Is walking a waste of time?

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bigwill5
bigwill5 Posts: 77 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have been a total couch potato for years and recently decided to join this site and start execising by walking. This is my second week and I have been under the calorie goals and walking at least 5 days each week. Well my next door neighborhood, the mixed martial arts fighter comes over and says that walking is a waste of time. He says that my heart rate has got to get up into a burn zone for cardio to be effective. I have heard a little about this but I am not at a point where I can jog. So am I wasting my time walking? I average anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes at a 3.5 pace.
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Replies

  • LisaKyle11
    LisaKyle11 Posts: 662 Member
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    NO... not a waste of time at all. walking is great exercise - low impact and great for the body overall.
  • PeaceLuvVeggies
    PeaceLuvVeggies Posts: 375 Member
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    You do what you can! Baby steps =) I walk everyday for 120 minutes [I walk dogs for a living & walk to and from work] and I burn 709 calories.

    I lost 2 lbs last week because of my exercising!
  • abellante_0205
    abellante_0205 Posts: 368 Member
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    I think walking no matter the pace is good... At least you are MOVING. You may not get an effective burn, but you are still burning some calories.
  • bobbi72200
    bobbi72200 Posts: 1 Member
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    No, you are not wasting your time! You have to start somewhere and if you have been sedentary before this, walking is a great start! One thing you will learn on this journey is that there will always be detractors and people who try to force their exercise beliefs on you. Do what you feel is right. If you see results from the walking, stick to it and keep progressing. Stay positive!!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,556 Member
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    Walking is exercise. Exercise isn't a waste of time.
  • mikonei
    mikonei Posts: 291 Member
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    Absolutely not. I lost my first 16 pounds doing no exercise but walking. It's a good place to start and build up from :)
  • Bullly
    Bullly Posts: 136 Member
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    Don't listen to him. Walking is an excellent way to exercise - less stressful to the knees!

    Keep it up!
  • tbacogiannis
    tbacogiannis Posts: 2
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    Are you crazy? Thats an awesome start! When you are ready, and you will be, you can speed walk in intervals for getting your heart rate up. Then you can add weights while you walk. All exercise matters and its a good start to walk. Good luck!!!!
  • tjames719
    tjames719 Posts: 136 Member
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    Not a waste of time at all.... google the benefits of walking there are a ton...:wink:
  • thankyou4thevenom
    thankyou4thevenom Posts: 1,581 Member
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    No it's not.

    http://www.dietandfitnessresources.co.uk/walking-for-weight-loss.htm

    http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/loseweight/Pages/10000stepschallenge.aspx

    You won't lose as fast or create muscle in the way strength training or cardio would do for you but you can lose weight and get healthier. Walking is a great way to start your weight loss journey.
  • MissFit0101
    MissFit0101 Posts: 2,382
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    It's not a waste of time, but you can make it more or less effective by how quickly you walk and how long you walk. It's def a great start! Walking is good for your body. Step it up a little when you can, but don't be discouraged! Walking IS GOOD!
  • brandenocs
    brandenocs Posts: 146 Member
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    It would be a waste of time for HIM because he's probably already really fit from martial arts. The couch potato to average joe types would benefit from walking and a calorie deficit initially. Eventually though, you'll want to turn it into a power walk, then a jog, then a sprint, then into something like HIIT. It's all a progression. Keep it up. Don't let him discourage you. Be safe and do what you can while constantly pushing yourself! Good luck!
  • russelllepage
    russelllepage Posts: 8 Member
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    Walking burns calories and strengthens your core. I've lost 33lbs in just over 3 months and walking is the main reason why.
  • Charrisse
    Charrisse Posts: 163
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    That is rediculous. Of course its not a waste of time. And what a fool he is for saying that.
    You may not be in a "fat burn cardio zone" but you are up and moving and burning calories regardless. Keep walking. You will buiild your endurance and stregnth and will be able to eventually up your work outs to high intensity, if you chose to. If not, walking is still a great exercise. Swing your arms and stride out to get a little more "oomph".. :) Keep it up!
  • cairney4698
    cairney4698 Posts: 237
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    I think this is an easy one to be fair. If you were previously doing nothing and now are walking so much each day then it surely can NOT be a waste of time.

    I am like you and I do a lot of walking as I do not feel I am up to jogging as yet. If I were to do NOTHING because I can't jog then I would not be doing aswell.

    Keep up your good work with the walking!!
  • sammys1girly
    sammys1girly Posts: 1,045 Member
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    A great place to start and some people have lost tremendous amounts of weight by only walking but being very consistent with it. Also good for your bones to have some impact exercise. Don't worry about your neighbor, he doesn't know what he's talking about.
  • fluter4gsus
    fluter4gsus Posts: 31 Member
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    It's absolutely not a waste of time. A lot of people lose weight walking. As your endurance improves you can increase speed and duration. Maybe you'll even become a runner someday. But going too fast too soon can result in injury, listen to your body.
  • HowardRose
    HowardRose Posts: 138 Member
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    Walking worked great for me.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
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    Walking is only a waste of time for douchey MMA fighters. For everyone else, it's a fun and productive use of time.
  • kellicruz1978
    kellicruz1978 Posts: 170 Member
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    You just keep walking, your neighbor doesn't know what he's talking about.

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