Any walkers ...

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glitterandsparkle8
glitterandsparkle8 Posts: 34 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi just wondering does anyone walk to lose weight? I’ve started walking 5 miles 5 days a week, just wanted to know will this help at all? Or do I need to be doing more?

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  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
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    I walk just about every day...plus other exercise...walking is very good for your heart and overall mobility.
  • bikecheryl
    bikecheryl Posts: 1,432 Member
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    My initial response is help with what?

    Weight loss ? Yes
    General health and well being? Yes

    I started out walking for 10 minutes..... knees and back couldn't take more.
    Knees are still bad but I now do 2.5 miles at lunch almost everyday and go for longer walks weekends.

    Walking has made up 60% of my exercise these last 6 months.... I feel great - side benefit? I've lost over 100lbs since last April. :)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    glitterandsparkle8 wrote: »
    Hi just wondering does anyone walk to lose weight? I’ve started walking 5 miles 5 days a week, just wanted to know will this help at all? Or do I need to be doing more?

    You lose weight when you expend more energy (calories) than you're taking in. Walking will help increase your energy expenditure to some extent and is a good place in general to start and that's exactly what I started with years ago.

    I get in around 10K steps per day which is roughly 5 miles. I also cycle 3-5 days per week and lift weights 2-3x per week but not for weight loss...I've been in maintenance for 5 years. I maintain my weight because I eat a maintenance level of calories.
  • mrsjhardin
    mrsjhardin Posts: 692 Member
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    The first time I lost major weight (70lbs) I did it mainly through walking. Got up to 5miles/day. Walking/hiking is still my major exercise. Walking combined with watching your diet can be beneficial. It all just depends on how much/how fast you want to lose.
  • mutantspicy
    mutantspicy Posts: 624 Member
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    I walk 3 to 5 miles everyday. I have a border Collie who kinda forced my hand. Personally, I think its better than running. I lift weights and do other high intensity workouts. to me the walk is the perfect form of active recovery post weight lifting session. You will burn extra cals but that's not the primary benefit. its just good for mobility and overall heart and joint health.
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
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    Anything that increases your activity level will promote health and burn calories.
  • ladychris29
    ladychris29 Posts: 4,657 Member
    edited March 2018
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    Any type of movement helps at first with weight loss. I just walked for about 15 minutes a day when I first got back into fitness and diet changes a year and a half ago. I weighed almost 100 pounds more than I do right now and it was what my knees could handle. I lost 20 pounds my first month, but my diet was intense. Eventually, I added more cardio, strength training, and discovered the eating lifestyle that works for me. But it's a process.

    Start off slow if that's what you need and add more as you can. Doing something is always better than doing nothing.

    *Oh, and I still walk daily now as weather permits. But I walk a lot more than 15 minutes at a time.
  • glitterandsparkle8
    glitterandsparkle8 Posts: 34 Member
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    Awe thank you all.
    All your replies are great and I’ve taken all of yours advise and what you all have done on your journey.
    I have a bad back that stops me from doing heavy exercises, my weight doesn’t help it so thought if I walk as much as I can it will strengthen my back aswell. I’ve been walking every day for past 3 weeks and manage to get to 5miles without intense pain any more.
    Where I’m going on holidays is a lot of walking as I’ve been before so hoping to lose as much as possible in the 10 weeks I have left and be able to walk without pain
    Thank you very much.
  • BZAH10
    BZAH10 Posts: 5,709 Member
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    Walking is great exercise and fairly easy on the joints. Just keep at it. Don't try to progress too quickly and make sure you have good fitting walking shoes.

    As you get in better shape try to add in hills, but again, not too much at a time.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Walking is fantastic for all the reasons stared above, but you can't out-walk a poor diet. Weigh your food, log it here, etc. Weight loss happens primarily in the kitchen! Depending on your weight, walking burns about 50 calories per mile (150 lb).
  • glitterandsparkle8
    glitterandsparkle8 Posts: 34 Member
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    Yes hills are a struggle now haha. There are a few small ones on my walking route and it’s a killer.
    Thank you everyone. Hopefully I will feel much better after the walking too

  • emcclure013
    emcclure013 Posts: 231 Member
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    I lost my first 50lbs doing nothing but following my MFP calories and walking every day. When I started I could hardly walk a mile without being completely out of breath. Now I walk 2-3 miles per day and I'm hardly winded at all. It's a great way to help you get healthy!
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
    edited March 2018
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    Of course it will help - it increases your calorie burn for one thing :smile: walking is a great way to keep fit and aid weight loss :smile:
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
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    I try to walk 2 hours/day. If I can't (weather/time constraints), there's a fitness glider in the basement. If I get at least 90 minutes in, it's good enough, but I really do shoot for 2 hours.

    It's hard to gauge all the benefits. I have more energy and I walk about 1/2-mile faster per hour than I used to, but since I also strength train, squats and lunges likely have something to do with the results as well.
  • Karen_can_do_this
    Karen_can_do_this Posts: 1,150 Member
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    I try to get in at least a half hour walk each day. My mum and I go on a bush walk in a different national park once a month. We are slowly getting through a long bucket list of ones we want to visit. Those walks generally take the whole day. I pay for them the next day lol. But I’ve gotten some beautiful pictures

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