Is walking a legitimate exercise?

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  • Irishb118
    Irishb118 Posts: 25 Member
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    I am going to say the people who say walking isn't exercise are the ones sitting on their butts doing absolutely nothing. Walking is a great form of exercise and is fairly easy on your joints. When you are moving and you are moving for any period of time it is helping to strengthen your muscles and it is good for your heart!
  • nicca_jb
    nicca_jb Posts: 1,278 Member
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    Walking is exercise. If it wasn't, pedometers would have no place in the world and Fitbit would be out of business (disclaimer: I own a Flex and I adore it, as it helps me to see how active I am and what I should be aiming for daily).

    As for "legitimate"? I think you might mean "will it tone and shape my body"? If you're looking to build muscle and not just burn calories, a simple walk around the block isn't going to do much there - it will get your heart rate up slightly and will work your legs slightly, it will help you drop excess weight, and it will make you feel good. If you want to bulk, cut, or "tone", you need more intensive cardio (for heart rate) and/or weights (for muscle building).
  • bizgirl26
    bizgirl26 Posts: 1,808 Member
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    Definition of exerccise:


    : physical activity that is done in order to become stronger and healthier

    : a particular movement or series of movements done to become stronger and healthier

    : something that is done or practiced to develop a particular skill


    Yes it is. I try to push myself a little more and ensure that I can feel a difference in my breathing, am sweating etc...It is exercise and great place to start
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    Yes, walking is a legitimate exercise.

    Prancercise on the other hand I would say is an illegitimate exercise. http://youtu.be/o-50GjySwew
  • kateangel2312
    kateangel2312 Posts: 242 Member
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    yes, I do quite a lot of walking instead of driving
  • LoupGarouTFTs
    LoupGarouTFTs Posts: 916 Member
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    Walking is exercise if you walk without stopping at a reasonable pace. If it's walking the dog or going to the mall and stopping every 2 minutes... no.

    Dogs walk at a much faster speed than people do. Why would walking the dog not count as exercise?
  • Inkratlet
    Inkratlet Posts: 613 Member
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    Hoping to do the Three Peaks challenge in a few months.

    http://www.thethreepeakschallenge.co.uk/

    Tell me that's not exercise.
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
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    Yes.

    I'm a speed walker. I walk so fast that I often, down on the promenade, pass joggers and slower runners. When I speed walk specifically for exercise, I do a minimum of 8 miles. I am drenched in sweat by the time I'm finished, and my heartrate is more than sufficiently elevated. I also burn an insane amount of calories. My wife was doing the C25K program, had become a regular runner, yet when she finally convinced me to let her join me on one of my exercise walks she was winded in the first TWO minutes and couldn't keep up even while running.

    I could run, but I chose to walk.

    Walking is a great form of exercise, and if pushed far enough, can be used for conditioning and overall greater cardiovascular health. But you don't need to even become a race walker to reap the benefits. A lot of really out of shape, or severely obese people aren't comfortable going out and running, or going into a gym. But because so many people don't think of walking as a legitimate form of exercise they just sit around on their bums, doing nothing, when walking could be a great intro into the world of exercise for them.
  • msbeeblebrox
    msbeeblebrox Posts: 133 Member
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    Walking is exercise.
    The exercise that you choose to do depends heavily on the fitness goals that you have.
  • tracydr
    tracydr Posts: 528 Member
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    Many studies show that even short walks many times a day ( like 5 minutes) will decrease heart disease and blood sugar. It's definitely exercise. So is house cleaning and gardening.
  • seabee78
    seabee78 Posts: 126 Member
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    I've also had friends say walking isn't exercise. Yeah, at your present fitness level which is probably pretty good. One guy said "Hell, I could walk for days, its so effortless." Oh, yeah? Strap a 50lb bag of potatoes on your back and see if its still effortless.
  • vmclach
    vmclach Posts: 670 Member
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    Yes. As a Boston Marathon Qualifed runner, I can assure you walking is exercise. Whoever is tell you it isn't legit exercise, please send them my way :)
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    I'm sick and tired of people saying "walking won't get you in shape", and "that's not exercise". What's your view on this subject? I walked two miles today. Was that exercise?

    Depends...............

    If you were strolling around the supermarket, moseying around the neighborhood.....then no. This would be activity not exercise.

    If you were deliberately walking at a fast pace, using your arms to propel yourself....then yes. Walking can have a definite cardiovascular benefit, but you have to push yourself. Walk at a fast enough pace where you can talk (some)....but not so slow you could sing.
  • jennalennafur
    jennalennafur Posts: 80 Member
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    I had lost 20 lbs by the end of high school just by walking a ton. I also lost six pounds last month from walking (and calorie restrictions of course) so I would definitely consider it an legitimate exercise!
  • NormInv
    NormInv Posts: 3,285 Member
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    Walking in many cases is better than running or lifting as a workout. Do not listen to the so called MFP experts.
  • Kitship
    Kitship Posts: 579 Member
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    Walking is exercise if you walk without stopping at a reasonable pace. If it's walking the dog or going to the mall and stopping every 2 minutes... no.

    :huh:

    What if I walk my dog without stopping at a reasonable pace?
  • Kitship
    Kitship Posts: 579 Member
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    If you were strolling around the supermarket, moseying around the neighborhood.....then no. This would be activity not exercise.

    Exercise IS activity, and vice versa.
  • maureli
    maureli Posts: 722 Member
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    absolulely is! Keep on walkin' :happy:
  • frood
    frood Posts: 295 Member
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    Walking only counts as exercise if the wind is blowing from the southeast and Mercury is retrograde. :tongue:

    But seriously, walking is great exercise, even the much underrated "strolling."

    http://gizmodo.com/5889888/why-walking-is-the-best-exercise
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    If you were strolling around the supermarket, moseying around the neighborhood.....then no. This would be activity not exercise.

    Exercise IS activity, and vice versa.

    I tried to answer the question that the OP asked......"legitimate exercise?"......to me this is exercise that I might log into MFP.

    MFP has people set an "activity level".....sedentary, lightly active, etc. When you set this activity level you are given a few more calories (a hundred or so). But when people log ALL of their daily steps as exercise they get this huge "exercise" bonus. They eat those calories back and are confused as to why they are not losing weight. This is double counting......you already get "credit" for some activity.

    Because daily steps don't raise my heart rate.....I don't consider them exercise. Shopping is not exercise for me.....but for some people it might be.

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