Has anyone had success with walking for exercise?

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Replies

  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
    MsElphaba wrote: »
    Wow. Come back to the boards for the first time in over a year and instantyl have to defend myself.

    A. I am not an expert. I work for one.

    B. On a daily we see people, many of whom are overweight, with knee pain. Some have a healthier weight. He always asks the patient what they do for exercise and many times we hear walking, whether it be 1-2 to several miles, daily or several times a week.

    to be fair, the statement you made before suggested that walking was an exercise that damaged the knees. What you actually appear to mean is that walking is not a great exercise for those who already have knee issues. No one is disputing that walking, as with any exercise, may exacerbate an existing condition, but it is also recommended as a great weight-bearing exercise to prevent osteoporosis.

  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
    edited September 2015
    I was wondering if anyone out there, has had a successful weight loss with walking? I started walking at the beginning of June, it is my main form of exercise. I was planning on incorporating some running.

    I walk, but I have always walked and hiked, even when I was at my heaviest last year at 105 pounds overweight. Did I walk often enough? Clearly not, but I could still walk for a couple of hours or more when I got my butt out from behind my desk. Was I fit? Nope. I didn't walk often enough to make that stick.

    It wasn't weight loss (which I'd already committed to doing, scared into it by the prospect of poorer future health) but lack of fitness that caused me to want to start running last September. At the same time I made some relatively minor changes to my eating habits and over the course of the next four months lost 30 pounds. The combo of increased activity and reduced intake certainly are effective in improving health and fitness and reducing waistlines.

    Walking is great - no question - but as a former distance runner years ago I know how fit I could become, in a shorter period of time, if I adopted running again. I also wanted to challenge myself to get as aerobically fit as I could. And... I used to love running, and hoped I would again. I do!

    So I started running; believe me I did not love it much last September when I couldn't run even 1km without stopping, frequently, wheezing. Mostly I hated myself for allowing me to get to such an unhealthy and unfit state, but I knew that would not last if I persisted.

    I stuck with it, and as a result on Sunday I ran 34km and at a half decent clip. I never would have believed that amount of progress possible when I started out, unfit and 105 pounds too heavy, but I knew that if I kept challenging myself, I'd progress. I was 53 when I started this journey and it was a looong time ago when I was a marathon runner; now at 54 I will be a marathon runner again, no question, although my true love is mountain trail running.

    I don't have any G rated before and after body pics handy at the moment but this gives a bit of an indication of what 105 pounds overweight looks on me and what a fit me looks like 68 pounds lighter. I'm another 12 pounds lighter since then.

    mw-loss-series-to-June112015.jpg

    This isn't an advertisement for running so much as it is a call to push ourselves beyond what we can imagine. Some like to walk or hike. Some run. Some cycle. Some use the gym. I like to run outside in the fresh air, rain or shine, and more often than not in the mountains.

    We are all much stronger than we believe ourselves to be before we start down the road of health and fitness improvement. Push hard!





  • getitamb
    getitamb Posts: 2,019 Member
    MsElphaba wrote: »
    Wow. Come back to the boards for the first time in over a year and instantyl have to defend myself.

    A. I am not an expert. I work for one.

    B. On a daily we see people, many of whom are overweight, with knee pain. Some have a healthier weight. He always asks the patient what they do for exercise and many times we hear walking, whether it be 1-2 to several miles, daily or several times a week.

    For patient's with non-arthritic knees (and no other acute injury) he does not say no walking , but he does encourage exercises that strengthen the quadriceps, particularly the VMO (vastus medialis obliquus) or the inner part of the quad muscle group. Strong quads help support and lift the knee joint, and the VMO in particular helps lift the patella off the femur to keep it from grinding and wearing down causing patellofemoral pain or chondromalacia.

    Want to walk for exercise? Have at it! Just balance it out with some simple straight leg raisies and other quad strengthening exercises. Having some knee pain? Re-think the walking.

    Most of us are here because we are carrying extra weight. That is extra pressure on your knees each time your feet strike the ground. You only get one set of your own natural knees, and knee replacements are a tough road to recover from, not to mention getting a TKA before 60 will probably not last your lifetime leading to the need for revisions. Why not take care of the set you have?

    Finally. I repeat, I am NOT an expert. I am just someone who sees a lot of people in pain everyday and have the distinct privilege of working for a man who has been practicing for 29 years, cared for our local professional, college, and high school athletes, and considers a conservative approach over the surgical one whenever possible.

    So, with that, I guess I will run away from the boards again until this experience has faded away.





    I feel like you should throw the Hodgetwin disclaimer on the end. "That's just my take on it. That's just my advice. At the end of the day, you can do whatever the f*** you wanna do!!" Lol.
  • vicky1947mfp
    vicky1947mfp Posts: 1,515 Member
    mwyvr wrote: »
    I was wondering if anyone out there, has had a successful weight loss with walking? I started walking at the beginning of June, it is my main form of exercise. I was planning on incorporating some running.

    I walk, but I have always walked and hiked, even when I was at my heaviest last year at 105 pounds overweight. Did I walk often enough? Clearly not, but I could still walk for a couple of hours or more when I got my butt out from behind my desk. Was I fit? Nope. I didn't walk often enough to make that stick.

    It wasn't weight loss (which I'd already committed to doing, scared into it by the prospect of poorer future health) but lack of fitness that caused me to want to start running last September. At the same time I made some relatively minor changes to my eating habits and over the course of the next four months lost 30 pounds. The combo of increased activity and reduced intake certainly are effective in improving health and fitness and reducing waistlines.

    Walking is great - no question - but as a former distance runner years ago I know how fit I could become, in a shorter period of time, if I adopted running again. I also wanted to challenge myself to get as aerobically fit as I could. And... I used to love running, and hoped I would again. I do!

    So I started running; believe me I did not love it much last September when I couldn't run even 1km without stopping, frequently, wheezing. Mostly I hated myself for allowing me to get to such an unhealthy and unfit state, but I knew that would not last if I persisted.

    I stuck with it, and as a result on Sunday I ran 34km and at a half decent clip. I never would have believed that amount of progress possible when I started out, unfit and 105 pounds too heavy, but I knew that if I kept challenging myself, I'd progress. I was 53 when I started this journey and it was a looong time ago when I was a marathon runner; now at 54 I will be a marathon runner again, no question, although my true love is mountain trail running.

    I don't have any G rated before and after body pics handy at the moment but this gives a bit of an indication of what 105 pounds overweight looks on me and what a fit me looks like 68 pounds lighter. I'm another 12 pounds lighter since then.

    mw-loss-series-to-June112015.jpg

    This isn't an advertisement for running so much as it is a call to push ourselves beyond what we can imagine. Some like to walk or hike. Some run. Some cycle. Some use the gym. I like to run outside in the fresh air, rain or shine, and more often than not in the mountains.

    We are all much stronger than we believe ourselves to be before we start down the road of health and fitness improvement. Push hard!





    Good for you!! WTG. Loved your story. Wishing you continued success.
  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
    edited September 2015
    I found you can burn more calories in shorter distances walking fast than running. It simply takes longer.

    Congrats on your 80 pound loss @Spliner1969!

    I'm curious how you came to the determination I quoted above. Was that via a Fitbit or similar device?

    For both running and walking calorie burn is primarily about distance and less about speed, with one peculiar exception for walking: competitive speed walking at the upper limits of capability of most mortals results in calorie burn approaching running because such movement is not as efficient as at slower speeds.

    For 99% of walkers, breaking into a run - for any distance, at any pace, will always burn more calories per unit of distance than walking the same distance at walking pace. Almost double the calories.

    That calorie burn rate difference alone isn't a good reason to run but might factor into a decision for some. Myself I simply did not find walking challenged my body enough to develop the level of fitness I want to reach for... only vigorous activity will do that.

    @47Jacqueline
    Walking is an excellent way to get off the sedentary lifestyle train. The ASCM recommends a minimum of 150 minutes a week as the basis for being considered physically active, which is pretty minimal, when you think about it.

    However, there is a limit to how much aerobic energy one can expend through walking as there is an upward limit to how fast we can walk and even brisk walking will only raise your heart rate so much.

    Indeed. And from the "it seems to be common sense" department, a study published earlier this year sought to answer the question: is incorporating more vigorous activity (such as running or fast cycling) into one's lifestyle more beneficial in the long run (meaning reducing risk of death in middle aged persons) than simply adding more moderate activity (such as brisk walking) regular moderate to vigorous activity (not walking)?

    The answer appears to be "yes".

    http://www.nhs.uk/news/2015/04April/Pages/Vigorous-exercise-could-help-prevent-early-death.aspx
    What were the basic results?

    During the study, 7,435 of the 217,755 participants died:
    • 8.3% of those who did no MVPA
    • 4.8% of those who did 10 to 149 minutes of MVPA a week
    • 3.2% of those who did 150 to 299 minutes of MVPA a week
    • 2.6% of those who did 300 minutes or more or MVPA a week

    After taking potential confounders into account, this meant that compared with those who did no MVPA, the risk of death during the 6.5 years of follow-up was:
    • 34% lower in those who did 10 to 149 minutes of MVPA a week (hazard ratio0.66, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.61 to 0.71)
    • 47% lower in those who did 150 to 299 minutes of MVPA a week (HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.57)
    • 54% lower in those who did 300 minutes or more or MVPA a week (HR 0.46, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.49)

    Among those who did at least some MVPA, doing more of that activity as vigorous activity was associated with a reduced risk of death during follow-up:
    • 3.8% of those who did no vigorous activity died
    • 2.4% of those who did vigorous activity that accounted for less than 30% of their total MVPA died – a 9% reduction relative to those who did none (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.84 to 0.98)
    • 2.1% of those who did vigorous activity that accounted for 30% or more of their total MVPA died – a 13% reduction relative to those who did none (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.81 to 0.93)

    The researchers found similar results when they looked at people with different BMIs, people who did different amounts of MVPA, and in people with or without cardiovascular disease or diabetes.

    How did the researchers interpret the results?

    The researchers concluded there was an "inverse dose-response relationship" between the proportion of MVPA done as vigorous activity and the risk of death during follow-up.
    They say this suggests that vigorous activity "should be endorsed in clinical and public health activity guidelines to maximise the population benefits of physical activity".

    The good news for both walkers and runners is they gain significant benefit - a much lower risk of death compared to their sedentary cohorts - from engaging in regular activity. I'm pleased to see a measurable improvement in longevity associated with regular vigorous exercise because that it feels like common sense.

  • MsElphaba
    MsElphaba Posts: 432 Member




    I feel like you should throw the Hodgetwin disclaimer on the end. "That's just my take on it. That's just my advice. At the end of the day, you can do whatever the f*** you wanna do!!" Lol.

    Pretty much. After all, I do earn a living because people mess up their knees.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    I walk a 1/4 mile everyday down a steep hill and back up. I started at 250 and now am just under 200 pounds for the first time in 22 years. If I had started at 400 pounds I may would have destroyed my knees. The point is what is good advice for one may be bad for another. I self treat but if one goes to a doctor then they should try to follow the doctor's advice or get a new doctor in my view.
  • Diana_GettingFit
    Diana_GettingFit Posts: 458 Member
    I'm a type two diabetic. In December 2014 my A1C was 7.2 and the doctor wanted to put me on a second medication. I'd already been on Metformin for years. I decided enough was enough. As the winter was so cold here I had to wait til the spring to really get out there and exercise. Once March rolled around I started walking. Eventiually I incorporated running into my walking sessions. Slowly over time I began to run more than walking. By June I'd lost 20 lbs and when I went back to the doctor my A1C was 5.8 and the doctor took me off Metformin. I never did take the second drug, especially since a little research showed that drug can cause liver problems. Walking will definitely do your body some good but if you can add running to your routine that will be even better.
  • refinley2
    refinley2 Posts: 52 Member
    Walk 3 mph for thirty minutes or 3.5 mph for twenty minutes, three times a week. Do that for a month and by then your legs should be strong enough to start jogging. I dropped ten pounds my first month from doing that (and logging of course) and another fifteen the next month when I started running. Having great music to run with helps too!
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    If everyone can be brutally honest....

    Do you think walking has helped with the weight loss or do attribute it more to a calorie deficit?

    FTR- I walk 10ish miles most everyday, but I never get my heart rate up even though I average 120-125 steps a minute. I cant say if it's the walking, which doesn't feel like work, or eating less calories...
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    If everyone can be brutally honest....

    Do you think walking has helped with the weight loss or do attribute it more to a calorie deficit?

    FTR- I walk 10ish miles most everyday, but I never get my heart rate up even though I average 120-125 steps a minute. I cant say if it's the walking, which doesn't feel like work, or eating less calories...


    It gives me extra calories for the day and have lost 20 pounds doing it. But of course, by keeping in a calorie deficit.

    I was told by a one legged guy that he thought I had nice legs. Is it because I have two legs or do I really have nice legs. IDK My husband thought he was just jealous. Not making fun of this man by any means, he is a friend of mine. LOL
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Yeah true. I do get a lot more calories from walking.
    In that way, I guess it has helped me, as I know I couldn't stick to 1400 calories everyday.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    krithsai wrote: »
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    MsElphaba wrote: »
    I work for an orthopedic surgeon and every day he tells people that walking is good for the heart but bad for the knees. While it provides a cardio burn, it does nothing for strengthening your legs. You'd be better off on a bike or an elliptical.

    Oh my fricken stars! Are you kidding me? We've been walking on two feet for millions of years and now we have to ride a bike or use a elliptical because of some supposed expert. Not buying it. :(

    Our ancestors did not walk on the kind of surfaces we do. There is a stark difference between the kind of walking we were evolved to do and the kind we do now. Ask any soccer player or marathoner what crazy amounts of walking/running can do to your knees.
    Disagree. If walking was so debilitating, then I'm assuming from your statement that walking mail carriers are disabled from knee issues when they retire? And ancestors more than likely had it worse since not only did they walk on surfaces of varying angles, surface material and weather, they more than likely were carrying something on/with them of significant weight without proper footwear.
    I'd rather see a clinical study on soccer players and marathoners who've actually done crazy amounts of walking and analysis on their knees, rather than just getting it from hearsay. You don't happen to have a link?

    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

    9285851.png


  • Roxana1089
    Roxana1089 Posts: 24 Member
    6rksrgwwuwfa.jpg


    Woops! Here's my before and after!

    What foods did u eat to lose the weight?
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    edited September 2015
    krithsai wrote: »
    I didn't mean for that to come across as discouraging. I meant is more like this - walking is excellent for you provided you supplement it with other workouts. Excessive walking/running may damage your knees and in general, you'd do well to keep surprising your body with different workouts.
    Not a true statement. Walking by itself is excellent not only for the body, but to help many maintain weight. Knees usually get "damaged" for a couple of reasons: high impact or overuse on them or carry heavy loads on them for long periods of time on a regular basis.

    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

    9285851.png

  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    My walking a 1/4 mile a day is not a huge burn of calories we all know. It makes me feel better however and doing the walk is NOT optional unless the hill is icy or it is lighting near by. I often do it late at night and it has been as cold as 13F degrees. A year later I am walking much faster without any resting being required. The aging dog enjoys the trip unless it is really hot or she is limping for some reason. She still chases deer and other animals and her joints pay a price. I refuse to chase deer with her. :)
  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
    edited September 2015
    krithsai wrote: »
    Ask any soccer player or marathoner what crazy amounts of walking/running can do to your knees.

    I ran multiple marathons in my 20's and 30's and was a runner from age 10 when I fell in love with distance running easily completing the 200 Mile Club our school promoted... and then going on to do it a second time before the school year ended. I kept up distance running after high school, kept my sanity using running when I was a travelling business person, had fun running and drinking beer with the local chapter of the Hash House Harriers, ran with my infant and toddlers in a stroller, and so on until I fell out of it in my mid 30's due to an injury... an injury NOT caused by running.

    Though all of that: no knee issues, and none now after ageing another 20 years, getting fat, starting running again, and getting thinner... despite thousands of kilometers of even more running as a middle aged person.
    krithsai wrote: »
    I didn't mean for that to come across as discouraging. I meant is more like this - walking is excellent for you provided you supplement it with other workouts. Excessive walking/running may damage your knees and in general, you'd do well to keep surprising your body with different workouts.

    Define excessive please. I'm no where near at the point of excessive. Examples abound of other folks like me here on MFP. Running injury free.

    Here's what is more likely to cause knee issues than pursuing an active life which includes running or walking: NOT using your knees/joints. Use it or lose it.

    Yes, people should strengthen their supporting musculature, of course, but the act of running or walking does not lead to knee destruction. Quite the contrary, use can promote joint health. Mine have never felt better.


  • shizmcnally
    shizmcnally Posts: 39 Member
    Roxana1089 wrote: »
    6rksrgwwuwfa.jpg


    Woops! Here's my before and after!

    What foods did u eat to lose the weight?

    I kept what I ate around 1200 calories for 6 months-a lot of evol brand frozen breakfasts, Luna and zone bars, for dinner I use Plated a few times a week and lean cuisines.
  • vicky1947mfp
    vicky1947mfp Posts: 1,515 Member

    What foods did u eat to lose the weight?[/quote]

    The specific foods are not important from a weight loss standpoint. Just stay within your allotted calories and up your activity and you will lose weight. From a nutritional standpoint you should eat real food with a balance of protein, fats and carbs. And eat what you like.

    CICO WORKS. I am 68 and have lost 40 lbs using CICO here on MFP. I am eating what I like within modernization and I walk 10,000plus steps per day.
  • llmg970
    llmg970 Posts: 257 Member
    MsElphaba wrote: »
    I work for an orthopedic surgeon and every day he tells people that walking is good for the heart but bad for the knees. While it provides a cardio burn, it does nothing for strengthening your legs. You'd be better off on a bike or an elliptical.

    Yes these exercises help when you have knee issues but you need to also have weight bearing exercises to help keep your bones strong to prevent osteoporosis
  • preyaticintent
    preyaticintent Posts: 46 Member
    I was wondering if anyone out there, has had a successful weight loss with walking? I started walking at the beginning of June, it is my main form of exercise. I was planning on incorporating some running. I have been faithful using my fitbit, and trying to get 10,000 step a day. I would love to see some before and after weight loss pics.

    I changed my diet for a calorie deficit, but walked an avg of 1 mile extra per day for 6 weeks. I dropped 20 lbs in that time.
  • RogerToo
    RogerToo Posts: 16,157 Member
    I was wondering if anyone out there, has had a successful weight loss with walking? I started walking at the beginning of June, it is my main form of exercise. I was planning on incorporating some running. I have been faithful using my fitbit, and trying to get 10,000 step a day. I would love to see some before and after weight loss pics.

    Hi
    I walk 2.75 miles a day, To help prevent boredom I use the MapMyRun Website to map out assorted runs for that length. According the FitBit Zip I am over 10,000 steps daily. My last status report shows 80,000 steps for the week. I credit the walking for continuing my weight loss. I say go for it. I do also have three different places near the start of the walks where I pick up my daily coffee. McDonalds being the cheapest and the coffee being the only Fast Food I use FWIW. Second is a refill from the Quick Check Convenience store, next is 7Eleven and the Dunkin Donuts near me is 50 cents higher than the 7Eleven and still seems to stay busy when I walk past it :)
    88672520.png

    I say go for it
    RogerToo

  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
    This orthopaedic surgeon published a decent set of running tips to help runners avoid injury. Clearly he isn't advising people to avoid running. Among the tips:

    Runners are most vulnerable to injury at certain times during their running careers:
    • Upon Initial Running – First 4-6 months
    • When returning to running after injury
    • When running longer distances
    • When running faster

    I'd add that poor running form, or inappropriate form for a new runner, is a factor leading to many injuries especially in those new to running.

    Avoiding over-striding, and running slower, can significantly reduce the chance of injury particularly for the new runner whose body will be going through a period of adaptation to the new stresses.

    Stress is not a bad word in this context. Athletes (we are all athletes) put stress on their body, recover and rest, re-stress, recover and rest. The body reacts be becoming stronger and more resilient and that's a good thing.

    From an article in Runner's World:
    Michael Stuart, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon specializing in knee surgery and sports medicine at the Mayo Clinic, says there tend to be three causes of injury to the knee:

    "Those stemming from acute trauma, overuse, and those which are degenerative in nature." Here's the good news: Traumatic knee injuries like ACL tears and degenerative knee problems like osteoarthritis tend to strike the knees of everyday runners at rates no higher than those of everyone else.

    Also from that article:
    "Often the cause of a runner's knee pain has nothing to do with the knee."

    Lest someone read the linked articles and come to the conclusion that doing nothing is somehow safer, or is just simpler/requiring no effort, let us not forget that many of us ended up as fatties here on MFP in the first place because we used to do "nothing".

    Learning about our bodies, how they like to work, how they can be strengthened and made more bullet-proof, is an investment in ourselves and our future health and happiness. Our bodies were meant to move. Use it or lose it!
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    edited September 2015
    Thank you @mwyvr

    27zjsbc59ee3.gif
  • STrooper
    STrooper Posts: 659 Member
    If everyone can be brutally honest....

    Do you think walking has helped with the weight loss or do attribute it more to a calorie deficit?

    FTR- I walk 10ish miles most everyday, but I never get my heart rate up even though I average 120-125 steps a minute. I cant say if it's the walking, which doesn't feel like work, or eating less calories...

    Well, walking helped create a calorie deficit and I dropped from 252 down to 190 pounds before I even began to track any food intake. When I got consistent (in 2010) and started logging my steps every day with a pedometer, I dropped from 232 pounds to 190 pounds in 9 months. I worked up from about 12,000 steps per day to 20,000.

    I did do a couple of things during that time...I gave up sugary drinks and excessively sweetened iced tea. I stopped putting sugar AND sweetened flavored coffee creamers in my coffee. Finally, I cut down my ice cream intake by having a dessert cup of ice cream (about the serving size described on the carton) rather than the full-size bowl that comes with the dish set. Oh, and I reduced the number of times I ate out and had lunch at the local fast food restaurants in the area (though I would walk the half-mile to get in the steps).

    I kept that up and started tracking my food with MFP and once I did, the remainder of the weight came off. Here is what I noticed...my resting heart rate fell into the 55-60 bpm range. My heart rate would only climb if I was hiking up steep trails or climbing with a pack. But a walking heart rate of less than 120 bpm with a step rate of 120-130 steps per minute was more typical.

    I resumed running in 2013 after not running since 1985. The three years of walking and hiking prepared the skeletal connective tissue for the rigors of marathon training. I now run 3 marathons per year and an assortment of shorter races. I still walk as "rest" for my running days (now four days per week) and my resting heart rate is in the range of 49 bpm (morning is more like 42-45 bpm).
  • blkandwhite77
    blkandwhite77 Posts: 281 Member
    Where do you all find the time to walk so many miles??? I can barely squeeze out an hour 3-4 a week to go to the gym! Once it's no longer 110 degrees outside I want to start walking at home but I'm going to be lucky to get in a half hour a day to walk.
  • This content has been removed.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Where do you all find the time to walk so many miles??? I can barely squeeze out an hour 3-4 a week to go to the gym! Once it's no longer 110 degrees outside I want to start walking at home but I'm going to be lucky to get in a half hour a day to walk.

    I'm very lucky, I work part time from home. So I have lots of time to walk. Plus I'm involved in fitbit challenges every week, which also spurs me on
  • dutchandkiwi
    dutchandkiwi Posts: 1,389 Member
    Where do you all find the time to walk so many miles??? I can barely squeeze out an hour 3-4 a week to go to the gym! Once it's no longer 110 degrees outside I want to start walking at home but I'm going to be lucky to get in a half hour a day to walk.
    I work within walking distance from home. It 4km each way. So it is my commute. Most people I work with need an near hour to get to work in the car, train, some by bike. I walk.

    Plus I now have the habit to walk everywhere, shops, family, GP etc etc. It has become my mindset. Can I walk it, then I will, next option is cycling and third public transport (which includes a 17 min walk to the station). Only after those options are notviable the car becomes an option in my mind.

  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    MsElphaba wrote: »
    Wow. Come back to the boards for the first time in over a year and instantyl have to defend myself.

    A. I am not an expert. I work for one.

    B. On a daily we see people, many of whom are overweight, with knee pain. Some have a healthier weight. He always asks the patient what they do for exercise and many times we hear walking, whether it be 1-2 to several miles, daily or several times a week.

    For patient's with non-arthritic knees (and no other acute injury) he does not say no walking , but he does encourage exercises that strengthen the quadriceps, particularly the VMO (vastus medialis obliquus) or the inner part of the quad muscle group. Strong quads help support and lift the knee joint, and the VMO in particular helps lift the patella off the femur to keep it from grinding and wearing down causing patellofemoral pain or chondromalacia.

    Want to walk for exercise? Have at it! Just balance it out with some simple straight leg raisies and other quad strengthening exercises. Having some knee pain? Re-think the walking.

    Most of us are here because we are carrying extra weight. That is extra pressure on your knees each time your feet strike the ground. You only get one set of your own natural knees, and knee replacements are a tough road to recover from, not to mention getting a TKA before 60 will probably not last your lifetime leading to the need for revisions. Why not take care of the set you have?

    Finally. I repeat, I am NOT an expert. I am just someone who sees a lot of people in pain everyday and have the distinct privilege of working for a man who has been practicing for 29 years, cared for our local professional, college, and high school athletes, and considers a conservative approach over the surgical one whenever possible.

    So, with that, I guess I will run away from the boards again until this experience has faded away.

    Sorry, still not buying it. He sounds like someone eager to sell knee replacements, frankly.

    I started out obese class 2 with a diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis. It was and still does affect my knees. Guess what my rheumatologist, who does treat joint problems but does not do joint replacements recommended that I SHOULD do?

    WALK.

    Exercise is good for arthritic joints, in most cases. It helps with knee pain.



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