Is walking a legitimate exercise?

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  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
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    The point would be, as you aptly demonstrate, that burning a lot of calories doesn't mean you've "done exercise" :).

    I typed up a whole response, realized that you were trolling, and deleted it.

    Enjoy your exchange with the next sucker. He won't be me.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    The point would be, as you aptly demonstrate, that burning a lot of calories doesn't mean you've "done exercise" :).

    The point is to burn more calories than you would sitting on your butt. And to use your body for movement and activity. You will get more out of a hike than watching tv and eating all day.
  • redtreediary
    redtreediary Posts: 69 Member
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    I have met far too many old people (I mean, like... *really* old people) who credit loads of walking with their continued abilities to do things like live independently and, ya know... continue being actually alive, to think that walking isn't good enough as exercise. If all you do is walk, you're still way better off than you would be if all you do is hang out watching TV.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    I typed up a whole response, realized that you were trolling, and deleted it.

    Enjoy your exchange with the next sucker. He won't be me.
    If you'd taken the time to read the initial response to your post, you'd have seen the smiley at the end and realised the post was not written in all seriousness!

    However - it did have a serious point behind it.

    If you want to draw an arbritrary line, I don't see any reason it should be on one side of 'walk' - if I wasn't a lowly contractor that got the old chair that marks the floor, I could scoot across it like other staff members do and burn even more calories! But alas, no such luxuries for me!
    And thus, the whole discussing, I would suggest, is a bit pointless and mostly self-justification :).
    The point is to burn more calories than you would sitting on your butt. And to use your body for movement and activity. You will get more out of a hike than watching tv and eating all day.
    But eating is exercise?
    And I'll get more out of a run than a hike.
    And more out of weights set and maybe some interval training than a steady state run.
  • bmbaldridge
    bmbaldridge Posts: 15 Member
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    In my opinion, it is definitely exercise!
  • stephe1987
    stephe1987 Posts: 406 Member
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    Yes, it is Especially for people who are out of shape or have injuries that prevent them from doing other, higher-impact, forms of exercise.

    For the rest of us, unless it's walking for pleasure (you are just taking a walk to spend time with someone) I would recommend jogging. Burn more calories in the same amount of time; it's more efficient.
  • InevitableButterfly
    InevitableButterfly Posts: 340 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?

    The people that say that are truly stupid.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    The point is to burn more calories than you would sitting on your butt. And to use your body for movement and activity. You will get more out of a hike than watching tv and eating all day.
    But eating is exercise?
    And I'll get more out of a run than a hike.
    And more out of weights set and maybe some interval training than a steady state run.

    So, if there is a form of exercise that is "better" than another form that disqualifies it as being exercise at all?

    Different people can have different limitations, goals, preferences.

    I lift weights, dance, do HIIT, etc. I also walk for transportation and hike to spend time with my husband. It is exercise. It's not my only exercise. I don't run long distances because I'm already active enough and my body needs some rests and breaks and I have structural knee issues (it's a very long story). Because I am a dancer I give my all to that. My other exercise (such as lifting weights) is in support of that, and I don't do things that interfere with it (running long distances does interfere for me).
  • daw0518
    daw0518 Posts: 459 Member
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    I consider walking to be exercise. Even a 'stroll', though I actually find it difficult to walk anywhere without purpose. But in my opinion, a two mile 'stroll' is still burning more calories than doing nothing would be. I try to take a couple mile walks on Saturday & Sunday mornings especially, because I know those are days I'm likely to spend on the couch, relaxing & watching TV, or reading for class.
  • bluesky248
    bluesky248 Posts: 18 Member
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    It has worked for me! up to 3 miles/day now.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    So, if there is a form of exercise that is "better" than another form that disqualifies it as being exercise at all?
    Indeed; right back at you!

    So; eating is exercise?
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    So, if there is a form of exercise that is "better" than another form that disqualifies it as being exercise at all?
    Indeed; right back at you!

    So; eating is exercise?

    I don't think it is. Do you?
  • acstansell
    acstansell Posts: 567 Member
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    Yes, walking counts. It's how I lost my weight and continue to maintain.

    If you're just starting it's one of the better things for you as it's not as hard on your joints has running.

    If your build up a nice pace and mileage, then you'll be fine, when coupled with watching your calorie count.

    I walked almost 2.5 miles today and gained back about 300 calories.
  • cheryl3660
    cheryl3660 Posts: 182 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.

    THIS IS SO TRUE!

    Even if walking is not strenuous for you, it is still exercise. I've read a lot of reports lately that state even the littlest bit of extra walking is beneficial. Will you get a ripped 6 pack and chiseled arms from walking? Probably not. But that doesn't disqualify it as a legitimate form of exercise. There are all forms and variety of exercise and health benefits from them. Walking is one of the best and most underrated of them all!
  • BigVeggieDream
    BigVeggieDream Posts: 1,101 Member
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    I sure hope the 98 miles I walked last month was an exercise, or I sure wasted a lot of time!
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    I don't think it is. Do you?
    I think I've stated I consider the whole concept of this thread a bit silly because I don't think it's an appropriate topic to have a line drawn for.

    You believe the line should be drawn somewhere between 'eating' and 'waling' it would seem.

    Is anything less strenuous than walking excluded?

    What about if it's a serious eating attempt?

    My best so far is 3.7lb of pizza in 40 minutes. Bet a good few calories were burnt for that.
    Infact, it's possible it wasn't TOO far off the 1000 calories that the user above burnt walking 11 miles
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    I don't think it is. Do you?
    I think I've stated I consider the whole concept of this thread a bit silly because I don't think it's an appropriate topic to have a line drawn for.

    You believe the line should be drawn somewhere between 'eating' and 'waling' it would seem.

    Is anything less strenuous than walking excluded?

    What about if it's a serious eating attempt?

    My best so far is 3.7lb of pizza in 40 minutes. Bet a good few calories were burnt for that.
    Infact, it's possible it wasn't TOO far off the 1000 calories that the user above burnt walking 11 miles

    Maybe for your goals (along with your other activities), that contributed to your physical fitness.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,932 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?

    Did you push yourself? For some people walking two miles is work. For others it's not. I don't call it exercise for me. For you it may be. It depends.

    ^ I'm quoting myself because the current debate seems silly to me. The answer is "it depends." Push yourself. If pushing yourself means walking from your car to the front door then do it. If pushing yourself means running marathons then do that. Just don't make excuses and make sure you push yourself.
  • SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish
    SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish Posts: 831 Member
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    Who cares what some say, ignore them. Someone somewhere will always not like some part of almost anything and everything you do. Someone will always be mis-informed and quote misinformation too, doesn't matter that their mouth is moving or their fingers are typing. The important part is: 150 minutes/week of any moderate exercise, including walking, gardening, etc. decreases your chances for a whole host of diseases including diabetes and heart disease. That's all you really need to know to do it right? Also, anything you can do to tip the caloric balance to negative helps you lose right? I lost 50lbs doing lifting, hiking and walking, but if you look closer at what happens, I tend to eat back most if not all my lifting and hiking calories because they also elevate my appetite, but its walking that essentially tips the balance to caloric deficit and weight loss. Does someone want to "not count" my walking? Why would I care? They could call it anything they'd like, it makes no difference to me, or to anyone else, but themselves.

    There is, however, a line somewhere below walking, somewhere below walking at a speed to increase your heart rate significantly for 15 or so minutes at a time that does qualify it for exercise to reduce disease, as long as you do 150mins of it/wk. Whenever geebusuks or others say that it doesn't count, it really doesn't matter except to them, only matters to you if you let it. Go for a walk, I am ;)
  • janer4jc
    janer4jc Posts: 238 Member
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    I sure hope the 98 miles I walked last month was an exercise, or I sure wasted a lot of time!

    Funny. Nope, you didn't waste any time. However, having to explain how walking could be exercise may be a waste of time.
    And kudos on 98 miles - wow.

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