Cons of walking?
Options
Replies
-
janejellyroll wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »Don't think there can be any negatives
unless you plan on doing excess miles every single day, which is what I did a few years ago and burned myself out not to mention my poor heels and feet were suffering too (had to let go of my step tracker eventually because I couldn't stand to see less than 20k+ steps a day)
Oh yeah... the other con is how much more shoes and socks cost and how fast you wear out shoes once your average stays over 10k. Don't be fooled by shoes supposedly designed to be "walking" shoes. In this country that just means it is possible to walk in them. It doesn't actually mean they are designed for exercise.
I can buy a lot of shoes vs the cost of poor cardiac health.
The thing is, if I want to walk I have to buy the walking shoes TODAY. I have to budget for that. I don't necessarily have poor cardiac health today, that's a deferred consequence.
So while having poor cardiac health may be more expensive in the long run, I hope you can understand how the cost of walking shoes/socks would be a potential con, especially for those who are on a tight budget and aren't currently experiencing health problems related to excess weight.
Sorry most people that are walking for health (30 minutes 5X a week) will be fine in any shoes they have. especially if as a beginner they build up to the distance.1 -
My OH is not going for BRISK walks, as he is walking the cat, which is very different from walking a dog, but he is on his feet an extra 60-90 minutes per day.
Sometimes I go with them and bring the clippers so I can work on the trail, which makes my speed about the same as that of World's Most Spoiled Cat.
Funny thing, I've been bugging my OH to get decent walking shoes for YEARS, but he never was interested in walking until he started walking the cat. (He is still in poor quality shoes, but this is not a problem due to their slow speed.)
7 -
I walk 2-3 times a day, minimum 2 miles each time. My biggest con when I'm walking? Seeing people who are running and joking thinking to myself "Man I'm lazy today" 😉2
-
Make sure you have proper shoes. I like to walk briskly and hammered my toes so hard several turned black and blue and I lost a couple nails.
I got properly fitted for running and walking shoes at a local running store, about $125-150 per pair. looked the same model up on amazon. If you don’t mind having the least fashionable color, you can often pick up deals on amazon. I got a wierd teal color of the same shoe for $79.95.
Balega brand socks are life changing. Seriously. I never knew a sock could make such a difference in comfort.
We have a concrete (sometimes brick cobblestone) biking and walking trail that runs for miles. Since covid began, some jokers are letting their dogs poop on what is essentially the main sidewalk through town. It is littered with piles every few feet. And skid marks where some unfortunate soul wasn’t paying attention. It’s gotten out of hand.
Be mindful of drivers. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stood in the middle of the street shaking my fist and screaming “DON’T YOU KNOW WHAT A PEDESTRIAN CROSSING IS, MORON?!!!”
And the other new lovely habit is for people to ride their bikes holding a leash while their poor dog runs along beside them. Some *kitten* almost got yanked off his bike when his pit bull charged me at the last second as the zipped past. I sincerely wish he had been.
@NovusDies it is so very unlike you to be anything less than positive. I hope everything is OK in your world. Hugs.1 -
Walking out side for me has health hazard since where I live, there are no side walks and cars and scooters zoom by. Air quality and weather is also a factor. So I prefer to walk on treadmill.
But my biggest complaint about walking is the calorie count. I really have no idea how many calories i'm burning. Too many conflicting articles out there on how much you really burn even if I am on a treadmill much less outside.
If someone has a known good formula to calculate walking calorie, please share.0 -
Walking out side for me has health hazard since where I live, there are no side walks and cars and scooters zoom by. Air quality and weather is also a factor. So I prefer to walk on treadmill.
But my biggest complaint about walking is the calorie count. I really have no idea how many calories i'm burning. Too many conflicting articles out there on how much you really burn even if I am on a treadmill much less outside.
If someone has a known good formula to calculate walking calorie, please share.
Unfortunately, it's pretty low. Moderate walking for most people is going to average around 50-60 watts. The generally accepted formula for exercise calories is watts per hour * 3.6. So that'd be around 180-220. Those are true "net" calories, not calories inflated by exercise machine companies or people making up numbers on the Internet. There is also a bevvy of sites that say anything from 60-150 calories per mile, depending on your weight. The low end of that range, for a 3 mph walk, squares pretty well with the watts-based formula, but the high end is kind of unrealistic.
If you're heavy, you could do worse than to just declare it'll be 80 or 90 calories per mile and then see how it works out with your actual weight loss. It could end up being a bit high, but probably not catastrophically so.
1 -
Walking out side for me has health hazard since where I live, there are no side walks and cars and scooters zoom by. Air quality and weather is also a factor. So I prefer to walk on treadmill.
But my biggest complaint about walking is the calorie count. I really have no idea how many calories i'm burning. Too many conflicting articles out there on how much you really burn even if I am on a treadmill much less outside.
If someone has a known good formula to calculate walking calorie, please share.
Unfortunately, it's pretty low. Moderate walking for most people is going to average around 50-60 watts. The generally accepted formula for exercise calories is watts per hour * 3.6. So that'd be around 180-220. Those are true "net" calories, not calories inflated by exercise machine companies or people making up numbers on the Internet. There is also a bevvy of sites that say anything from 60-150 calories per mile, depending on your weight. The low end of that range, for a 3 mph walk, squares pretty well with the watts-based formula, but the high end is kind of unrealistic.
If you're heavy, you could do worse than to just declare it'll be 80 or 90 calories per mile and then see how it works out with your actual weight loss. It could end up being a bit high, but probably not catastrophically so.
I also walk on an incline on treadmill. But really have no idea what setting it at the setting of 6 or 15 does to the calorie burn. One of the many reasons I now prefer to ride my bike on a trainer is because of the much more accurate calorie burn calculated by watt. Unfortunately, biking has their own set of downsides that I will save for the cons of biking thread. 0 -
If using a treadmill (I have a commercial one) I deduct 20% from the readout. I set it to a fairly steep incline also to make it more challenging.
Walking outdoors, I utilize Gaia for distance, mph, and elevation changes. I put the time of the walk at a lower MPH (if it says I walked at 3.2 I enter 2.5 so that I under instead of overestimate calories)0 -
Personally I hate walking for no purpose, but put me on a golf course chasing an obstinate ball for 5-6 miles and I am perfectly happy. Well I would be if I had a mid-game worth a damn!
For me just general walking for no other reason than to have a walk is not something I would do on my own. I just don't have the time to take that time out because of a job as a sports journalist - it is far easier for me to get my workout on the treadmill or bike done ahead of having to work... but I know plenty of people for whom walking literally saved their lives as they had never exercised a day before!
My cousin's husband was morbidly obese, had to retire as a teacher when very young, and was diagnosed as a Type 2 diabetic. He was told to get walking or get dying, and the amount of weight he lost was phenomenal. Still has weight to lose, but is unrecognisable from the figure he was - so we respectfully par with each other about this very question of what are the cons of walking.
There are no real cons except whether it suits the individual... and well done OP for your last push of weight loss!
When all said and done - whatever you do advances you on your goals far more than the person doing nowt!1 -
Walking out side for me has health hazard since where I live, there are no side walks and cars and scooters zoom by. Air quality and weather is also a factor. So I prefer to walk on treadmill.
But my biggest complaint about walking is the calorie count. I really have no idea how many calories i'm burning. Too many conflicting articles out there on how much you really burn even if I am on a treadmill much less outside.
If someone has a known good formula to calculate walking calorie, please share.
@globalc00
I tend to use the simple bodyweight in pounds X efficiency ratio of 0.3 X miles walked = net calories
(e.g. At my 168lb weight walking 3 miles would get a number of 151 net cals with caveats that it's intended for flat ground and "normal speed" walking.)
Beware that many estimates are gross cals (including MyFitnessPal's METS based estimates and many apps) which would mean an element of double counting if using MFP as designed for exercise calories. (MFP number for me with an hour at 3mph would be 251cals.)
This calculator tends to give higher numbers than my simple formula (184cals for comparison) but usefully has a field where you can enter the grade so helpful for your treadmill incline walks perhaps?
https://exrx.net/Calculators/WalkRunMETs
2 -
[quote="l
I actually prefer running shoes for walking. My walking shoe of choice, the NB 990v5, isn't classified as a "running" shoe (it's a "lifestyle" shoe, whatever that means), but the heel is elevated 12 mm and you can really feel the difference. I have Achilles tendon issues, which are nearly 100 % absent when I use the 990v5s, for the same reason that walking downhill is easier on ankles than walking uphill - less stretch on the tendon.
My only point being that 'walking' shoe isn't just marketing, it s a design thing. At least for fitness brands like NB.[/quote]LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »Don't think there can be any negatives unless you plan on doing excess miles every single day, which is what I did a few years ago and burned myself out not to mention my poor heels and feet were suffering too (had to let go of my step tracker eventually because I couldn't stand to see less than 20k+ steps a day)
Oh yeah... the other con is how much more shoes and socks cost and how fast you wear out shoes once your average stays over 10k. Don't be fooled by shoes supposedly designed to be "walking" shoes. In this country that just means it is possible to walk in them. It doesn't actually mean they are designed for exercise.
A walking fitness shoe usually means one that doesn't have an elevated heel like a running shoe. So, for instance, a New Balance 928, which is a walking shoe, provides an absolutely flat surface for your feet, whereas an 880, which is a running shoe, tips your foot forward about 10 mm.
I actually prefer running shoes for walking. My walking shoe of choice, the NB 990v5, isn't classified as a "running" shoe (it's a "lifestyle" shoe, whatever that means), but the heel is elevated 12 mm and you can really feel the difference. I have Achilles tendon issues, which are nearly 100 % absent when I use the 990v5s, for the same reason that walking downhill is easier on ankles than walking uphill - less stretch on the tendon.
My only point being that 'walking' shoe isn't just marketing, it s a design thing. At least for fitness brands like NB.
This was so helpful! I bought a pair of Brooks that feel amazing support-wise, but they tip my toes forward causing them to go to sleep and get tingly on my walks.
I must have bought running shoes, instead of walking shoes. I'll keep this in mind next time I shop.1 -
Walking out side for me has health hazard since where I live, there are no side walks and cars and scooters zoom by. Air quality and weather is also a factor. So I prefer to walk on treadmill.
But my biggest complaint about walking is the calorie count. I really have no idea how many calories i'm burning. Too many conflicting articles out there on how much you really burn even if I am on a treadmill much less outside.
If someone has a known good formula to calculate walking calorie, please share.
@globalc00
I tend to use the simple bodyweight in pounds X efficiency ratio of 0.3 X miles walked = net calories
(e.g. At my 168lb weight walking 3 miles would get a number of 151 net cals with caveats that it's intended for flat ground and "normal speed" walking.)
Beware that many estimates are gross cals (including MyFitnessPal's METS based estimates and many apps) which would mean an element of double counting if using MFP as designed for exercise calories. (MFP number for me with an hour at 3mph would be 251cals.)
This calculator tends to give higher numbers than my simple formula (184cals for comparison) but usefully has a field where you can enter the grade so helpful for your treadmill incline walks perhaps?
https://exrx.net/Calculators/WalkRunMETs
I like this calculator and had used it previously. I went back to see if it matched my conservative deduct 20% off calculation (never hurts to double check yourself). This calculator differs from what I normally enter for a 40 min dog walk by 3 calories. 😊1 -
Dogmom1978 wrote: »Walking out side for me has health hazard since where I live, there are no side walks and cars and scooters zoom by. Air quality and weather is also a factor. So I prefer to walk on treadmill.
But my biggest complaint about walking is the calorie count. I really have no idea how many calories i'm burning. Too many conflicting articles out there on how much you really burn even if I am on a treadmill much less outside.
If someone has a known good formula to calculate walking calorie, please share.
@globalc00
I tend to use the simple bodyweight in pounds X efficiency ratio of 0.3 X miles walked = net calories
(e.g. At my 168lb weight walking 3 miles would get a number of 151 net cals with caveats that it's intended for flat ground and "normal speed" walking.)
Beware that many estimates are gross cals (including MyFitnessPal's METS based estimates and many apps) which would mean an element of double counting if using MFP as designed for exercise calories. (MFP number for me with an hour at 3mph would be 251cals.)
This calculator tends to give higher numbers than my simple formula (184cals for comparison) but usefully has a field where you can enter the grade so helpful for your treadmill incline walks perhaps?
https://exrx.net/Calculators/WalkRunMETs
I like this calculator and had used it previously. I went back to see if it matched my conservative deduct 20% off calculation (never hurts to double check yourself). This calculator differs from what I normally enter for a 40 min dog walk by 3 calories. 😊
Nice!
Interesting how many ways there are to get to a reasonable estimate.
To convert from gross to net for mathematical convenience I assume a day without exercise for me is 2400 so I take off 100 cal/hr.
If I take 100cals off MFP's estimate for 3mph for an hour I get exactly the same as BW x 0.3 x miles. Weird coincidence.2 -
Only negative is that it takes a long time to walk enough (in 1 session) to make much of a difference.
I only walk at a pace about of 2.5 miles/hr. So, it would take me 2 hrs to walk 5 mikes or 10k steps, wc is why I don't do it very often1 -
Yeah I get that. I walked 8 miles yesterday in 3 hours. Roughly 800 calories burnt was a plus though.0
-
Walking out side for me has health hazard since where I live, there are no side walks and cars and scooters zoom by. Air quality and weather is also a factor. So I prefer to walk on treadmill.
But my biggest complaint about walking is the calorie count. I really have no idea how many calories i'm burning. Too many conflicting articles out there on how much you really burn even if I am on a treadmill much less outside.
If someone has a known good formula to calculate walking calorie, please share.
@globalc00
I tend to use the simple bodyweight in pounds X efficiency ratio of 0.3 X miles walked = net calories
(e.g. At my 168lb weight walking 3 miles would get a number of 151 net cals with caveats that it's intended for flat ground and "normal speed" walking.)
Beware that many estimates are gross cals (including MyFitnessPal's METS based estimates and many apps) which would mean an element of double counting if using MFP as designed for exercise calories. (MFP number for me with an hour at 3mph would be 251cals.)
This calculator tends to give higher numbers than my simple formula (184cals for comparison) but usefully has a field where you can enter the grade so helpful for your treadmill incline walks perhaps?
https://exrx.net/Calculators/WalkRunMETs
Based on your calculation. I would burn 210 calories for 10000 steps or 5 miles. Burning a hair more per hour than my hourly tdee. Quite depressing. 😩
Reasons like this I feel like it’s easier to not eat than exercise. 1 hour walking burns less than eating a banana.0 -
Walking out side for me has health hazard since where I live, there are no side walks and cars and scooters zoom by. Air quality and weather is also a factor. So I prefer to walk on treadmill.
But my biggest complaint about walking is the calorie count. I really have no idea how many calories i'm burning. Too many conflicting articles out there on how much you really burn even if I am on a treadmill much less outside.
If someone has a known good formula to calculate walking calorie, please share.
@globalc00
I tend to use the simple bodyweight in pounds X efficiency ratio of 0.3 X miles walked = net calories
(e.g. At my 168lb weight walking 3 miles would get a number of 151 net cals with caveats that it's intended for flat ground and "normal speed" walking.)
Beware that many estimates are gross cals (including MyFitnessPal's METS based estimates and many apps) which would mean an element of double counting if using MFP as designed for exercise calories. (MFP number for me with an hour at 3mph would be 251cals.)
This calculator tends to give higher numbers than my simple formula (184cals for comparison) but usefully has a field where you can enter the grade so helpful for your treadmill incline walks perhaps?
https://exrx.net/Calculators/WalkRunMETs
Based on your calculation. I would burn 210 calories for 10000 steps or 5 miles. Burning a hair more per hour than my hourly tdee. Quite depressing. 😩
Reasons like this I feel like it’s easier to not eat than exercise. 1 hour walking burns less than eating a banana.
It was cool and drizzly when I got home this afternoon. I changed into gardening clothes and gardened for an hour. Then we walked the cat in the woods for an hour. He only went 0.7 mile, which was the perfect pace for me - I brought my clippers and worked on the trail. Between the deadfall, briars, and the multiflora roses, I will always have trail to work on. (It gets really overgrown when I abandon it during the peak of gardening season.)
It was nice having my OH with me. He usually walks the cat but we would occasionally trade off when I needed his strength or height. I've been trying to get him in the woods for years, but he'd been reluctant until he started walking the cat and got bored with just walking him on our street.
I enjoyed my afternoon very much. The exercise calories are nice, but being active does so much for my mental and physical health, plus I sleep better.
Maybe you can find a way to make walking more interesting for you - are you listening to music, podcasts, reading, or watching TV while you are on the treadmill?1 -
I have reached the end of YouTube and web walking on treadmill. Lol. The issue is my mind knows 1 hour is 1 hour. It’s a long time much less 2 hours.
2 -
Breaking Bad takes 62 hours to watch. You'll be set till mid January.[/quote]
I watched 1 season of it and couldn't bring my self to watch season 2. I really don't get why people think it's such a good series.1
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.4K Getting Started
- 259.6K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 387 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.2K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 911 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions