Is walking great exercise or just okay?
spartan_d
Posts: 727 Member
I've often seen people here say that walking is wonderful exercise. Words such as "great" or "excellent" are often bandied about. I've tended to differ. I've pointed out that walking is good exercise -- totally worth doing -- but that its benefits are comparatively low. That is, I would strongly encourage people to walk more, but to call it "excellent exercise" is an overstatement.
I know that this has offended some people. They think I'm saying that walking is useless or that it doesn't really count. That's not it at all, of course, but that's how some people react.
This WebMD article shows what I mean. Walking is good, but it's not as effective as many think. When health professionals recommend it, it's often because they know it's the most that then can get many people to do.
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/is-walking-enough?page=1
I know that this has offended some people. They think I'm saying that walking is useless or that it doesn't really count. That's not it at all, of course, but that's how some people react.
This WebMD article shows what I mean. Walking is good, but it's not as effective as many think. When health professionals recommend it, it's often because they know it's the most that then can get many people to do.
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/is-walking-enough?page=1
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Replies
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Depends. Is the person morbidly obese and has been primarily sedentary for several years? If that's the case, then yes, walking is excellent exercise for them to start off with. Conversely, if the person is within normal BMI, no major physical health complications, and fairly active, then no, walking is not going to be the most effective work out.12
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It depends on what you expect out of walking; what your goals are. It's a good place to begin and no equipment or membership needed. It's also a good cool down. I use walking as my "think time". The terms excellent and great may be over used, but I agree walking can have a place in an exercise plan.8
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It works great for me. Of course, I also lift, run, and sprint. It's another tool in the toolbox (one that I find excellent to loosen my back out after heavy legs days), and for those who are currently sedentary, it's a hell of lot better than 16 ounce curls.12
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"I've pointed out that walking is good exercise -- totally worth doing -- but that its benefits are comparatively low."
Aren't you contradicting yourself here, or, at least, answering your own question? If, as you point out, "walking is good exercise -- totally worth doing..." why/how do you contend that " its benefits are comparatively low."?
If " its benefits are comparatively low" is it really a "good exercise -- totally worth doing"?
My answer to your question: Walking is as good an exercise as any other. You get out of it what you have put into it, both time and effort.sunnybeaches105 wrote: »It works great for me. Of course, I also lift, run, and sprint. It's another tool in the toolbox (one that I find excellent to loosen my back out after heavy legs days), and for those who are currently sedentary, it's a hell of lot better than 16 ounce curls.
I've always enjoyed a few 16 ounce curl reps. ;-)4 -
It's very low impact, injuries from walking are uncommon compared to other forms of exercise, you don't need any special equipment or tuition, you can often incorporate it into your day without compromise in other areas, it's something that you can easily do with family/friends/a group or alone - Pretty awesome in my book.
Whether it's good "bang for your buck" or helps you achieve a specific goal relative to the individual but for health and longevity my (non-scientific) opinion is when you lose the ability to or choose to stop walking that, for many but not all, is the beginning of a steep decline in health.14 -
Walking is a natural motion for us, doesn't require training, doesn't require special equipment and is something that just about anyone can do.
If you're just looking to keep some physical activity or just starting out on physical fitness, walking is a great way to go.
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I agree with the OP. I enjoy a nice walk, but it's as much for the "me time" and change of scenery (and just being outdoors!) as anything else. The moderate calorie burn is a bonus. But a lot of people say "exercise is for fitness" and walking isn't taxing enough to contribute to my fitness. (Exercise is for a lot of things beyond fitness, though, like enjoyment.)1
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Depends on what you are seeking, like others said. I have goals that require other sorts of exercise, but I consider walking as much as possible (vs. sitting around or driving) to be important, and an easy way to boost the overall non exercise calories of a day without either increasing hunger or wear and tear on the body. I also am happier when I walk more and drive less, and it can be pleasant to get off a stop or two early when commuting and walk some.1
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"I've pointed out that walking is good exercise -- totally worth doing -- but that its benefits are comparatively low."
Aren't you contradicting yourself here, or, at least, answering your own question? If, as you point out, "walking is good exercise -- totally worth doing..." why/how do you contend that " its benefits are comparatively low."?
If " its benefits are comparatively low" is it really a "good exercise -- totally worth doing"?
My answer to your question: Walking is as good an exercise as any other. You get out of it what you have put into it, both time and effort.sunnybeaches105 wrote: »It works great for me. Of course, I also lift, run, and sprint. It's another tool in the toolbox (one that I find excellent to loosen my back out after heavy legs days), and for those who are currently sedentary, it's a hell of lot better than 16 ounce curls.
I've always enjoyed a few 16 ounce curl reps. ;-)
I run and walk because I do 16 ounce curls. I'm not knock'n 'em.1 -
There is no contradiction. There are substantial benefits, which makes it worth doing. Compared to other forms of exercise though, it's relatively inefficient. It's the difference between "good" and "great.""I've pointed out that walking is good exercise -- totally worth doing -- but that its benefits are comparatively low."
Aren't you contradicting yourself here, or, at least, answering your own question? If, as you point out, "walking is good exercise -- totally worth doing..." why/how do you contend that " its benefits are comparatively low."?
If " its benefits are comparatively low" is it really a "good exercise -- totally worth doing"?
Now, others have said that walking is good for people who are morbidly obese, etc, etc. I won't deny that. Those people may indeed be unable to do anything more. For most people though, it's okay, but as the article says, it's ultimately "exercise lite."
I'm not going to deny that it's a good way to get started. I completely agree. As I said though -- and this it the point that people keep missing -- heaping on superlatives such as "great," "excellent," and "wonderful" is a bit of an overstatement. Worthwhile? Yes -- but not superlatively so.
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It's a very useful tool. Not only for fat loss but for muscle retention. As it's been pointed out earlier it depends where you are on your fitness journey. Starting from the absolute beginning walking is great, as you stack up the weeks you want to incorporate more tax exercises into your regime. I've been lifting for a ridiculous amount of years noe but I still make it a point to clock up a decent amount of miles from walking per week. Keeps me cut too.3
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Really it depends on where and how you walk. I regularly hike (and hiking is walking) over rugged terrain. My "home" trail has an elevation gain of 1200 feet. At a minimum my hikes are 5 miles. I carry a backpack with food, water, and emergency supplies that averages 10-15 lbs.
Several times a year I'll hike 10-15 miles over terrain with elevation gains of 2500 + feet.
In April when I walked the Grand Canyon's Bright Angel Trail to Plateau Point and back (12 miles) with 20 lbs of supplies in a backpack, I felt certain that was good exercise.4 -
I started off at 11 stone (5'1" female) with 3-4 30 minute workouts a week, plus a hour minimum of walking a day. For me, the weight has fallen off pretty quickly (I'm roughly 11 weeks in with a 1250 daily calorie goal - and I eat most of my exercise calories burnt). I would say walking is great for ensuring you get your daily activity in, however you may need to add more exercises in to see results. Everyone is different though!
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Depends on where you're coming from and what benefits you're looking for. From a fitness standpoint and improving upon your fitness, it has a pretty low ceiling...for general health it has been demonstrated to be a great activity.0
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i love walking, i think its great exercise0
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Well its better than doing nothing at all. And if you are elderly, or have health related issues or aliments that prevent you from doing full force running, bilking, hiking, ellipticals, treadmills, swimming, etc.. this is certainly good exercise. This would be excellent for those that fall in this category.
If you are sedentary person that does nothing but sit on the couch and start walking, this is excellent exercise.
So it is perspective based and does a person need to increase heart rate to reap 100% full benefits from cardio exercise?, yes, can you still reap benefits from half that heart rate from steady state hard cardio,? yes.
So you can loiter walk, brisk walk, fast walk, speed walk, etc.. depends on what effort, how long and what not. I still believe that walking is excellent exercise. And I run 4 days and walk 2 days a week. It kills me to have to walk 2 days to not run everyday and what I call give my legs a rest, I still burn calories, I am still active that day, and it all counts!
When I see people walking down the street while I am running, I smile and say good for them! Because it is clear that they are walking because they can;t do much more. I like see people get out and try even if it is a morning walk or evening walk.1 -
I'll mostly agree with that, except that I'd call it a "pretty good activity" rather than "great" -- again, precisely because of the low ceiling that you mentioned. (Also, it depends on what one means by "general health." Walking doesn't do much for strength, for example, and it only helps with endurance if one is sedentary or if done over very long periods and/or harsh terrain. It still has substantial benefits, though.)cwolfman13 wrote: »Depends on where you're coming from and what benefits you're looking for. From a fitness standpoint and improving upon your fitness, it has a pretty low ceiling...for general health it has been demonstrated to be a great activity.
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socalrunner59 wrote: »Really it depends on where and how you walk. I regularly hike (and hiking is walking) over rugged terrain. My "home" trail has an elevation gain of 1200 feet. At a minimum my hikes are 5 miles. I carry a backpack with food, water, and emergency supplies that averages 10-15 lbs.
Several times a year I'll hike 10-15 miles over terrain with elevation gains of 2500 + feet.
In April when I walked the Grand Canyon's Bright Angel Trail to Plateau Point and back (12 miles) with 20 lbs of supplies in a backpack, I felt certain that was good exercise.
And that, I would agree with as well. It's not what one typically means by walking, though. Certainly not the kind that most people would be willing to do.0 -
OP, what exercise do you feel is "great" and "excellent"? Why is walking not worthwhile?2
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I'll mostly agree with that, except that I'd call it a "pretty good activity" rather than "great" -- again, precisely because of the low ceiling that you mentioned. (Also, it depends on what one means by "general health." Walking doesn't do much for strength, for example, and it only helps with endurance if one is sedentary or if done over very long periods and/or harsh terrain. It still has substantial benefits, though.)cwolfman13 wrote: »Depends on where you're coming from and what benefits you're looking for. From a fitness standpoint and improving upon your fitness, it has a pretty low ceiling...for general health it has been demonstrated to be a great activity.
Just general health...heart health, etc...not necessarily fitness...150 minutes per week of light activity is great for your general health...I would think walking fits that bill.
Yes, if you want to actually make substantial fitness improvements you are going to have to do more...but if you're just talking about general health and well being, walking is pretty great...my dad never did anything but walk a lot and that helped keep his blood pressure in check and blood glucose in check...that's what I mean by general health.0 -
I'll agree with the OP. As a distance runner who runs 60+ miles a week, walking doesn't do a lot for me as far as exercise because it cannot elevate my HR to a point of any consequence. It does however, as someone else stated, help to get me loosened up. After a long morning session pushing 2-3 hours of running, I'll ALWAYS shoot to get a 45 minute to hour walk after dinner to get some blood flowing to the legs before doing some stretching before bed. It serves a lot more purpose than exercise since it's something I can do with my wife and kids as well. I think at best my garmin gives my 50-60 calorie adjustment after a walk.0
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It depends on what you expect out of walking; what your goals are. It's a good place to begin and no equipment or membership needed. It's also a good cool down. I use walking as my "think time". The terms excellent and great may be over used, but I agree walking can have a place in an exercise plan.
I find walking calming and meditative. I don't like running, but some people say they get the same feeling from running, using their run times to think and focus on breathing.0 -
i love walking, i think its great exercise
Me too and I think that to confine it to the obese, elderly, frail, and beginners is to miss out on some of the benefits and advantages.- It's a great way of recovering from a hard work out
- The cals/hour is nothing to write home about but it's easy and per mile not much less than running
- It's hard to over-do it
- When your other training is taxing I find I come out of a 5 mile walk feeling better but a 5 mile run feeling worse (for what? a 25% uplift in cals burnt?)
Don;t get me wrong, I enjoy running and I participate frequently but I'm more careful with it (not because of loss of "de gainz" but because it's bloody tiring). I don;t have to apply that caution with walking.
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So really, the only issue you have is with the choice of adjectives used to describe walking? And you seem to acknowledge that for some people it is "excellent" or "great" but for others you feel it is just "pretty good".
I wasn't aware that we all had to have the same descriptor for every single possible form of exercise? I would assume that the appropriateness of an exercise is specific to the individual... their current level of physical fitness, their goals, their interests... If a person can't swim, they would probably say swimming is a terrible form of activity. Does that mean that swimming is not good for anyone? No, of course not.
I really am perplexed lately at this attempt to put every single person, every single food, every single exercise in the same category and the inability to consider situational variables, context and dosage...7 -
I'll agree with the OP. As a distance runner who runs 60+ miles a week, walking doesn't do a lot for me as far as exercise because it cannot elevate my HR to a point of any consequence. It does however, as someone else stated, help to get me loosened up. After a long morning session pushing 2-3 hours of running, I'll ALWAYS shoot to get a 45 minute to hour walk after dinner to get some blood flowing to the legs before doing some stretching before bed. It serves a lot more purpose than exercise since it's something I can do with my wife and kids as well. I think at best my garmin gives my 50-60 calorie adjustment after a walk.
Again, I think you have to look at it from different perspectives...from a fitness perspective it isn't going to do much, particularly for someone who is already well trained. From a general health perspective (controlling blood pressure, blood glucose, etc)...it's pretty dang good.
I am a cyclist so yeah...from a fitness standpoint it's not going to do a whole lot for me or help me up my game but moving in general is great for your overall health.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »I'll agree with the OP. As a distance runner who runs 60+ miles a week, walking doesn't do a lot for me as far as exercise because it cannot elevate my HR to a point of any consequence. It does however, as someone else stated, help to get me loosened up. After a long morning session pushing 2-3 hours of running, I'll ALWAYS shoot to get a 45 minute to hour walk after dinner to get some blood flowing to the legs before doing some stretching before bed. It serves a lot more purpose than exercise since it's something I can do with my wife and kids as well. I think at best my garmin gives my 50-60 calorie adjustment after a walk.
Again, I think you have to look at it from different perspectives...from a fitness perspective it isn't going to do much, particularly for someone who is already well trained. From a general health perspective (controlling blood pressure, blood glucose, etc)...it's pretty dang good.
I am a cyclist so yeah...from a fitness standpoint it's not going to do a whole lot for me or help me up my game but moving in general is great for your overall health.
My point was that yes it's beneficial, but even for someone seriously overweight it's not going to give enough calorie burn to be super beneficial. Even if in an hour walk you burn 200 calories over your BMR, that takes 18 days to lose 1 pound.0 -
As a baseline for this discussion, please define the following: "great," "good," "super," "excellent," "super duper," and "fan-f'ing-tactic." Can we put some numbers to these or something? I personally use "pleasant and beneficial" for walking, and "f'ing A, I want to kill something" for deadlifts, but I could be wrong.6
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I think it's excellent exercise for your heart and your mind.3
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It's all relative and I guess it all depends on what you are looking to get out of it. If a person is very obese and hasn't moved beyond the couch to fridge to car for some numbers of years, a 30min walk is huge and probably pretty great exercise for them.
I'm Currently doing SL 5x5 and squatting heavy 3x a week. If I want my legs to recover I can't incorporate HIIT or distance running on off days. I've done it in the past and it hampered my lifting progress. So, I get in a 30min walk every day with a pretty good 10-12min hill climb. Try and maintain a 3.5-4mph pace. Gives me some extra calories to eat and stretches out my legs without over taxing them and hampering recovery. For that I think it's beneficial for sure.1 -
WinoGelato wrote: »So really, the only issue you have is with the choice of adjectives used to describe walking? And you seem to acknowledge that for some people it is "excellent" or "great" but for others you feel it is just "pretty good".
I wasn't aware that we all had to have the same descriptor for every single possible form of exercise? I would assume that the appropriateness of an exercise is specific to the individual... their current level of physical fitness, their goals, their interests... If a person can't swim, they would probably say swimming is a terrible form of activity. Does that mean that swimming is not good for anyone? No, of course not.
I really am perplexed lately at this attempt to put every single person, every single food, every single exercise in the same category and the inability to consider situational variables, context and dosage...
Do you realize that if anything, your objection would apply just as well to all those posters and articles which declare that walking is "great," "wonderful," "excellent," "fantastic," or whatever superlative they choose to come up with? Why is it that when using such superlatives, speaking in generalities is okay, whereas it's not acceptable when opining that such high-faluting praise is over-the-top?
I think it's perfectly reasonable to state that walking is good, but as a rule, not absolutely excellent or <insert superlative here>. Most people understand generalities, after all. This doesn't preclude exceptional circumstances under which walking may indeed be the best option for someone, or perhaps even the only option.
This makes me wonder how many people actually read the article in the OP. The research cited in that article emphasizes that walking is good, but that its benefits aren't as high as people tend to expect. As one of the researchers cited said,"Exercise lite has given many Americans a false sense that a stroll through the neighborhood is all you need to stay healthy. Instead of pushing people to be more active, it's given them an excuse to do as little as possible."0
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