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ArtsyBrainz
Member Posts: 112 Member
Member Posts: 112 Member
Walking 30 min good exercise?
ArtsyBrainz
Member Posts: 112 Member
Member Posts: 112 Member
My question is if I walk 30 min everyday will that help me stay in shape? I just don’t want to be sitting around all day and eating. If I walk 30 min a day everyday would that be good enough exercise? I can’t do anything excessive due to medical reasons.
Replies
We were designed to walk--it's the most natural thing you can do to get your body moving!
Any walking at all will bring health benefits, but walking more briskly will bring much more benefit, because it will get your heart rate up and have cardiovascular benefits. But even sauntering down the road slowly will be much better than not exercising.
If you are not used to walking 30 continuous min it will improve you cardiovascular performance, endurance, and circulation.
If you are used to a 30min walk it will maintain it, unless you improve on distance and speed.
It will help in muscle retention a little more than sitting on the couch.
If you purposefully walk engaging your glutes, abs, keeping your shoulders back and down, and pumping your arms your posture is likely to improve and will help a little more in muscle retention.
An activity like 30 min of walking will burn an extra few cals, but not many (I get about 40-60depending on the distance I cover). It won’t help to sculpt your body like weight training can, but using a walk to improve your posture can make you look a little taller, and a little slimmer.
So it all depends on what ‘in shape’ means to you.
Cheers, h.
ETA: just seen your clarification (and other post) that you are trying to gain and keep your body healthy.
Walking will certainly help as it is a low cal burn but keeps you active.
Another thing you could think of doing is a mild bodyweight routine on alternate days (walk one day body weight the next).
Nerdfitness has a very simple beginners routine that you could do. Do one or two sets of instead of the 3 it advises. It too would be a low calorie burn, but would help with the muscles of the upper body. h.
@middlehaitch
Ooh, okay! Thanks! Will help with the above? ^
@aries68mc
Here is the link to Nerdfitness it explains bodyweight training.
https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/
One set would probably be good, and skip the jumping jacks.
If you can’t do all the moves, they have modified versions further down the page.
Cheers, h.
ETA: I see from your thread in April that some doctors had refused to treat you - have you since been able to find care?
Right, one can accomplish 'gain weight' and 'look thinner' with recomp but I've never seen that framed as 'not strenuous.'
The only thing I can add, is I lose weight walking. When starting a program (weight-loss and exercise), I always start by walking 25-30 minutes 3 days a week. I start strength training the same for toning (10-15 minutes) 1 lb hand weights. I still lose at a fairly steady rate and slowly tone muscles. I increase these as I get stronger.
To gain...Up calories! And eat back all the calories for walking! Walking is definitely exercise, especially when usually sedentary.
I believe MFP has settings in goals for gaining.
@middlehaitch
@lynn_glenmont
@Pipsqueak1965
@emmapatterson1729
@kshama2001
@JohnnytotheB
@Hannahwalksfar
Then ask *them* if 30 minutes every day will help you stay in shape.
Glad you got and are getting help! You should refer questions like this to them.