Who walks as their only form of exercise?
tabby_123
Posts: 80 Member
Are there any Myfitnesspal users that use walking as their only form of exercise? If so, what kind of results have you seen? I'd love to incorporate higher intensity workouts when I get some weight off, but walking is all I can handle right now without getting overly winded.
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Replies
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lost 105 pounds in 13months on just diet and exercise.
works for sure your moving right 8 -
All I do is walk. Started off with 1.5 miles. Upped it to 2 after about a week and a half. I was really winded when I started. Two weeks in and I wasn't even breathing heavily anymore until I got some hills. I've been keeping it between 2 and 3 miles for the past 10 weeks. Coupled with religiously logging my calories I'm down 35 lbs.10
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I have just been walking almost daily since Jan 15. Down 41 lbs. started with 1 mi and now routine walking dogs about 3 mi almost every time we walk.3
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What you eat is way, way more important. You probably already know this, but if your goal is losing weight, put most of your focus on nutrition and staying within your calorie goals.
With that said, I wouldn't say walking is my only exercise, but it IS the majority of my exercise and I have maintained a weight loss of around 130 lb for close to 3 years. (I don't work out in a gym or anything like that but I do moderate to difficult hikes 3-4 days per month and occasional bike rides)
Exercise is great for health & feeling good and looking good at every weight. I see you have been on this site for years, so I hope it didn't come off as rude when I said the stuff about diet being more important. I just remember when I first started my weight loss efforts, before using MFP, I was walking up to 4 miles several nights per week and my cardiovascular health improved a ton but I was still seeing little to no weight loss at all because I hadn't changed my diet (and probably ate a little more than before since I was much more active).10 -
Walking is a great form of exercise. Do what you can do now and increase it as you are able. I was able to progress from walking barely 1/4 mile in pain to walking a 5k in just a few months, at 300 lbs.
Yes, you also must log accurately and manage your nutrition to lose weight.6 -
I only walk. But I lost weight (30lbs) because I ate at a deficit. The walking only increases the deficit (for a given intake). I walk so that I can eat more.3
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I got my first fitbit in March 15' and from that day forth i have walked everyday, it is my only exercise.
I'm not going to say it gets you super fit or "tones" up the flab, but it does give me extra calories to eat, which makes staying in a deficit a hellavu lot easier. Plus i hate running and going to the gym, so walking it shall have to be
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I started July 5 walking and cutting back my calories. Down 22 pounds 5
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Walking is great. It keeps you mobile and active, and anything that keeps you mobile and active is going to be a benefit overall, not just seeing weight loss results. You weight loss results are going to come down to your calorie deficit and diet.
MFP is designed for you eat back your exercise calories or a portion thereof, so use your walking or exercise in general for your overall best medicine for better health in general. Hopefully you will keep exercising in general way past weight loss and into maintaining.
So walk, move more, stay active.2 -
Me. Its the only form of exercise I can do in front of other people and not feel mortified.9
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Walking is my primary form of exercise. I mostly walk around the house, my driveway, out to the mailbox, etc. Frequently I jog in place in front of the TV. I try to get a least 15,000 steps per day. I've lost 14.2 pounds in 60 days.3
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Yes. I lost the weight I wanted to lose, and walking was my only form of exercise during that time.1
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I am a walker do 5+ miles on my fitbit per day. Thinking about doing water aerobics when I drop some more weight and some weight machines for muscle toning3
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Walking is pretty much the only exercise I do at the moment. I go for a 4-5 mile walk 3-4 times per week. I do have to log my food accurately though to keep losing weight, but walking has definitely helped since I started in July. When I was younger, I walked everywhere (usually 5-6 miles per day) and didn't have any problem with my weight. My Mum and Dad still walk a couple of miles every day, and they're 85 and 90. I'm sure it's made a huge difference to how fit and healthy they both are.5
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It used to be, but eventually I switched to running. Running is currently my only form of exercise. I am in around the 35 miles or so per week range and I run in my first HM on Sunday. I fully realize this is not the best course of action. While getting into running has been of huge benefit to me by burning tons of calories and making my body lean, it does very little to strengthen my upper body or build up my core. I plan to incorporate at least some form of strength training into my routine soon.
That being said (and this is especially true for newer people) the best form of exercise is the one you do consistently. If that is walking, then by all means keep doing it. You can always switch things up later.
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Like the above, at 300+ all I did was walk. By about 280, I had been running a little on the treadmill and started C25K. Now at 225, I'm at the gym lifting twice a week, running 2-3 times a week with my longest of 10K and starting swimming lessons Sunday.
Point is that walking is a great start. It may or may not lead to more types of exercise, but it is better than sitting on the couch. Plus it gives you more calories to eat.
And I do think my fitness tracker has been a big motivator, especially at the beginning.3 -
Just from walking, down 46lbs. I am now 174 from 221. I also walk by tennis courts frequently so I started taking tennis lessons. I walked by the softball field, so I joined another team. Sometimes I run because I feel like it. You'll notice as your energy increases, you'll want to do more.
By the way, I really hate running. I sometimes see others hating running also, while they're running. And I smile to myself because I know how much I've lost doing an exercise that brings me joy and not pain.7 -
Walking's one of the few types of exercise that I'm able to do. I usually walk five or six days a week and it helps a lot (the amount of kilojoules I'm allotted is fairly low so increasing them helps me to stay on track. It's also good for my health.)1
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Down 150+ pounds. Walking is my main exercise.2
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Tacklewasher wrote: »Like the above, at 300+ all I did was walk. By about 280, I had been running a little on the treadmill and started C25K. Now at 225, I'm at the gym lifting twice a week, running 2-3 times a week with my longest of 10K and starting swimming lessons Sunday.
Point is that walking is a great start. It may or may not lead to more types of exercise, but it is better than sitting on the couch. Plus it gives you more calories to eat.
And I do think my fitness tracker has been a big motivator, especially at the beginning.
I also started with walking- I could only do 5-10 minutes, max at the beginning. Like @Tacklewasher, I have really changed as time went on. Now I lift 3x a week and run 3x a week, plus lunch walks every day. I have lost 49lbs through calorie deficit, but exercise really helped my mental game and keeps me motivated.
I honestly think walking is highly underrated and an excellent form of exercise. I moved on to other things because I love the challenge and I enjoy doing different things- but I will never stop incorporating walking, regardless of my other exercise choices.2 -
I walk around my house and all I have right now are my step calories for weight loss since I am sidelined from the gym.2
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Walking isn't my only form of exercise but its my only form of "cardio". I take my dog for walks. You can lose weight without any exercise at all actually. Good job and keep it up!1
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Chef_Barbell wrote: »I walk around my house and all I have right now are my step calories for weight loss since I am sidelined from the gym.
What did you do to sideline you?0 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »Chef_Barbell wrote: »I walk around my house and all I have right now are my step calories for weight loss since I am sidelined from the gym.
What did you do to sideline you?
My ortho doc sidelined me. I have tendonitis and have to take it easy a few weeks.1 -
that's all I do for exercise right now. op you should look into Leslie Sansone walking dvd. that's going to be my winter routine2
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I walk at least a 3k every day. I listen to my audiobook as I walk, it's really relaxing and fun. As for how it effects weight loss, well... my daily walk only gives me 150 extra calories to eat, so it doesn't make a big difference.3
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I walk and hike as my only exercise. I started off in June walking a half mile at probably 2 miles an hour. Today I walked 4 miles at over 3 mph. I want to eventually walk 5 miles a day, but am currently pushing myself to go faster instead of longer.0
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I lost 80 pounds doing no other exercise besides walking. I walk at a very brisk pace, when I started I could only manage 1 mile but now I am doing 3-5 miles a day. I like walking because it helps me destress and relax. I have in the past few months incorporated other exercises into my routine but only because I can't always count on the weather to get a walk in outside and my treadmill died.2
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When I started years ago I wasn't doing anything...still had results because I was eating in a deficit...started walking everyday so that I could eat more and still lose weight...which I did. Spent a couple of months just walking before I started a C25K program. 5 years later I'm an avid cycling enthusiast and try to get in 50+ miles per week...1
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I've lost 20 pounds since July with just walking on the treadmill inconsistently. It's all been counting my calories. My ticker says I've only lost 13, and I'm not sure how that got messed up. I changed my email address and such and don't know how that was effected, but it's not reading right. But you can do it!
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