The benefit of walking

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prayinglifefan
prayinglifefan Posts: 3
in Fitness and Exercise
I just started adding a daily walk of approximately 2 miles of brisk walking so that I could increase my calorie allowance. Surprisingly, I've experienced an:smile: unintended benefit of more energy throughout the day it has been wonderful.
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Replies

  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    Walking is highly under-rated as exercise but it's something you can do every day (no need for rest or recovery days, we evolved to be able to walk long distance on a regular basis) but I might suggest a bit of caution in calculating the additional calories you consume,

    Runners World suggest the following formula for estimating the net calories burned walking (additional calories burned attributable solely to the exercise)

    .30 x your body weight in lbs x distance in miles

    For me that means about 120 net cal burned for a 2 mile walk.

    But it definitely gives you a mental boost.....keep up the good work.
  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
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    walking is my main exercise. I rate it highly.
  • Jacson53
    Jacson53 Posts: 62 Member
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    Great way to meet and motivate neighbors! :smile:
    And it is Free!!!

    Unless you use a treadmill at a gym.
    Spend lots of money on
    shoes
    socks
    orthotics
    band aids
    iTunes
    Apple Shuffles
    Sunglasses
    Hats
    Clothes
    ( that has been my experience, lol)
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    Walking is highly under-rated as exercise but it's something you can do every day (no need for rest or recovery days, we evolved to be able to walk long distance on a regular basis) but I might suggest a bit of caution in calculating the additional calories you consume,

    Runners World suggest the following formula for estimating the net calories burned walking (additional calories burned attributable solely to the exercise)

    .30 x your body weight in lbs x distance in miles

    For me that means about 120 net cal burned for a 2 mile walk.

    But it definitely gives you a mental boost.....keep up the good work.

    This Runners World article says .57. (I like it better!)

    http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/running-v-walking-how-many-calories-will-you-burn

    Walking is terrific. Pick up a Fitbit and make it even more fun. And some dogs!
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    Sadly, they sometimes contradict themselves........ the .57 is gross calorie burn.

    http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning?page=single
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    This Runners World article says .57. (I like it better!)

    It's 0.57 for gross calories, 0.3 for net calories.

    For low intensity exercising like walking, you want net calories if you're eating them back.
  • ilove2boogie
    ilove2boogie Posts: 6 Member
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    The calculators I use to find the calorie burn walking all depend on the speed as well as your weight... (also inclination, but unless I'm climbing a cliff I generally ignore that..) I've mapped out some of my most frequent routes on
    http://www.walkjogrun.net/
    to get the distances, and then I time how long I've been out and get the average speed from that. Then I can type e.g. 50 mins @ 3.5mph into an online calculator with my weight (or use the one on here), to get the calories. It's the too-cheap-to-buy-any-gadgets-atm method :)
  • Kevalicious99
    Kevalicious99 Posts: 1,131 Member
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    I just did a 30 min walk (20 city blocks) but I have no idea on the distance. What is a good number of calories ? My HRM shows 331 calories burned.

    Any advice would be helpful. I am 48 Male .. and 183 lbs.
  • ktsimons
    ktsimons Posts: 294 Member
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    I love walking and have kept my weight loss off for nearly a year walking 3 x a week and doing a fitness class 2 x a week. I agree, I am always in a better mood at the end of a walk then at the beginning!
  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,525 Member
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    This Runners World article says .57. (I like it better!)

    It's 0.57 for gross calories, 0.3 for net calories.

    For low intensity exercising like walking, you want net calories if you're eating them back.

    Okay this is depressing! That gives me 73 calories for a 2 mile 30 minute walk. That is just not much!! Yet abother example of how much harder it is when you are small!

    Also, this explains how I re gained 10 lbs--I was figuring around 125 calories. I cant imagine what the formula would be for running. The difference will even be greater!

    Exactly why I am going with TDEE instead of net calories now!
  • quiltchickie
    quiltchickie Posts: 50 Member
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    I am guessing the level of intensity of walking makes a difference. I wear a HRM and in 50 minutes while walking on an incline on my treadmill pretty much as fast as one can walk I can burn 500 calories (I am 42 and weigh about 172). Just picked some great (fast) music for my iPodand off I go.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    I am guessing the level of intensity of walking makes a difference. I wear a HRM and in 50 minutes while walking on an incline on my treadmill pretty much as fast as one can walk I can burn 500 calories (I am 42 and weigh about 172). Just picked some great (fast) music for my iPodand off I go.
    That's gross calories, you need to subtract your BMR from that. Also, are you hlding onto the treadmill? If you are you're basically cutting that calorie burn in half.
  • quiltchickie
    quiltchickie Posts: 50 Member
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    I am guessing the level of intensity of walking makes a difference. I wear a HRM and in 50 minutes while walking on an incline on my treadmill pretty much as fast as one can walk I can burn 500 calories (I am 42 and weigh about 172). Just picked some great (fast) music for my iPodand off I go.
    That's gross calories, you need to subtract your BMR from that. Also, are you hlding onto the treadmill? If you are you're basically cutting that calorie burn in half.
    Dumb question byt if my heart rate is accurately taken via HRM how can I be burning less calories than what it says I am (when I setit up I had to enter all of my information into the program) and also I know I could burn more if I didn`t hold on during the really intense parts for fear of falling but isn`t the elevated HR all that matters?
  • eileen0515
    eileen0515 Posts: 408 Member
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    My fitbit gives me around 400 calories for 6 miles and 67 flights of stairs (I live in the mountains)
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    Dumb question byt if my heart rate is accurately taken via HRM how can I be burning less calories than what it says I am...

    Turn the question around - why do you think your heart rate should be an indicator of how many calories you are burning?
  • Ideabaker
    Ideabaker Posts: 508 Member
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    Bump for more replies to the HRM question... if the HRM is strapped to your chest, monitoring how fast your heart is beating for your weight, height, age and gender, wouldn't it be the most accurate estimate of caloric burn available to the average person?

    My HRM shows different caloric burns depending on how fast and far I'm walking as well as the amount of hills (intensity) I encounter.
  • aprilslusher
    aprilslusher Posts: 127 Member
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    For those using your HRM when walking/jogging, use those calories it shows that you burned. I have used mine and I have lost right at 47lbs. I'm 29 and 5'3 (Starting weight 167.4 lbs and my current weight is 120.6lbs) Your HRM, with a chest strap is set up to your height, weight, age and gender.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    Net calories burned walking = 0.3 * body weight in pounds * miles walked

    Heart rate has nothing to do with it, and for most people, most of the time, will significantly over-estimate.
  • quiltchickie
    quiltchickie Posts: 50 Member
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    For those using your HRM when walking/jogging, use those calories it shows that you burned. I have used mine and I have lost right at 47lbs. I'm 29 and 5'3 (Starting weight 167.4 lbs and my current weight is 120.6lbs) Your HRM, with a chest strap is set up to your height, weight, age and gender.

    Thanks for confirming this. It does make me feel better. :)
  • quiltchickie
    quiltchickie Posts: 50 Member
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    Net calories burned walking = 0.3 * body weight in pounds * miles walked

    Heart rate has nothing to do with it, and for most people, most of the time, will significantly over-estimate.

    How can you expect to burn the same calories walking the same distance, if one day you take a leisurely walk and the other you "speed walk" with hand weights, even if it's the same distance. This just doesn't make sense to me. Obviously if I pick up speed, walk up hill and not flat ground, or even climb a mountain I would sweat my rear off and raise my heart rate by using more muscle and burn more calories than strolling around the boardwalk shopping for a few hours.

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