Skip to content
  • Register
    • We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

    Is walking enough?

    Posts: 128 Member
    edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
    Hello.
    I'm curious to know if walking alone is a good enough exercise to stay in shape. I'm 114-115lb and 5'1" so I'm currently a healthy weight, trying to get to 110. I used to be a runner but I've since lost motivation, however, I now walk on average 8 miles a day. I don't walk super fast but occasionally I hope on the treadmill and speed walk. I'm just curious to know if all this walking is benefiting me or not.

    Welcome!

    It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.
    Sign In
    Register

    Replies

    • Posts: 15,573 Member
      Enough for what? Only you can be the judge on that. 8 miles per day seems like quite a bit. Do you feel like it's enough to allow you to eat comfortably?
    • Posts: 1,630 Member
      it is benefiting you. Just eat in a calorie deficit for the last 5 pound. You probably wont need that much walking to stay in maintenance (maybe 3-4 miles). However, some at home body weight exercises will generally help as well.
    • Posts: 2,484 Member
      Yes.
    • Posts: 28,055 Member
      Walking is great for your legs, but what are you doing for your upper body? One of the reasons I lift weights is to make my arm strength more in balance with my legs for yoga and swimming.
    • Posts: 733 Member
      http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/stationary-bicycle-vs-walking-exercise-9889.html

      “Harvard Men’s Health Watch” reported in 2009 that 11 years of moderate exercise, “typically walking or riding a stationary bicycle for 30 minutes three times a week,” reduced 8,946 patients’ risk of death by 20 percent and risk of death via heart disease by 26 percent in 48 studies. Ornish reported that people who walk 30 minutes daily for eight years have a premature death rate that is about 60 percent lower than sedentary people’s death rate. "
    • Posts: 128 Member
      arditarose wrote: »
      Enough for what? Only you can be the judge on that. 8 miles per day seems like quite a bit. Do you feel like it's enough to allow you to eat comfortably?

      Enough to stay fit and healthy, and I'm able to eat about 1500 or so calories and day and not gain weight.
    • Posts: 128 Member
      64crayons wrote: »
      http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/stationary-bicycle-vs-walking-exercise-9889.html

      “Harvard Men’s Health Watch” reported in 2009 that 11 years of moderate exercise, “typically walking or riding a stationary bicycle for 30 minutes three times a week,” reduced 8,946 patients’ risk of death by 20 percent and risk of death via heart disease by 26 percent in 48 studies. Ornish reported that people who walk 30 minutes daily for eight years have a premature death rate that is about 60 percent lower than sedentary people’s death rate. "


      Good to know thank you :)
    • Posts: 15,573 Member
      pbandz wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      Enough to stay fit and healthy, and I'm able to eat about 1500 or so calories and day and not gain weight.

      Sure. You might want to add some resistance training, but it's a decent amount of walking. I live in the city and it's way more than I do.
    • Posts: 15 Member
      Hi- I started out walking and liked it a lot. Moved to running and then more stuff but if doing it challenges then, yes. Probably need to do about 40-60mins a day for a bit of burn at a moderate rate.
    • Posts: 1,327 Member
      Hi I am 5'2 and I want to be able to eat about 1500 calories to maintenance- right now MFP has me on 1350 to lose.5 a week- then sometimes i overdo it - but I am doing better and better at logging and tracking my foods- good luck on your journey
    • Posts: 15,317 Member
      More resistance training would be beneficial too!
    • Posts: 1,630 Member
      arditarose wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      Sure. You might want to add some resistance training, but it's a decent amount of walking. I live in the city and it's way more than I do.

      Do you live close to where you work? I lived in NY for years and often I go back for work and I can easily walk that in a day with all the walking and subway trips.
    • Posts: 15,573 Member
      20yearsyounger wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      Do you live close to where you work? I lived in NY for years and often I go back for work and I can easily walk that in a day with all the walking and subway trips.

      I live close to the subway in my hood, and work close to the one in the other hood. When I was a waitress I walked a lot more because I could walk to work.
    • Posts: 733 Member
      arditarose wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      I live close to the subway in my hood, and work close to the one in the other hood. When I was a waitress I walked a lot more because I could walk to work.

      You can always walk to a stop further from home and get off further from work (and vice versa).
    • Posts: 245 Member
      pbandz wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      Enough to stay fit and healthy, and I'm able to eat about 1500 or so calories and day and not gain weight.

      You can do some quick and simple math to know. BMR for your goal weight is should be just under 1,200 calories so if you eat 1,500 calories every day, you need to exercise away around 300 of those calories to not gain weight. If you want to make it more complicated than that, you certainly can. And no doubt you'll get tons of advice on how to.

    • Posts: 8,488 Member
      pbandz wrote: »
      Hello.
      I'm curious to know if walking alone is a good enough exercise to stay in shape. I'm 114-115lb and 5'1" so I'm currently a healthy weight, trying to get to 110. I used to be a runner but I've since lost motivation, however, I now walk on average 8 miles a day. I don't walk super fast but occasionally I hope on the treadmill and speed walk. I'm just curious to know if all this walking is benefiting me or not.

      If you are low on motivation right now, and lifting isn't going to happen, try adding in something like the Nerdfitness body weight programme; you can do it at home, no equipment required. It will give your upper body a bit more strength and complement your walking.

      Cheers, h.
      http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/
    • Posts: 1,630 Member
      64crayons wrote: »
      show previous quotes

      You can always walk to a stop further from home and get off further from work (and vice versa).

      She said hood, not neighborhood :) j/k
    This discussion has been closed.

    Welcome!

    It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.
    Sign In
    Register

    Quick Links

    Categories