Walking as exercise

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?

Replies

  • Bob314159
    Bob314159 Posts: 1,178 Member
    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: 41,865 Member
    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
    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: 3,498 Member
    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
    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
    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: 7,492 Member
    yes i only get 3000-5000 steps most days so that would be exercise for me
  • Okohme
    Okohme Posts: 152 Member
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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!
  • spartan_d
    spartan_d Posts: 727 Member
    edited April 2017
    So many people say that walking is great, fabulous, wonderful exercise. This is a huge exaggeration. Others say that it doesn't really qualify, and that's not accurate either.

    Walking does have some benefits, and as some here have personally attested, it can help people lose weight. I certainly encourage everyone to put in more walking if they can.

    At the same time, it is one of the lower, less effective forms of exercise. Sure, it might be the best option for people who are badly out of shape. It's also suitable for people who are injured or have certain disabilities. (I've been saddled with such injuries myself, so I can vouch for that.) Ultimately though, that's more a testament to these people's condition rather than to the effectiveness of the exercise itself.

    As pointed out in the WebMD article that I posted, walking has to be vigorous in order to reap any significant benefits. It is basically "exercise lite." Unfortunately, most people who adopt walking as exercise do so in a light, leisurely fashion. This will burn some calories, but not many, and it won't do much for strength, muscular endurance, or cardiovascular benefits. Even vigorous walking doesn't do a whole lot for such fitness metrics.

    Fitness authorities often promote walking as "great" exercise because, frankly, that's just about all they can get people to do. As the WebMD article says though, "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."
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    pr0nty wrote: »
    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!

    Which do you think is easier to stick with? At the beginning stages where doing anything basically guarantees an improvement, that's what I'd do.

    I'd want to make sure I create a habit of moving more without souring myself on the process - so pick the most fun/least tedious option. You should start feeling better as you lose weight and you get used to whichever level of exercise you pick. That's when I'd start looking at getting 'more' out of your exercise (whether that's more calories burned, more cardiovascular fitness, more strength, flexibility, etc).
  • pr0nty
    pr0nty Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks for the thoughts, guys!

    @spartan_d I definitely don't think I'm using it as an excuse to slack off, although the temptation is definitely there some days. Lol. I'm making sure I'm walking fast enough to get my heart rate up, sore legs and sweat dripping and all.

    But like you say, @stealthq, I'm also aware of past failings and keeping in mind that if I push myself TOO far at the beginning, I might just give it up altogether.

    So I think I'm going to go with a mix of slightly slower walking and the pace that really gets the blood pumping. I've had some results so far, so hopefully that continues until I feel more confident about including other kinds of exercise. :)

    Thanks again!
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    pr0nty wrote: »
    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!

    @pr0nty
    The calorie burn from walking (normal range of walking speeds) is really in relation to the distance covered and not the speed at which you cover that distance.

    A bit of both would seem to be ideal. If you only have a short amount of time one day walk fast to work on your fitness, if you have more time then go for longer steady pace to get a good distance.

    As well as walking for exercise try and incorporate it in your daily routine, walk instead of driving/public transport, stairs instead of taking the lift (elevator). It all adds up and builds healthy routines for life.
  • AmandaDanceMore
    AmandaDanceMore Posts: 298 Member
    Walking and hiking are my preferred form of exercise because i am outside and with my dogs (I love cycling, as well, but there are too many yahoos on the roads around me and I don't have the time most days to pack up the bike and get it to the trail). When I'm walking AND hiking (5-8 miles on rugged trails. Usually do that once a week) I find it does improve my overall fitness and helps me lose weight, if I'm paying attention to my eating habits. I try to do other things, as well, but walking is my biggest source of calorie burn.

    I did try running and was getting the hang for it, but my weird schedule often had me short changing the dogs to go for a run (one is too old to run, but good for long walks. The other just freaking hates to run). I feel super guilty if I don't give them enough exercise and quality time, and walking and hiking is super beneficial to all three of us. So, I walk.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    Walking 5 miles a day will be effective as your daily exercise if all you want is cardiovascular fitness, which is a lot.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Walking as exercise.

    Exercise - pushing the body so it has to make improvements in some manner.

    It likely is right now, and perhaps for awhile.
    Eventually the walking won't be exercise anymore - unless you move into the power walking (different form) and keep advancing, because you can only go so fast walking.

    If you lose weight while walking, you'll reach that point faster, since less mass to move around.
    If you reach that point and keep losing weight, you'll lose fitness actually.
    Or you wear a weighted vest, or add inclines/declines and keep the pace.

    But I've seen plenty of people once they got the activity tracker and started challenges, willing to give up a workout that would have caused more/better body transformations, in order to get steps in using their available time. And that was self-recognized, not my observation.
  • spartan_d
    spartan_d Posts: 727 Member
    pr0nty wrote: »
    Thanks for the thoughts, guys!

    @spartan_d I definitely don't think I'm using it as an excuse to slack off, although the temptation is definitely there some days. Lol. I'm making sure I'm walking fast enough to get my heart rate up, sore legs and sweat dripping and all.
    That's great. You're avoiding the pitfall that most people fall into when they start a walking program. Hopefully, you'll soon start running or doing other forms of cardio that will raise your heartrate even further.

    I swear, when I look at the people walking around at the local community center track, I can't help but think that they're wasting their time. Almost every single one of them is strolling leisurely, as though window shopping through a mall. It's better than nothing, of course, but not by much.
  • mrsmeteor
    mrsmeteor Posts: 39 Member
    edited April 2017
    spartan_d wrote: »
    pr0nty wrote: »
    Thanks for the thoughts, guys!

    @spartan_d I definitely don't think I'm using it as an excuse to slack off, although the temptation is definitely there some days. Lol. I'm making sure I'm walking fast enough to get my heart rate up, sore legs and sweat dripping and all.
    That's great. You're avoiding the pitfall that most people fall into when they start a walking program. Hopefully, you'll soon start running or doing other forms of cardio that will raise your heartrate even further.

    I swear, when I look at the people walking around at the local community center track, I can't help but think that they're wasting their time. Almost every single one of them is strolling leisurely, as though window shopping through a mall. It's better than nothing, of course, but not by much.

    The great thing about walking is that it's completely customizable. You can walk slow, you can walk fast, or you can keep it at a moderate speed. You can go for long, challenging hikes with hills and uneven ground, or you can fit in one or two shorter ones in a day. You can add little bursts of jogging, or you can add weights if you so desire.
    As a bonus, the only equipment you need is a good pair of shoes.

    It's exercise you can do for the rest of your life, as long as you're able to walk around. My mother lost 75 lbs before surgery at the age of 68, and she did it mostly by walking. My husband and I both walk every day, outside when the weather is nice and inside when it's not (thank you Leslie Sansone!) Sometimes we mix it up a bit by adding some bursts of jogging, but not always. Without it, I'd probably lose my marbles. It's helped me to lose 42 lbs and cope with stress better, and my husband has seen his blood pressure drop into the normal range.

    OP, keep enjoying your walks. It's good for you and, because it's low impact, it's sustainable for the long term. The fresh air is great, and if you have a companion you can have some great conversations. You can achieve your goals of better fitness or weight loss by making modifications.

    I love walking!

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