Does walking count as exercise?!? Ideas to burn more calories!!

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Replies

  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    AND nobody would look at you like you were crazy if they weren't the kind to beat you to a pulp!
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,647 Member
    The best exercise to burn calories is the one that you'll do. Nevermind what it is. If you want to try something new now and then to see how you do and how sustainable it is, that's great. If you decide you don't like it, always go back to the one that'll keep you on track.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    edited April 2015
    spartan_d wrote: »
    It's not great exercise. It's good and certainly worth doing, but be wary whenever someone says that it's "great exercise." As others have said, it will certainly help burn some calories, but it won't provide a lot of cardiovascular benefit.

    Don't get me wrong. I would never discourage you from adding some walking to your program. It can be helpful for crosstraining or for days when your legs are too sore from previous workouts. And of course, it can be enjoyable in other respects. Just don't expect it to work wonders.

    Personally, I advise people to think of walking, dancing, housework, etc as "activity" and to think of more vigorous work as "exercise." Obviously, there is a blurry line between the two. However, thinking in that manner has helped me focus on pushing myself more while maintaining an otherwise active lifestyle.

    It IS a great exercise. As long as it's done as an exercise, and not counting steps while shopping at Walmart. Dancing is also a good exercise, and it is also vigorous. Housework? I hardly ever do that, and definitely wouldn't consider the once a month for six hours as exercise. Of course if someone did that every day, definitely.

    Don't consider people doing their own preference of exercising, or discount their own preference of exercising, which WORKS for them, as inferior to your type of exercising. Because regular walking far outweighs periodic spurts of cardiovascular exercises.
  • spartan_d
    spartan_d Posts: 727 Member
    Again, nobody denies that it's good exercise. The question is whether it is GREAT exercise. Does it reap substantial benefits? Sure, but those taper off much more quickly than the benefits one gets from more vigorous activities.

    YES, it is less effective than interval training, calesthenics, and the like. I'm not saying this because I prefer such activities; often, I do not. Rather, it's a matter of the kind of benefit one can draw and the extent to which it can be done.

    Can you make it more effective by increasing the intensity? Sure, but that's true of any exercise... and when it comes to walking, there's a more stringent limit to how far one can raise the intensity.

    "But it's a good way to start!" some people here keep saying. Again, nobody denies that. As I emphasized, I myself did plenty of walking when I was starting out. As I gained experience though, I realized that it was good exercise, but on the lower end of the scale when it comes to effectiveness, time-efficiency, and payoff.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    spartan_d wrote: »
    Again, nobody denies that it's good exercise. The question is whether it is GREAT exercise. Does it reap substantial benefits? Sure, but those taper off much more quickly than the benefits one gets from more vigorous activities.

    YES, it is less effective than interval training, calesthenics, and the like. I'm not saying this because I prefer such activities; often, I do not. Rather, it's a matter of the kind of benefit one can draw and the extent to which it can be done.

    Can you make it more effective by increasing the intensity? Sure, but that's true of any exercise... and when it comes to walking, there's a more stringent limit to how far one can raise the intensity.

    "But it's a good way to start!" some people here keep saying. Again, nobody denies that. As I emphasized, I myself did plenty of walking when I was starting out. As I gained experience though, I realized that it was good exercise, but on the lower end of the scale when it comes to effectiveness, time-efficiency, and payoff.

    is it the best of all possible exercises ever in the world ever ever? maybe - it depends on who's doing it. what does an astronaut do at the gym? i don't know, i'm not an astronaut.

    maybe have a think about the context of the actual original post.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    If you want to burn more calories, work your way up to running. Typically 4x the calorie burn per minute spent exercising.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,693 Member
    PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »
    The best exercise to burn calories is the one that you'll do. Nevermind what it is. If you want to try something new now and then to see how you do and how sustainable it is, that's great. If you decide you don't like it, always go back to the one that'll keep you on track.

    This ^^

  • hallmark578
    hallmark578 Posts: 6 Member
    I love to.walk the bluffs here where I live. My tip is to check your pulse when your walking if its not dancing alittle faster.then usual take a little jog I.jog for however long my body allows then i go back to walking but every step counts
  • kendra_mcmurray
    kendra_mcmurray Posts: 19 Member
    Absolutely! Ensure you're pushing yourself during the walk as over time your body adapts to the pace and terrain if you take the same route. I lost my first 25lbs with just walking.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    Yes, walking is great exercise. It is not just good for beginners, or good as introdcution to running or good if you are older etc. It is awesome cardio exercise on its own, for everyone. If you love walking, simply keep doing what you are doing :)
  • spartan_d
    spartan_d Posts: 727 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    If you want to burn more calories, work your way up to running. Typically 4x the calorie burn per minute spent exercising.
    Yes. That's a lesson that I wish I had learned much, much sooner. That and the value of full-body interval training. Walking definitely helped, and I still use it, but I wasted so much time remaining at that phase instead of pushing myself with more time-efficient methods.
  • spartan_d
    spartan_d Posts: 727 Member
    tomatoey wrote: »
    is it the best of all possible exercises ever in the world ever ever? maybe - it depends on who's doing it. what does an astronaut do at the gym? i don't know, i'm not an astronaut.

    maybe have a think about the context of the actual original post.
    Okay, let's do that. The original post asked "What can I do to maximize this so I can count it as exercise." There was nothing there about whether it's great exercise or whether it's "the best of all possible exercises," so I have a hard time seeing the relevance of that objection.

    Some people do say, "It's GREAT exercise," "It's terrific," and so forth. I have a hard time with such exaggerations though, since it is among the less effective forms of cardiovascular exercise and does very little for strength, agility, and the like. It's absolutely worthwhile, but I think that such over-the-top praises for walking aren't very helpful. I speak from personal experience, since I used to rely heavily on walking for most of my physical fitness, not realizing just how badly I was hindering my progress by doing so.
  • RedArizona5
    RedArizona5 Posts: 465 Member
    mccindy72 wrote: »
    mis_linzi wrote: »
    Yes. I suppose its pretty hard work: And not to open a can of worms but I smoke so It can get pretty uncomfortable. I just find my self making excuses to not ever do it, and I feel like when I do exercise I look ridiculous. I shouldnt care eh.

    You've brought up definitely a couple of the main reasons people don't like exercise. yes, you shouldn't care what people think. Most people don't care what you look like when you exercise. Most people will be giving you mental kudos just for getting your self moving! What are the judgmental people doing? Sitting on the couch?
    As far as the smoking? yes, it is the most difficult thing to quit, being highly addictive and legal so you don't have to hide it to do it. (former respiratory therapist here). Even though you still smoke, exercise can make a big difference. not exercising and smoking is even worse for your body. maybe it will help give you some incentive to quit.
    This
  • mis_linzi
    mis_linzi Posts: 16 Member
    Of_Monsters_and_Meat wrote: »
    I think I can speak to some authority to this. Prancercise is a workout specifically developed for this issue. Watch below.

    https://youtu.be/o-50GjySwew

    OK op, you are 27 years old with no health conditions. Try running, lifting, sports or something, you can do better. I know you can.

    Haha i no but prancercise looks so much easier!!!

  • mis_linzi
    mis_linzi Posts: 16 Member
    I just thought I would tell everyone today I am going to go to the YMCA and get a membership. They have a Gym, excercise classes, lane swimming and best of all CHILDCARE!! There may still be hope!
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