Is walking a legitimate exercise?
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Walking is always exercise. No exceptions... no it doesn't matter what pace you're going at it's still exercise.
Why? Because you're burning calories and working the muscles beyond their resting state. All these exceptions and qualifications people put are making are BS.
Yes, you can gain additional benefits by pushing yourself harder and moving faster, but there is significant benefit simply to strolling.0 -
walking is great exercise
I also love hiking - we have some great trails here - no mountains though0 -
It depends. Does walking make you get out of breath? If I generally have a lazy day and then go for a 4 mile lazy walk I definitely won't log it as exercise. But if I go get my running shoes on and push myself to walk fast and get a little out of breath - I log it as exercise.0
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uh yeah!! walk 4mph on a 5 or 10 incline on the treadmill. The good thing about walking (for me anyways) is you can last much longer than running, aka burn more calories. A 20 minute run for me might burn 250 calories, but walking for an hour on an incline will burn more calories. and it doesnt burn you out later in the day.
my motto - if your heart rate is up, its exercise0 -
Yeah, it's exercise...would I really consider it a "workout" these days...probably not, but when I started I could barely walk around the block for 10 minutes without being fatigued.
Really, it's all relative to your fitness goals. At this point, I train for 1/2 and full centuries and triathlons so walking doesn't really do much for me in RE to my overall fitness these days...but I still enjoy taking the dog out 3-4 days per week for a good three miles just because.0 -
Walking is incredibly important to human health and proper physical functioning. So is squatting.
http://www.katysays.com/save-your-knees-hiking-tutorial/0 -
short answer: yes! Longer answer: still yes but if you have a lot to lose there are more effective ways to lose weight. Also some form of resistance training to help shape the body is good.0
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Personally I consider myself to have exercised if I have raised my heart rate, worked up a little sweat and had to puff.
I think exercise is relative. It is relative to the person doing it, depending on your "size" and fitness level simply standing up can be nearly a workout for some.
So long as your pushing yourself and not finding the easiest way to do it you can burn calories and therefore lose weight.
Good luck and don't let people put you down!0 -
I can't believe nobody has mentioned Nordic walking, it's walking with poles. When you use them, they seem to encourage faster walking somehow.
In the summer season you put rubber thingies on the end points for smooth contact with the ground, whereas the metal tips are good in winter conditions. They come in different heights so you should make sure to get the proper one.
I definitely break a decent sweat when doing Nordic walking compared to normal walking and it involves the upper body in a fantastic way.0 -
short answer: yes! Longer answer: still yes but if you have a lot to lose there are more effective ways to lose weight. Also some form of resistance training to help shape the body is good.0
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I can't believe nobody has mentioned Nordic walking, it's walking with poles. When you use them, they seem to encourage faster walking somehow.
In the summer season you put rubber thingies on the end points for smooth contact with the ground, whereas the metal tips are good in winter conditions. They come in different heights so you should make sure to get the proper one.
I definitely break a decent sweat when doing Nordic walking compared to normal walking and it involves the upper body in a fantastic way.
Well living in Texas, I now want to go ski-walking down the road in 100 degree heat. If nothing else just for the sideways looks it'll get.0 -
Yes, exercise, and I do it very consistently, but is not sufficient alone to reach *my* particular goals.0
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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?0 -
3 METS at walking 3mph says YES it is indeed an exercise. The better you are at it, the harder you push to get the same benefit.0
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Tell me that's not exercise.
There you go, what you wanted .
Not even THAT much walking and you get big rests between each one too!
Horrendously unprepared (ie I had once run over 10 miles and then only 11 miles) I entered a 32mile trail ultramarathon with 4400ft of climbs as it turned out I was in the area longer than expected and it was a local route.
That being the case, what's the big deal? :P
To be fair my average speed actually came out at a fast walk (about 4.2/4.3mph I think), but that included some decent stops and so on - some more for the dog that me, honest!
In reality - yes, it's exercise. But fairly light exercise that people who aren't too overweight should soon find they reach the point they can pretty much go on for ever. I'd suspect that fitness/health benefits would be a bit limited compared to more strenuous exercise.
You can lose weight with 'just walking' of course, but you don't NEED walking.0 -
Walking is exercise 100%. It's basic and doesn't require a bunch of classes or expensive videos. Plus, it's good for your heart and depending on where you are physically, talking a nice long walk (regardless of speed) is a great way to kill some time if you'd otherwise just be sitting on your butt the whole time.0
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I know some people that log like 250 minutes of walking at 3mph as exercise every day because they walk in college from one class to another, and then they wonder why they aren't losing any weight because they "never go over their calorie goal". :sad:0
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Walking is NOT exercise, it is activity. There is a difference.
OK, I'll be the one to bite the trollbait. What's the difference?0 -
It is for me. I walk 3-5 miles a day, tracked with my Fitbit, HRM & RunKeeper.
Works great to get rid of stress as well. :flowerforyou:0
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