Walking.... is it enough?

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  • catwrangler
    catwrangler Posts: 918 Member
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    You are doing great! Along with your walks, maybe try something else to mix things up, like a rowing machine or stationary bike that puts less pressure on the knee.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,709 Member
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    It's more about getting your heart rate up than how far you go. If you don't get into that aerobic zone you're not doing much to burn fat (or anything really). You are getting a strength component in your legs, but not a lot.

    Every little bit counts, but if you aren't sweating at then end of it you probably won't see much result.
    This is completely wrong. You could get your heart rate up watching a scary movie. Would you burn much more fat because of it compared to walking a mile?
    Whether you walk a mile or run a mile the caloric burn is THE SAME. There are many people with success stories of weight loss with just walking alone. I suggest that you actually learn about how calories are expended before giving your opinion.
  • Mer4343
    Mer4343 Posts: 10
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    First of all, good for you for moving! A heart rate monitor is a great tool and you start making a game of keeping your heart in the right range! I walk 40 minutes a day at lunch and make sure my heart rate is staying in the "zone". I walk a treadmill on a hill setting at 3.2mph and the sweat pours like rain. The cardio zone is the key to getting the most out of your walks.
  • KnightsGal76
    KnightsGal76 Posts: 69 Member
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    YES! You can lose weight and see a difference in your body with just walking! My main source of exercise is walking, but when I started, I could only go about 20 min before I felt like I was going to die! I started out with Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds videos, they are really good low impact (good for your bummed knee) workout that make you sweat! I would recommend them to you to do at home. If you want to add a little boost to your walk, get a set of hand weights and while you are walking, do bicep curls, arm extensions, or just hold them while pumping your arms(like a power walker does).
  • Mirabilis
    Mirabilis Posts: 312 Member
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    I've lost 90+ lbs through walking and calorie counting, so yes, it works. It's a dramatic change as you come down, but it gets easier and easier. The only different thing I do now is hill climbs because I live in a river valley and most of the city is uphill from me.

    I'm not a gym bunny but I realize I need to do toning as well. I don't count this toward exercise calories though.

    I wouldn't really say walking's a huge calorie burner, but on the other hand, if you think about the fact that we calculate BMR to come up with what we should have for calories in a day (BMR x 1.2 for example), it says that any calories we expend, whether they build muscle or not, count toward that goal.

    I also realized something important and probably obvious to everybody but me: time x distance = energy expended (simplistically speaking) so you can walk slower for longer or walk faster for less time to equal the same calories.

    Remember that although this is a new lifestyle, it still has to fit in around your family obligations and joys, your work and your off-work obligations to others. Do you have time to go whole hog on the fitness thing or do you want to make sure it stays in your life by not burning out on it?

    Moderation will get you there and likely keep you there.
  • aelder08
    aelder08 Posts: 12
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    Walking CAN be enough. As someone mentioned before, it's not about how far you walk, but how long you can keep your heart rate elevated.

    If you go to this web site you can see a chart of what your maximum and minimum heart rate range is based on your age. Then there is another chart below it that will show you the Fitness Target Zones.
    http://www.heart.com/heart-rate-chart.html
  • DeeDeeLHF
    DeeDeeLHF Posts: 2,301 Member
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    My knees are my weak spot as well. When I started my journey I could barely walk a mile without pain. The things that helped me most are: I purchased an over the counter compression knee braces at a sporting goods store. I made sure that I had good sneakers and replaced them often. I added an extra arch support in my sneakers. I elevate and ice my knee after working out. I started slow. Every single time I think that I am going to make a big jump in my exercise routine I end up injured. Last, I did exercises to strengthen the muscles surrounding my knee and stretches to lengthen the muscles and tendons in my thigh and hip.

    Hope that helps a bit!

    Congratulations on your decision to be healthy!!! Measure your success by how you feel and not the scales!

    D
  • iplayoutside19
    iplayoutside19 Posts: 2,304 Member
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    Yes, walking is enough. Especially if you didn't move all that much before. This is 80% nutrition anyway. Once your knee gets to feeling better, and the rest of you starts feeling better, THEN worry about doing something more intense.

    Don't put too much stock in sweat. My last camping trip I was completly drenched after taking down my tent. But I would hardly count that as a work out. On the flip side I ran when it was above 100* the other evening. My clothes weren't all that sweaty. But I KNOW I lost a ton of fluids.
  • tbucks
    tbucks Posts: 72 Member
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    I started off walking 3 miles 3-4 days a week about two to three months ago. Now I'm up to 5 miles 3-4 times a week with a combination of walking/jogging. It's all about getting the time in and keeping the calories down. You can lose all the weight you need by walking and counting your calories. Just make sure to walk long (time wise) enough to get your heart going.
  • Mer4343
    Mer4343 Posts: 10
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    Words of wisdom spoken by Mirabilis above!
  • Mer4343
    Mer4343 Posts: 10
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    Oops

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