Why do people disregard walking?

Big walking fan here. Walking several miles a day to and from school is what kept me from being a fat teenager despite my atrocious eating habits. Fast forward to the mid-40s, when nothing could compensate for atrocious eating habits and ridiculous levels of sedentary-ness (sedentarism? sedentaritation? yeah, sitting on my ever-growing butt too much) and I was about 40 pounds over where I should be. Before I started MFP, I started walking again... a lot. I dropped my first 20 pounds in 2-3 months with pretty much no other changes -- I was more mindful of my food, but not counting calories at that time. I walked to the store for my soda, I walked around the block while talking on the phone, I walked door to door for a friend running for office, I walked on a treadmill while watching movies on my laptop at midnight. Throughout my weight loss phase, I aimed to walk 5-10 miles every day. It worked. I've been maintaining and "recomping" since sometime in May. After my surgery, I was up and walking a few miles a day the following week.

Walking is still my main cardio exercise. It's easy on my joints compared with running. It's good for my legs, it's good for my heart, it's good for my mind. I do a little running too, but less of that since I started lifting heavy in earnest. My calves tend to seize up when I run more than a mile or so within 24 hours after lifting. But walking... I can do that every day, any time, any place.

Walking is just awesome.

My go to exercise is also walking. I walk at least 6 days a week and love it, I love the friendliness of fellow walkers who you pass on the way with a cheerful "good morninig" like you are a member of some secret club. I love the fresh air and most of all I know my fitness levels are improving as areas that I walk that were once a bit of a struggle I now find are much easier to deal with.

So keep it up, if you really enjoy it you are more likely to stick with it.

This bum was made for walking, by walking.

QuietBloom, you are gorgeous. That is all.

Many thanks love!

I walk at least twice a day - 30 mins in the morning, 40 mins after dinner. I walked 150 miles in September! Having a German Shepherd pup helps with the motivation :happy:

Walking IS exercise! In no-snow months my husband and I power-walk our cross country ski trails on the mountain and our local 11 mile river trail. In snow months we walk the lighted community college campus and XC ski 2 hrs 3x/wk. Walking the ski trails is GREAT exercise and altitude conditioning for XC skiing. And power-walking keeps our ranch mutt conditioned!!

I love walking/hiking as well.
But one question - how is it possible to get a heart rate of 150 from walking?
If I walk normal I now dump around 105, quick walking gets me to 115 to 120.
Only a hike with a good incline gives me 130 to 140.
Walking down from the hill my heart rate plunges down to 95.
What are you doing to keep the heart rate up?

I run every other day and do body weight workouts on the days in between but, when I'm asked what is the best workout to get in shape and/or lose weight, I always say "whatever exercise you will actually do and STICK WITH." If that's walking, then you go right ahead and walk your butt off!

^this^

I couldn't have put it better.

Although I do a lot of other exercise, like boxing, cycling, weights, elliptical, running... I have always been a big walker, even as a kid.
If I were in the countryside, rather than a city, I would walk a lot more. As is, I try to get 5 miles walking in most days, and sometimes do 8-12 mile walks as well if I have worn my legs out with my other activities.