Found out today how to burn more calories while walking.

So basically, you played fetch with yourself?

"DopeItUp", you are hilarious!

I wear a Fitbit and when I first started wearing it I would find ways to get extra steps from doing normal tasks. So that idea is right in line with increasing the activity in our lives.

Nothing wrong with playing fetch with yourself, I have some of my better workouts alone

Sounds like me playing golf.

Good because the reality is that walking is not particularly good for getting fit. Great to get over being sedentary, but you need to get your heart rate up to get fitness benefits.

47Jacqueline wrote: »

Good because the reality is that walking is not particularly good for getting fit. Great to get over being sedentary, but you need to get your heart rate up to get fitness benefits.

You must a) walk slowly or b) live in a flat part of the world.

My walks always incorporate a steep climb. They have to. I can't get where I'm going without some sort of climbing.

Which, incidentally, comes back to the topic of this thread ... if you want to burn more calories while walking:

a) walk as briskly as you can
b) walk up hill or up stairs as part of your walk

Most of the time I also carry a heavy backpack, as Saryia suggested.

I'm up to 400 km so far this year.

Lateral walking (side shuffling) will also work glutes and hips. Do it sporatically on both sides for like 20 feet or so.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

maidentl wrote: »

ninerbuff wrote: »

Lateral walking (side shuffling) will also work glutes and hips. Do it sporatically on both sides for like 20 feet or so.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I think the people driving down the street would look at me weird.

yup!! My neighbours already think I'm weird doing umpteen laps up and around my street all day everyday. I ain't shuffling, let a lone throwing a ball for myself to fetch :laugh:

Aww. I thought for sure that you discovered prancercise.

SueInAz wrote: »

Sounds like me playing golf.

LMAO!

I have found walking to be an extremely good alternative to my "normal" workouts. And in fact, I have been combining that with mowing my 2 acres with a push mower instead of my normal workouts on the elliptical and it's been very successful for me so far. I typically walk about 4 miles on days when I don't mow, but on days when I do mow, such as today, I typically get in about 16,000 steps from just mowing which takes me about 2 hours of straight mowing and burns (according to my Fitbit Charge HR) about 1500 calories!

47Jacqueline wrote: »

Good because the reality is that walking is not particularly good for getting fit. Great to get over being sedentary, but you need to get your heart rate up to get fitness benefits.

I disagree with you totally. After I miscarried in 2009 I turned to eating and gained a lot of weight, over 3 stone. Then I got a job working in a catalogue company located right beside the train station. I would walk to the furthest train station every day with my husband, which took 40 mins, see him off and then walk to the other train station five minutes away to catch my own. Once at the train station I would take the stairs and go to work. Then after work, walk downstairs to the train station, get the train, wait for my husband and walk back. We did this hail, rain, snow or sunshine and I lost all the weight I gained and then some. Swinging your arms actually increases the number of calories burned and increases the cardio too.

47Jacqueline wrote: »

Good because the reality is that walking is not particularly good for getting fit. Great to get over being sedentary, but you need to get your heart rate up to get fitness benefits.

I completely disagree. I started out in early March 50 pounds overweight and unable to run 100 yards without gasping for breath.

I bought a Fitbit, started walking and two months later I was able to RUN my first 5k. I went with the intention of walking it, but my friend talked me into running it. I had done no running in the two months prior, only walking.

Since then I've run at least 5k every other day and Monday I completed another 5k in 31 minutes. I would not have been to do that if walking was not a good exercise for getting fit.

mkwrose wrote: »

mccanns725 wrote: »

I'm saddened to see someone saying walking is not good exercise. It's great exercise!! I walk at a 3.5 mph rate on a very varied route at home or on an uphill on the treadmill. It does not burn calories as quickly as running. But, it vastly improved my cardio fitness. I aim to maintain my pace and worked to be able to that without my heart rate going above 150. Now it averages 140! Exercise is exercise!

I am with you mccanns, walking is sometimes the only exercise someone can do, whether it be for physical reasons or monetary. For someone to say that you can't get fit by walking is crazy, I have personally done it as have many, many people on this site. Keep on walkin!

Yup, I'm a walker. Really bad knees prevent me from running. So I walk 8 to 10 miles a day. Every day. I have lost over 30 lbs in 3 1/2 months, am 60, post menopausal with a messed up thyroid (Hashimoto's). If it wasn't for the walking I would have a *very* hard time losing weight because I'd pretty much have to starve myself to compensate for these factors that are conspiring against me.

So although I get that walking may not be *the best* cardio workout on the planet, for some of us the option is either walk or just sit on the couch getting more obese by the day.