Walking a form of cardio?

BeyMe
BeyMe Posts: 43 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
This week I've doing a lot of walking. I've walked for 50 minutes at least 4 times this week. I was wondering if walking is considered working out I guess. I noticed I was extremely sore in my legs, butt, and a little in my stomach after walking this week. I took that as a good sign. Along with my walking I've been drinking plenty of water and counting my calories.
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Replies

  • ShibaEars
    ShibaEars Posts: 3,928 Member
    You won't be burning a lot of calories, but any extra activity is a good thing. :drinker:
  • gmthisfeller
    gmthisfeller Posts: 779 Member
    Walking is a good thing, a very good thing. If you can squeeze the time to actually measure how far you can walk, you can up the tempo to increase the distance. The idea is to get yourself into a rhythm where you walk between 4 and 5 miles an hour. If you log that, MFP will help you create a calorie deficit that will push your weight loss along --if that is what you are after-- or get you ready to build your fitness in other ways. Good going! Good luck!
  • Unknown
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  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    Walking is a great form of exercise, especially in the beginning.
  • PrettyPearl88
    PrettyPearl88 Posts: 368 Member
    Fast-paced walking can definitely be a workout! For someone who's out of shape and just starting to get healthier, walking is a great form of exercise!
  • Matt24442
    Matt24442 Posts: 324
    There's other things you can that will be faster and more efficient...like sleeping...




    but if you're burning cals, might as well log it
  • citygirl04
    citygirl04 Posts: 286 Member
    Throw on some ankle weights and pick up the pace. If it's in your fitness level, yeah it is and as you build muscle your body will want to do more. :)
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,785 Member
    You won't be burning a lot of calories, but any extra activity is a good thing. :drinker:

    What? Please.... walking is ONE of the best exercises out there. The amount you burn will depend on how fast you walk and how much you weight. When I was over 300 I burned a crap load of calories, but when I walk at my weight now I don't burn as much and would have to walk faster/longer to burn the same amount of calories.
    It may not be the best for certain things, but it really is a good way to burn calories. Continue walking, you'll like yourself for it
  • Matt24442
    Matt24442 Posts: 324
    For someone who's out of shape and just starting to get healthier, walking is a great form of exercise!


    Shots fired!!
    aZJksxG.jpg
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
    I count walking as exercise! I took an hour long walk today and burned 330 calories according to my heart rate monitor. Doing that everyday can really add up!
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    There's other things you can that will be faster and more efficient...like sleeping...

    LOLwut?

    :huh:
  • cevalid
    cevalid Posts: 59
    I started off walking and built up from there. If you are large and sedentary it's a workout, but as soon as it gets easy it's best to step it up.
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
    I was just talking to someone about this. If you're 85, a walk might be a workout. It's all relative. For generally healthy people, walking is light activity, not working out.
    I disagree with this. Sure it's not an intense workout, but it's definitely something and if you keep a fast pace you can burn a decent amount of calories too.
  • Nix_Way
    Nix_Way Posts: 201 Member
    You won't be burning a lot of calories, but any extra activity is a good thing. :drinker:

    What? Please.... walking is ONE of the best exercises out there. The amount you burn will depend on how fast you walk and how much you weight. When I was over 300 I burned a crap load of calories, but when I walk at my weight now I don't burn as much and would have to walk faster/longer to burn the same amount of calories.
    It may not be the best for certain things, but it really is a good way to burn calories. Continue walking, you'll like yourself for it

    I agree! I started at over 400 pounds and walking was about the only thing I COULD do!

    And yes.. it burns calories and is an excellent form of cardio! Just keep the pace fast and try to always go longer and faster! Never settle! Always try to get better!!
    Best of wishes! :flowerforyou:
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  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
    I just wanted to add (after reading everyone else's comments about walking being "good for a beginner" or whatever) that I am 2 years into this, can go 2 hours on the elliptical at a high intensity level, have lost 65 pounds, and still consider walking as exercise. No, it's not very intense, but it's relaxing and something that I actually enjoy, and like I've already said, it burns a decent amount of calories.

    If you like walking, keep doing it. It will only benefit you!
  • delicious_cocktail
    delicious_cocktail Posts: 5,797 Member
    There's other things you can that will be faster and more efficient...like sleeping...




    but if you're burning cals, might as well log it

    annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd FR denied.





    OP! Get your walk on. Cardio is "cardiovascular" exercise. If you're sitting, you are not getting cardiovascular exercise. If you're up and moving, including going for a walk, you are. The more you do, the longer and faster you'll be able to go, and your cardiovascular fitness will improve.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    This week I've doing a lot of walking. I've walked for 50 minutes at least 4 times this week. I was wondering if walking is considered working out I guess. I noticed I was extremely sore in my legs, butt, and a little in my stomach after walking this week. I took that as a good sign. Along with my walking I've been drinking plenty of water and counting my calories.

    MFP thinks it's a workout as you will see if you input the word "walking" in the exercise database. You will find a ton of walking cal burn estimates based on the different speeds you might be going. There are even incline data and downhill data. Just in case you are going like hiking up and down hills during your walking workouts.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    There's other things you can that will be faster and more efficient...like sleeping...




    but if you're burning cals, might as well log it

    annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd FR denied.





    OP! Get your walk on. Cardio is "cardiovascular" exercise. If you're sitting, you are not getting cardiovascular exercise. If you're up and moving, including going for a walk, you are. The more you do, the longer and faster you'll be able to go, and your cardiovascular fitness will improve.

    And you may work up to trying a couch to 5k program like I got brave enough/fit enough to do. It's all relative. Start where you are and log your cals.
  • davert123
    davert123 Posts: 1,568 Member
    Walking is great exercise. I book most of it. Go at a pace and you improve your fitness. I started out walking, then walking as fast as I can. I then progressed to running a bit as well and I would not have been able to start running without the walking bit first. I bet I now burn well over a 1000 calories per week walking about :-)
  • MuseofSong
    MuseofSong Posts: 322 Member
    For anyone who thinks walking is not a form of exercise . . .

    oxb8cbz
  • covenantwife
    covenantwife Posts: 13
    I love walking, it is a great form of exercise, yes it is exercise. After a patient has open heart surgery, and we are doing our discharge teaching, we encourage them to start a walking plan as their form of exercise. There are so many variations to walking that you can make it intense or relaxing. If you enjoy walking, do it. No matter what your fitness level happens to be.
  • Debbe2
    Debbe2 Posts: 2,071 Member
    Walking is great exercise and if you enjoy it, it's even better!
  • __freckles__
    __freckles__ Posts: 1,238 Member
    For anyone who thinks walking is not a form of exercise . . .

    oxb8cbz

    Teehee. I second this. :bigsmile:
  • handyrunner
    handyrunner Posts: 32,662 Member
    walking won't beat running but it's a great starting point for any one sedentary
  • Matt24442
    Matt24442 Posts: 324
    There's other things you can that will be faster and more efficient...like sleeping...




    but if you're burning cals, might as well log it

    annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd FR denied.

    Lol
  • MrJThomasEsq
    MrJThomasEsq Posts: 144 Member
    I was just talking to someone about this. If you're 85, a walk might be a workout. It's all relative. For generally healthy people, walking is light activity, not working out.
    I disagree with this. Sure it's not an intense workout, but it's definitely something and if you keep a fast pace you can burn a decent amount of calories too.

    I didn't say it was nothing. I said it's light activity. But, walking is NOT a workout, if you are relatively healthy.

    I think you may have walking confused with strolling.

    I walk, on a treadmill at 3 to 4 mph and at a 6 to 9 degree incline. My feet are never both off of the ground at the same time so that is walking. But at my weight I can burn over 800 cals per hour. I'm pretty sure that counts as a workout.
  • Fithealthyforlife
    Fithealthyforlife Posts: 866 Member
    Yes, and it should generally be logged if you want to be eating the correct amount and you are going by calories burned in your calculations (instead of using TDEE).
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    Throw on some ankle weights and pick up the pace. If it's in your fitness level, yeah it is and as you build muscle your body will want to do more. :)

    Walking with ankle weights is BAD! It throws your knees and lower back out of alignment. And walking is a great form of exercise, lots of people have lost weight just walking and counting calories. It is cardio and a very effective way to burn calories if you do it at a fast pace and without ankle weights!!!!
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    You won't be burning a lot of calories, but any extra activity is a good thing. :drinker:

    What? Please.... walking is ONE of the best exercises out there. The amount you burn will depend on how fast you walk and how much you weight.
    Speed of walking has minimal effect. Correct on the weight, though. Bottom line: walking burns 50% of the net calories that running the same distance does.
    When I was over 300 I burned a crap load of calories..
    Doing *anything* at 300 pounds burns a crap load of calories.

    Walking is a great start, but it doesn't do anybody any good to overstate its effects.

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