certainly keep walking, and by the sounds of things, should probably try to put some structure into it.

    I used to cycle a lot too, over a 100 miles a week, but that was when I lived away from the city and had hills to make things interesting (London (UK) really isn't a very nice/safe place to ride a bike).

    I swim Saturday mornings, before my local gym gets too busy. It's nice to have the pool to myself :-)

    At work, I'm on the second floor, but I walk up to the seventh floor to get my morning/afternoon coffees, so that's a little bit different.
  • bigred727
    bigred727 Posts: 50
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    yes, its one of the best next to jogging and runnung... it gets your blood flowing, i know this sounds crazy, but next time you want to go somewhere thats not that fare, few miles.. insted of taking the car.. walk there, then walk back...
  • gambitsgurl
    gambitsgurl Posts: 632 Member
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    Walking is great for you. I started at a mile a day and am now up to 5 miles a day at around 4.1 mph. I've lost 16 pounds with walking alone. When I hit the next plateau I'm going to change it up.

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