Has anyone had success with walking for exercise?
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christinev297 wrote: »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. LOL0 -
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.0 -
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.queenliz99 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.
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
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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shizmcnally wrote: »
Woops! Here's my before and after!
What foods did u eat to lose the weight?0 -
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.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.
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
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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.
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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.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.
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Roxana1089 wrote: »shizmcnally wrote: »
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.0 -
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.0 -
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 osteoporosis0 -
Sassenach1017 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 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.
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Sassenach1017 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 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
I say go for it
RogerToo
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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!0 -
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christinev297 wrote: »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).0 -
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.0
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blkandwhite77 wrote: »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
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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.blkandwhite77 wrote: »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.
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.
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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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