Walking as exercise

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hiyaitschloe_x
hiyaitschloe_x Posts: 36 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi, I'm walking roughly 5 miles on average a day - myfitnesspal says that's 11,000 steps (average). Will this be effective as my daily exercise?
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Replies

  • Bob314159
    Bob314159 Posts: 1,178 Member
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    Walking is good, I aim for 8000 a day but find it hard to find the time. I doubt that regular walking has meaningfull weight loss benefits. When I did aggressive walking/hiking with hills I think it did help imporve my weight loss, but I wasn't logging at that time.

    I do see people claiming to walk over 20,000 steps a day - I think there are better ways to spend the time.

    If you are fairly over weight - then walking is better for your knees than running.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
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    Walking is great exercise, particularly if you're just starting out...it has a pretty low ceiling though in regards to improved fitness.
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
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    Walking is great exercise for anyone. I used it to transition into running and enjoy the way it makes me feel. Lately I have gotten into a rut where I run about six miles and try to hit exactly one hour and 10K steps at the same moment. I can get very close and have hit it once.
  • 7lenny7
    7lenny7 Posts: 3,489 Member
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    Two months of power walking (walking fast enough to elevate my heart rate) was enough fitness training to allow me to run my first 5k...running the entire route...with no prior running at all. I'd guess I totaled 15000 steps per day, on average.

    So yeah, walking can be a great exercise if you push the pace.
  • spartan_d
    spartan_d Posts: 727 Member
    edited April 2017
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    According to WebMD, walking is beneficial but not great. It is basically "exercise lite." That is, it is better than inactivity and it can help one lose weight, but its benefits are fairly modest.

    One of the dangers behind adopting a walking program is that it tends to encourage people to settle for this low-effort activity. It is best to treat this as a way to supplement a more vigorous exercise program rather than the core of one's fitness routine.

    http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/is-walking-enough#1

    Of course, it does help if you walk vigorously, but that's not how people typically approach walking. Heck, if the people on the indoor track at our local community centers are any indication, people generally treat walking as a leisurely stroll.
  • Mary_Anastasia
    Mary_Anastasia Posts: 267 Member
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    Walking is a great way to ease into a more active lifestyle. If you are a body-builder, walking won't help you, other than to give you a nice relaxing peace of mind stroll. If you are out of shape, walking will do wonders. It's not only about the activity, it's about the commitment. Even if you only walk 1 mile, if you do it every single day, it sets you up for success in other routines you want to break into.

    I personally wish walking were a bigger part of my life. With my job, I'm often gone from 7am til 7pm, and by the time I come home, I'm incredibly sore and exhausted from sitting all day, and have a whopping 900-1,200 steps for the day...I once came home from work and had 500 steps for the day- being inactive is exhausting. I think if you're hitting at least 10k steps every day, you are definitely up for a more rigorous workout; maybe start by adding interval dashes/jogging to your walk?
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,493 Member
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    yes i only get 3000-5000 steps most days so that would be exercise for me
  • Okohme
    Okohme Posts: 152 Member
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    That's how I started, with walking. A good brisk walk is a good form of exercise, as you get fitter, you may need more intense movement to get good exercise.
  • litoria
    litoria Posts: 239 Member
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    Walking is fabulous for so many reasons. And if you want to make it harder, without running, use a weighted pack - very good conditioning and gives you a great workout. I maintain any exercise you're actually doing is a good kind of exercise for you
  • dutchandkiwi
    dutchandkiwi Posts: 1,389 Member
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    Love walking!. I, like many mentioned, used it initially to get more active. I average about 15k a day. Part of that is walking to and from work 3 times a week (I am in uni one day a week and another i work from home) I walk everywhere. Even at work I manage a few thousand steps but getting up and talking to people ace to face if I can.
    It is a great stress reliever and motivator.
    My waking took me to long distance walking, hiking and running. We asked the width of Scotland and England for a holiday and though physically challenging they have been the most relaxing holidays ever.
    Now I do other stuff as well. As you grow more active there is some kind of feeling that makes that you want to get around more and more and challenge yourself.

    But to me walking is and always will be the main thing about exercise and yes it helped me on the CO part of CICO
  • sarahmoore0979
    sarahmoore0979 Posts: 15 Member
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    I'm with many of your here that walking is a great way to get some exercise and to get some fresh air at the same time... I live in London in a pretty urban area, but it's amazing what you see when you open your eyes and actually look at what is around you - that's what motivates me to get out and about. From experience, walking definitely helps with my weight loss, although i try to do the 7 minute work out plan once a day as well to tone.

    If you like walking then check out "Walk 1000 Miles 2017" - it's a great group on FB that is really encouraging and has really given me some oomph to get out there this year.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
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    I love walking. I'm one of those 20K time wasters ;) I have the time, and it's great stress relief. I live in a nice suburban neighborhood and have a treadmill and have worked to become more active. I also have two forms of arthritis that respond well to remaining more active throughout the day.

    Before I started exercising (I run, lift, and walk), I had a night guard that I ground my way through in ten months. I set a record for my dentist's office! My replacement nightgaurd is pristine still, after two years of use. I no longer grind my teeth while I'm sleeping.

    While a calorie deficit is what creates weight loss, my activity levels give me more calories to play with.
  • pr0nty
    pr0nty Posts: 2 Member
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    Hi, guys.

    I'm at the start of my weight loss journey and wanted to ask: am I better off walking at a slower pace for a longer time and burning more calories (e.g., 75 mins at 4km/h to burn 500 calories), or a faster pace for a shorter time burning less calories (e.g., 40 mins at 4.5km/h to burn 300 calories)?

    The second example is harder physically, heart rate-wise and building up a sweat, but the difference in calories burnt makes it confusing for me.

    I'm very heavy, so mainly focused on losing weight as opposed to being super fit right now.

    Thanks for any help!

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