Will walking really make a difference?

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danniinw
danniinw Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
I've started walking most day's during my lunch hour at work. I do about 2km and I'm usually walking for 25-30 minutes. Is this enough exercise? It seems too 'easy' but then I'm very unfit and it's about the only thing I can manage. Finding it hard to focus on the long term and being patient with results taking time.

Any other walkers out there?
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Replies

  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    There's no rule for what is "enough". If you're walking for 25-30 minutes per day, well, that's 25-30 minutes of exercise you weren't doing before.

    I love to walk, too. I like to get fresh air during the day, and I make a habit of taking my camera with me to give my walks a "purpose" other than just ambling, or -- worse -- stopping at the corner store for a snack. I also walk as much as possible to get where I'm going, whether it be to and from public transit or to work, or to run errands or whatnot. I live in a very high "walk score" neighbourhood, so on all but the worst winter and hottest summer days, I try to use two feet (or two wheels) to get around.

    Weight loss happens in the kitchen, not at the gym. More exercise will give you more calories to play with, and will help your health in other ways. But it's totally okay to build up to it based on your fitness and comfort level.
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
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    Yes it will
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    If you are consistent with it and maintain a calorie deficit you will lose weight and feel better and better by doing that.
  • CRody44
    CRody44 Posts: 776 Member
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    Yes, walking 30 minutes a day will make a difference for your lungs and heart. Exercise is for your heart and lungs, eating at a calorie deficit will cause you to lose weight. It’s a good start. Take it one day at a time.
  • dramaqueen45
    dramaqueen45 Posts: 1,009 Member
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    I walk on the days I don't lift. It's a nice way to burn calories and you don't need any special equipment besides shoes! My husband has starting walking every day and he isn't even trying to lose and he has lost about 16 pounds in a month and a half plus he lowered his blood pressure 20 points. So yes, walking will make a difference. The bottom line is that you're moving and it's better than doing nothing. The main thing I have found is that you have to find something that you really love to do so that you will stick with it. I have seen posts on here with people who say that they are running but they hate running. I don't think they will stay with it (unless they develop a love for it). I have also seen people who lose and don't exercise but just eat a deficit. I have also seen people on here who do nothing but walking for exercise and they are successfully losing weight at a consistent and manageable pace. I think you lose weight in the kitchen and exercise is for overall fitness and health. Also- lifting if you can fit it in, will help you in a lot of ways including building muscle which will in turn help you burn calories faster. And you don't have to lift heavy- but make sure you give your muscles a day of rest in between.
  • poohpoohpeapod
    poohpoohpeapod Posts: 776 Member
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    you can amp up the walks. every 2 or 3 minutes walk as fast as you can. slow/fast/slow fast. You can make walking more challenging if it is too easy.
  • CyberTone
    CyberTone Posts: 7,337 Member
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    My cardio was very, very brisk walking outside. I walked like I was trying to catch a bus, train, or get to the plane gate for 20-30 minutes at a time; sometimes up to 60 minutes if I had the time and it was a nice day. I used Runkeeper mobile app for GPS distance and Calorie tracking and iHeart Radio for streaming radio station tunes/news. Very, very brisk walking and a sustained Calorie deficit helped me lose 60 pounds in 6 months.
  • TahoeSki
    TahoeSki Posts: 69 Member
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    I walk outside 30-45 min a day. It reduces stress and helps me maintain my weight. Where I walk is quite hilly so it's a good workout! I've had a Fitbit for almost 2 years and this has also helped me keep focus on moving.
  • danniinw
    danniinw Posts: 7
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    Thanks for the replies everyone, I'm eating healthy too and logging with MFP to ensure I'm on enough calories to be losing, but also enough to not be starving myself. Thanks also for the tips about mixing up the walking with some faster paces. :smiley:
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
    edited January 2015
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    I'm a huge, huge fan of walking. My absolute favorite exercise to do is a 8-10 mile speed walks through my borough. Something about walking just invigorates me, stimulates the mind, and at the pace and distances I travel it burns an extraordinary amount of calories. I only do it in the open air though; I find treadmills the height of tedium.

    Just make sure you keep it challenging as your fitness improves. Me personally I'm always looking to speed up my pace. I work up a sweat in the dead of winter on the coldest days. I move at a pace that most people I know, even those who are in good shape, have trouble keeping up with.

    While it's always good to move, many people make the mistake with walking of just strolling leisurely. Because walking is something most human beings can do, and do do regularly, it's very easy for most people to not think of it in terms of being potentially a very challenging exercise. But it so can be if you're willing to keep pushing your pace, adopting a form that allows a greater range of motion, and adding distance.

    Here's a nice little anecdote. My grandmother is the youngest of I believe 10 or so siblings. She's also the remaining living one and is turning 89 this year. She is in excellent shape, better than some of her children. She has been an avid, regular, consistent walker for decades (I believe I inherited my love of walking from her). While longevity was common among our family, with several of her siblings living past 90, none of them reached this stage in their life with the level of fitness, agility and energy she did. And none of them walked like she did. It's been her only form of exercise, but she attributes it to helping keep her far more youthful than her years.
  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
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    Create a deficit any way you can.

    50 or 100 calories here or there, daily, add up over the years.

    I've heard (but can't verify) fidgeting and chewing gum can add up to unexpectedly large sums over decade length timespans.
  • WilmaDennis91
    WilmaDennis91 Posts: 433 Member
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    Walking definitely helps. Lot of people will say that it doesn't do anything, obviously has no brain. It helps your heart rate, burn calories, and it's healthy! I love taking walks. I'd lose track of time!
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
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    I know some people who maintain their weight with walking. When they stop, they gain. (I know they could adjust their calories, but they don't). This means that walking could also be the difference between maintain and losing weight too.

    Walking has been shown to be a great long term exercise for life. Actually the "national weight control registry", which tracks successful weight loss maintainers over time, says that the most common exercise among weight maintainers is walking.

    nwcr.ws/research/
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    Iwishyouwell wrote: »
    I'm a huge, huge fan of walking. My absolute favorite exercise to do is a 8-10 mile speed walks through my borough. Something about walking just invigorates me, stimulates the mind, and at the pace and distances I travel it burns an extraordinary amount of calories. I only do it in the open air though; I find treadmills the height of tedium.

    Just make sure you keep it challenging as your fitness improves. Me personally I'm always looking to speed up my pace. I work up a sweat in the dead of winter on the coldest days. I move at a pace that most people I know, even those who are in good shape, have trouble keeping up with.

    While it's always good to move, many people make the mistake with walking of just strolling leisurely. Because walking is something most human beings can do, and do do regularly, it's very easy for most people to not think of it in terms of being potentially a very challenging exercise. But it so can be if you're willing to keep pushing your pace, adopting a form that allows a greater range of motion, and adding distance.

    Here's a nice little anecdote. My grandmother is the youngest of I believe 10 or so siblings. She's also the remaining living one and is turning 89 this year. She is in excellent shape, better than some of her children. She has been an avid, regular, consistent walker for decades (I believe I inherited my love of walking from her). While longevity was common among our family, with several of her siblings living past 90, none of them reached this stage in their life with the level of fitness, agility and energy she did. And none of them walked like she did. It's been her only form of exercise, but she attributes it to helping keep her far more youthful than her years.

    I love this post. I'm with you on treadmills vs open air. My father is an avid mall walker and at near 70 he's in much better shape than a lot of my thirtysomething friends.

  • jlapey
    jlapey Posts: 1,850 Member
    edited January 2015
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    If it's activity above and beyond your normal daily activity, it will make a difference. You may have to increase it (faster or longer) eventually or add other activities later, but for now...good for you for taking that first step.
  • PammieSuzyQ
    PammieSuzyQ Posts: 100 Member
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    Walking is a proven belly burner, keep it up, you're doing great!
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
    edited January 2015
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    WilmaDennis91 wrote: »
    Walking definitely helps. Lot of people will say that it doesn't do anything, obviously has no brain.

    Some people are so brainwashed that walking is basically doing nothing that their minds will likely never change. Right here on MFP I stated once that I burn 1000+ calories in one of my long walks, finish them typically drenched in sweat, and that walking has actually help build some nice musculature in my legs. And still had one of the MFP gym rat know it alls tell me it's not real exercise no matter what I say.
    seltzermint wrote: »
    Iwishyouwell wrote: »
    I'm a huge, huge fan of walking. My absolute favorite exercise to do is a 8-10 mile speed walks through my borough. Something about walking just invigorates me, stimulates the mind, and at the pace and distances I travel it burns an extraordinary amount of calories. I only do it in the open air though; I find treadmills the height of tedium.

    Just make sure you keep it challenging as your fitness improves. Me personally I'm always looking to speed up my pace. I work up a sweat in the dead of winter on the coldest days. I move at a pace that most people I know, even those who are in good shape, have trouble keeping up with.

    While it's always good to move, many people make the mistake with walking of just strolling leisurely. Because walking is something most human beings can do, and do do regularly, it's very easy for most people to not think of it in terms of being potentially a very challenging exercise. But it so can be if you're willing to keep pushing your pace, adopting a form that allows a greater range of motion, and adding distance.

    Here's a nice little anecdote. My grandmother is the youngest of I believe 10 or so siblings. She's also the remaining living one and is turning 89 this year. She is in excellent shape, better than some of her children. She has been an avid, regular, consistent walker for decades (I believe I inherited my love of walking from her). While longevity was common among our family, with several of her siblings living past 90, none of them reached this stage in their life with the level of fitness, agility and energy she did. And none of them walked like she did. It's been her only form of exercise, but she attributes it to helping keep her far more youthful than her years.

    I love this post. I'm with you on treadmills vs open air. My father is an avid mall walker and at near 70 he's in much better shape than a lot of my thirtysomething friends.

    Thank you! I'm such an advocate for walking. Lots of really out of shape, or very obese, people feel uncomfortable with gyms, or intimidated by more rigorous forms of exercise, totally discounting the one thing they probably can still do, and to incredible effect: just walk.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    I haven't tried this but I've heard people in the forums talk about Leslie Sansone's walking fitness videos as being good for people just starting out, or out of shape and looking to build up their exercise by starting with walking.

    Of course, you don't need to spend a dime to walk: Just go outside and put one foot in front of the other. But if you're the type of person who likes videos or programs for motivation, this might be worth checking out.
  • markiend
    markiend Posts: 461 Member
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    I walk every day ( weather permitting ) and it has done wonders to not only my fitness / fatness but also my general mood. Careful with the calorie burns, try and get as many hills in as you can. I found that by altering my routes constantly, having a large selection of music on the player really helped too
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    I lost a few pounds walking 6 to 9 miles a day, including doing weight lifting.

    Down 121 pounds. :wink:

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