Can walking make a difference?? Help!
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In a word, yes. If you are ever diagnosed with diabetes or heart disease, the doctors will tell you, until you are sick of hearing it, "Walk 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, and it does not even have to be all at one time. Break it up into two 15 minute walks. Walk fast enough to breathe hard, but not so hard you cannot have a conversation." It exercises your heart, which is a very important muscle. Don't cut out all your favorite junk foods, though. Just have them less frequently, and in moderation.0
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My question is " Can walking.. say 30 minutes a day... help at all towards a goal."
Yes it will, setting yourself the goal of a 30 minute walk will help you with the discipline of training and it will start to have an effect. You'll probably find that you'll get used to it fairly quickly, so you'll feel the need to then challenge yourself a bit more.
If 30 minutes is a challenge now, then you have a target to aim for, and once you can do it start to try to stretch the distance that you do in the time, or increase the time a little at a time.
Coupled with watching what you're eating then you should see some results fairly readily.0 -
OP,
standiing is better than sitting. walking is better than standing. running is better than walking. You may need to take baby steps to work up to a good pace of walking but you know what, don't stress over it.
Get outside! Walk around! (or just use a treadmill, that works too. It can just be boring. :] )
Walking is a GREAT way to introduce your body to exercise.
I say go for it! You will find that after a while you can go farther and walk faster, which means that you are getting healthier!0 -
My main source of exercise is walking other then that I use a air Walker which is practically walking in one spot ...., its worked for me!0
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Walking is a great exercise, especially for someone just starting out. 30 minutes a day is a good start, too.
As you get stronger, make sure you increase your effort (i.e. walk faster). You should feel kind of tired by the end of your walk - not so much that you can't do anything else the rest of the day, but enough that you asked your body to do a bit more than it's used to or what's easy. You want to get your heart rate up, which means you will be breathing heavier. A good rule of thumb is if you could carry on an easy conversation, you're not doing enough. If you can only get one word out between gasps, you're pushing too hard. Somewhere in between there is going to be the best exertion.
And don't forget, if you put your 3 year old in a stroller and push her for the 30 minutes, you're increasing your effort and she'll probably have a great time!
ETA: also remember that, while walking is great for exercise and fitness, weight loss requires a calorie deficit, so make sure to track what you eat and stay at a reasonable level!0 -
I like the power walking tapes. The burn up a sweat and give you extra calories to eat in the process. I'm using the Leslie Sansone . Her voice can be a little annoying but, boy I do get a good work out.0
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My main form of exercise! I walk 5+ miles a day.
Start off with 30 minutes at a steady pace and build up. Walking is a quick build up too so you'll be able to add more and more quite quickly.
It's such an enjoyable way to exercise!0 -
It is a great start, you will lose weight doing it. I would advise as you lose weight, to look into doing some resistance training to maintain lean body mass (muscle). You will lose weight walking, you will change your body strength training.0
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Walking is a great way to get fit. I've actually been walking for several years now, but it wasn't until I started eating healthier and tracking my calories that I started to lose weight. I did feel a lot better in general after I started walking. And now I walk about a 1/2 hour to an hour every day along with a half hour to an hour of another exercise.
I still eat a lot of the same foods I did before. Just in smaller portions, with lots of vegatables and fruit, or less often.0 -
Yes., huge. I started out walking. My dad walks and loses pounds.0
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YES!!!!
When I was obese I could hardly walk 100 ft now I can walk 5 miles.
Having a baby girl that you can take on a walk also is great!
Walking got rid of my belly fat, I was shocked!0 -
Another walker here - started out seven weeks ago, walking a mile in the morning and a mile at lunchtime during the work week. I've upped my lunchtime walk to 2 miles, and am considering 3 miles shortly. I also try to get at least 10 miles in over the weekend. With that and counting my calories, I've lost nearly 16 pounds. (Ignore my ticker - formal check-in is tomorrow...)0
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I have Graves Disease, and before I received proper treatment for it, I lost a ton of muscle. Walking for 30 minutes a day is a wonderful way to start! Any little bit helps.0
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Yes, walking is a great workout, if you amp your steps and speed. I started out walking 30 minutes a day at a slow pace, then gradually increased the length of time and the pace. On occasion, I will walk up hills (I live in San Francisco) just to boost my metabolism and muscle workout. I also have invested in a pedometer. It's a great way to keep you accountable and see results on a daily basis.
Good luck!0 -
Yes, it can! I lost the first 19lbs through walking alone. It helped that I got a puppy that needed the exercise too Then, I joined a gym, but I still walk twice a day, come rain or shine. Walking helps me physically and mentally, it is my time to de-stress and take in my surroundings.0
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I started with just walking 30 minutes daily. I did great, and felt so much better after just one month that I wanted to do MORE, so I started training with kettlebells in addition to my walks. A few months later, I wanted to start lifting weights again, so I joined a gym and got back to lifting. I kept all my walking and still trained with kettlebells, and that's pretty much where I'm at now--I still do all three things regularly.
Walking is fantastic--it was really challenging for me to walk those 30 minutes when I first started, but I really gained confidence and fitness quickly by just keeping at it and going a little bit further each week. I love walking and it's my main mode of transport these days.0 -
Absolutely it will help you! And you don't have to start with 30 minutes, just start with what you can. That's how I started, just keeping moving, do as much as you can and keep moving forward. Not will it only help you with your weight loss and increase your confidence, your heart and lungs will thank you too. :flowerforyou:0
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I would walk long distances (4-8mi) 3-4x a week and I was in the greatest physique I've ever achieved through any other exercise regime!0
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Absolutely!!
Enjoy walking, stick your music on and slowly build it up. You can move onto running (As I am) or just stick with walking. Either way your making a difference.
Keep going!0 -
I totally understand you! A little while ago my 3 year old patted my belly and told me "pillow". Time to make some changes!
I do think walking will help. I started a couple weeks ago walking about 1 to 2 miles every couple days. Now I go almost everyday, I do about 3 miles and I started jogging/running at least part of it.0
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