walking on the evening news

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keziak1
keziak1 Posts: 204 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
The evening news with Brian Williams ran a story about the health benefits of walking. They had a lot of footage of people walking but many were basically out on a stroll. The story did say that they mean brisk walking, not ambling. I think it would be helpful if such stories would use a model doing exactly what they are talking about, walking fast enough to raise your heart rate.

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  • La5Vega5Girl
    La5Vega5Girl Posts: 709 Member
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    well, i can tell you that my mother does absolutely ZERO exercise (breaks a sweat when she gets up to shower) and if she went on a walk such as described in the news piece, she would probably start to lose weight. i am very active and healthy, so a "stroll" for me probably wouldn't do anything at all. it all depends on the body type and overall health of the person walking.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
    edited January 2015
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    All walking is good exercise. Good for them, encouraging people to walk.

    I think getting fresh air helps, too. :)
  • FitOldMomma
    FitOldMomma Posts: 790 Member
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    Just getting some people off the couch and onto their feet is a good start. I keep reading lately that sitting is the 'new smoking' and that it can actually hasten death faster than smoking. I'm not a scientist so I'm not qualified to quibble with their findings.
    A simple stroll that doesn't break a sweat is still better than sitting. Heck, standing is better than sitting!
    But like you say, showing a good brisk walk is the way to improve cardio health is worth a mention.
  • La5Vega5Girl
    La5Vega5Girl Posts: 709 Member
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    oldmomma wrote: »
    Just getting some people off the couch and onto their feet is a good start. I keep reading lately that sitting is the 'new smoking' and that it can actually hasten death faster than smoking.

    ^^ this ^^
    it's a description of my Mom, and her dr has even told her this

  • higgins8283801
    higgins8283801 Posts: 844 Member
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    To me they're ahead of all those still sitting. It's a stepping stone, I started out strolling, moved to brisk walking and now I run.

    But it would be nice to see exactly what brisk walking looks like.
  • obscuremusicreference
    obscuremusicreference Posts: 1,320 Member
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    keziak1 wrote: »
    The evening news with Brian Williams ran a story about the health benefits of walking. They had a lot of footage of people walking but many were basically out on a stroll. The story did say that they mean brisk walking, not ambling. I think it would be helpful if such stories would use a model doing exactly what they are talking about, walking fast enough to raise your heart rate.

    I agree. Anything is a start in the right direction, but a brisk walk is 3.0 MPH (on MFP anyway) and showing a crowd on the street isn't going to teach a sedentary person much.
  • Astronamy82
    Astronamy82 Posts: 9 Member
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    I agree with kalikel all walking whether it's strolling or brisk/speed walking just getting the limbs moving is better than nothing :)
  • EmilyTwist1
    EmilyTwist1 Posts: 206 Member
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    Walking is also really good for mobility, so as you age you can maintain independence and don't have to worry about falls,etc as much.
  • bm920
    bm920 Posts: 114 Member
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    For most people that are not active, simply getting up and moving for 30 minutes a day most days of the week is a great starting point and hopefully leads to more strenuous activity and a healthier lifestyle.
  • sweetdixie92
    sweetdixie92 Posts: 655 Member
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    It all depends where you're at. I'm astonished when I get my mom on the treadmill and she can only do about 2.5 mph, and she's a good 6 inches taller than me. I walk 4 mph and I'm 5 foot. I average 3.5 just walking *normal*. So what is ambling to me, and doesn't get the heart rate up one bit, can be difficult for another.

    Moving is the important thing, and it's good they're trying to motivate people to get up off their bums.
  • msmi1970
    msmi1970 Posts: 60 Member
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    I'd rather watch Allison Williams.. :)

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