Is This Like my Dr said - Worthless Exercise!?

PrincessLynn2010
PrincessLynn2010 Posts: 49 Member
edited October 7 in Fitness and Exercise
I mentioned to my doctor that I was walking to work (it is a 12 minute walk for me) and back for exercise. For me, this is a HUGE improvement from my usual doing NOTHING, daily (I always mean to, but never end up doing it. I work nights, so it's hard).

My doctor shook his head and told me to just get OUT there and make it a point to give it at least a half hour to an hour. That my walks to and from work weren't worth anything.

I was feeling good about what I was doing. Believe me, when I pass my car on my way out, it takes effort not to just sit down and turn the ignition and RIDE to work.

So... is this true?! Is my walking to work silly?

I am, as an aside, planning to do more than that on days that I can (roughly 1-3 days/week), but ... !?!?!?
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Replies

  • ishallnotwant
    ishallnotwant Posts: 1,210 Member
    If you haven't been consistent with any type of activity, I think this is a great start. Work up to more walking as you can, and while you walk try to walk a little faster, not just a leisurely stroll. We have to start somewhere, and just developing the habit tomove more in general is a good one. Good for you, for making a change!
  • ZombieSlayer
    ZombieSlayer Posts: 369 Member
    No movement is worthless (except shake weights. :bigsmile:). A lot of people start by just parking farther from the entrance of work/school/shopping. Just build up to more.
  • Astrowife68
    Astrowife68 Posts: 79
    It may not be worthy of much, except IF it makes you feel better, I think it is great. They say it is all in your mindset. So get out there and do what make you smile :smile: . When you are smiling, you are in a better mood :happy: , and when in a better mood you are more apt to move more. Moving more = exercise.


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  • SpringFever19
    SpringFever19 Posts: 180 Member
    Your doctor is a wanker. That's not to say he/she isn't right that you can always do more, as above poster said, it's a great start and anything is better than nothing! It's all in the delivery of the message. His/her "bedside" manner is obviously lacking.
  • Nikkiray32
    Nikkiray32 Posts: 123
    Hi, At work I have to do rounds. I walk sometimes30 minutes on a round and sometimes 15 minutes and I do about 6 rounds a shift. MFP says I burned about 50 calories doing the 15 min walk. Eventually try to walk more. I have alreadly lost 8 pounds in one month. I do zumba and cardio on my days off. Start slow and work your way up.
  • its_sania
    its_sania Posts: 93 Member
    Any exercise is good! We had a health campaign over here for people to find at least 30minutes of exercise a day to stay healthy and included things like walking to work instead of driving. Maybe your doctor was just trying to encourage you to do something more but you've got to start somewhere!
  • mcrowe1016
    mcrowe1016 Posts: 647 Member
    Well worthless is not a very tactful word to use.

    Mentally, your two walks a day are reminders that you are changing your life to be healthier and happier, and that is not worthless.

    As far as fitness goes, it is still better than nothing. However, if you only need to lose 45 lbs, those two walks will not do much to improve your overall health. Morbidly obese and injured people will start out walking about 10-30 minutes. You are probably capable of pushing yourself much more than you know.

    Can you lose weight walking half an hour a day? Yes, but you can also lose weight doing no exercise at all. I work out for two reasons - so I can eat more that day and so I can improve my overall fitness.

    So, while I believe that mentally these walks can be great to get you into a healthy mindset, I do not believe that they will greatly increase your overall health. Does that make sense?
  • sugarbeans
    sugarbeans Posts: 676 Member
    The fact that you are getting up, walking past your car and walking to and from work is awesome. He/she said it had to be at least 30min walk, if it is 12min to and from you are only 6min away from that goal. I think they should acknowledge the fact that you are making an effort to walking and healthier choices.

    Pat yourself on the back and if you feel one day doing more than the 12 min walk then try, if not the good for you for at least doing the 12 min.
  • Saruman_w
    Saruman_w Posts: 1,531 Member
    If I were you, I'd aim for something that gets that HR up. Make that heart work. Try adding a jog here and there every so often? But yea, I suppose walking is better than nothing.
  • inge88
    inge88 Posts: 184 Member
    It is said a couple of times already, but I think it's always nice to get another positive reaction :)
    I think it's great you are walking instead of driving! You might not burn that many calories, but being active makes you feel so much better! I ride my bike to work most days. It only burns 90 calories, but I feel so much better and healthier when I get there. It is also really nice to just get some fresh air.

    Like someone else said: they advertise for everyone to do 30 minutes every day.. by walking to and from work you already got 24 done! Those little things is what this life style change is all about!
  • runiechica
    runiechica Posts: 180 Member
    it's not worthless. Eat less, move more. Any strides in that direction aren't worthless...maybe they aren't as effective as your doctor thinks you can be, but that doesn't make them worthless. Work up to doing more, but stick to where you are. Don't get discouraged.
  • eksb
    eksb Posts: 93
    Healthier for you and the environment! Not to mention your wallet, saving a little gas money here and there always helps. Don't seen any downside to it other than possibly having to find another doctor.
  • 0PhAtDaDdY
    0PhAtDaDdY Posts: 569 Member
    I mentioned to my doctor that I was walking to work (it is a 12 minute walk for me) and back for exercise. For me, this is a HUGE improvement from my usual doing NOTHING, daily (I always mean to, but never end up doing it. I work nights, so it's hard).

    My doctor shook his head and told me to just get OUT there and make it a point to give it at least a half hour to an hour. That my walks to and from work weren't worth anything.

    I was feeling good about what I was doing. Believe me, when I pass my car on my way out, it takes effort not to just sit down and turn the ignition and RIDE to work.

    So... is this true?! Is my walking to work silly?

    I am, as an aside, planning to do more than that on days that I can (roughly 1-3 days/week), but ... !?!?!?

    Bad Bad Doctor, keep up the walking..I'm guessing doc thinking if it ain't 20-30 minutes it's no good..Any is good..
  • agentscully514
    agentscully514 Posts: 616 Member
    yes!!! kieep it up!!! the walking is great!

    and you should do more. the doc is right. *Some* is great. *More* is what you really need.
  • diaryoffatdad
    diaryoffatdad Posts: 175 Member
    what a terrible thing for the doctor to say......

    to be brutally honest with you, doctors know jack squat about weightloss, obesity, exercise and nutrition. people seem to think they are the all mighty source of information, however in their training and education very little time is dedicated to this area, most doctors know far less about weightloss and exercise than the many people on here,

    thats not to say that they are not useful, they have in depth knowledge of other co-existing issues, but they are not a good source of information for weight related issues.

    the majority of your weightloss will come from your nutrition. activity, any level of activity has fantastic benifits to your health. your walk to and from work is a fantastic addition to your day and has some very important benifits. daily walks like this protect you against disease, amoung other things.

    would you see results faster with increased activity.....probably, but in no way should you be discouraged about making such a positive step. your simple walks to work could have huge effects on your health, good for you! keep it up
  • Mirabilis
    Mirabilis Posts: 312 Member
    You do need a better doctor though. There is no excuse for him peeing all over your good work and motivation. If he looks smug when he says it, he likely needs a swift kick up the backside on your way out the door too.

    Doctors often have no idea what you're going through. The term "lifestyle choice" is a facile cliche. This is hard freaking work and you should be getting credit for it. As you get stronger you do more, of course, but I bet if that doc had to go for a 30 minute walk with a 30 pound bag of kitty litter on his shoulders, he might be more supportive.

    Mirii
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,993 Member
    Your doctor must ride to work and plays golf using a golf cart. Quit paying to be able to rent a golf cart.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • PetitePerfection
    PetitePerfection Posts: 199 Member
    Definitely not worthless!! 24minutes of exercise a day is better than none! I agree that more would be better, but walking to work isn't silly and is far from worthless. That doctor really shouldn't have said its worthless, he should have told you good job for making an improvement, but strive for more.
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
    Better than nothing. More would be even better. Just keep it up and see if you can take a longer route home.
  • janesmith1
    janesmith1 Posts: 1,511 Member
    Wow, how insensitive of your doctor! It is WORTHWHILE! BTW invest in a HRM (heart rate monitor) so you can mark your calorie counts here. The one at MFP is general and I think everyone needs a HRM to show correct cals. If you get one, trust me, it WILL make you feel good. Heck, housework and folding clothes counts on your HRM! :)
  • gp79
    gp79 Posts: 1,799 Member
    A bad workout is better than no workout.
  • tamanella
    tamanella Posts: 500 Member
    It really saddens me to hear that your doctor told you that basically it isn't worth doing. Well, I'll tell you what my physical therapist told me...he said that it takes time to build up, especially if you weigh what I weigh( which at the time was 335lbs) and with my back issues. He told me to walk for 5 minutes at a time all day, because if I can walk let's says 5 minutes, 6 times a day that's 30 minutes that I have exercised. He told me that from there, I just need to keep adjusting it up a little longer when I notice that 5 minutes at a time is pretty easy to do, then it's time to up it. I think you walking back and forth to work is wonderful! And if it's starting to get easier and easier to do or you notice it's taking you 10 minutes to get there because you are able to pick up the pace, then it's time to add more in like at lunch walk around your building for the 12 minutes or walk up and down some stairs for the 12 minutes.

    Don't let this discourage you!! It's awesome that you are walking back and forth, way to go!!
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    Yeah, don't let what your doctor said get to you, sounds like he was trying to motivate you to do more exercise (which isn't a bad idea), but what you are doing is absolutely not worthless! Think of ways to fit in extra...maybe in the morning you just walk straight there, but on the way you home take a longer route! When I was working (recently lost my job...) I would sneak in exercise there like crunches in the bathroom stall (perch on edge of toilet with feet on the stall door), squats in the bathroom, calf raises while you sit at your desk. Heck, even being a little fidgety burns a few extra calories! Congratulations on taking a huge step towards a healthier life for yourself.
  • PrincessLynn2010
    PrincessLynn2010 Posts: 49 Member
    You know, I'm overweight. 65 lbs overweight. I speed walk to and from work. I don't walk slowly. My heart pounds, and I am sweating and out of breath. I have to change because of it by the time I get to work or back home. Walking briskly is a truly hard workout for me. I'm OUT OF SHAPE. That's why my car looks so darned good, as I choose to pass by it.

    I'm frustrated with my doctor for not supporting me. Can I do better? Yes. But with 9 children and a 60 hour work week, working nights, I still think I'm doing darned good.

    I also do rounds several times a night (I'm a nurse), and I have 2 solid hours at work where I am on my feet running, caring for patients, moving them, lifting them, etc...

    It is HARD to find TIME to do more at home. I go home, wind down (as I am now), then sleep til the afternoon. Then it's running around trying to take care of all my responsibilitiers before picking up kids, making supper, cleaning house and getting ready for another worknight.

    I get a day off every 9 days. On my day off, I admit to catching up on some rest. Maybe I could force myself to do a cardio workout on that day, instead.

    All in all, thank you for the validation.

    It sounds idiotic to you doing things much more athletic/active, but I feel GOOD when I get to work, and I feel GOOD when I come home. That short, hard walk makes me feel like I'm at least TRYING. And when I add up my calories, I am happy, happy, happy when I do well! :-)
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
    No movement is worthless (except shake weights. :bigsmile:). A lot of people start by just parking farther from the entrance of work/school/shopping. Just build up to more.

    This. If you're not used to doing anything, this is a wonderful start. Don't let the naysayers discourage you. Keep it up, and as you're able, add in more. There is no "right" way to do this. Just make continual improvements over what you used to do.
  • loischapman
    loischapman Posts: 88
    any time of movement on your behalf is a zillion times better than nothing...and just become consistent with that walk and slowly begin to add more. Shame:heart: o n that Dr. you go girl and hopefully exercise with begin to be more! good luck. walk on:heart:
  • sonjawi
    sonjawi Posts: 46
    He might be of the old school, which believed that nothing under 20 to 30 minutes counts as workout. Yes, it is better to get your heart rate up for a longer time, but heck....I have given up talking to doctors. I was in my life overweight and normal weighting. Before I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, the answer I got from any doctor is "Well your knees hurt because you are too heavy". Really? At size 6 it was still the same....

    Don't forget that most doctors learned about weightloss some 20 or 30 years ago.Unless they visit classes, they will stick to what they learned technically in the dark ages of weight loss :).
  • billtownsend
    billtownsend Posts: 75 Member
    Your doing great! We all have to start someplace and if you are not in shape enough to walk for a half hour to an hour daily then you can do more damage than good. listen to your body and keep going. There is nothing wrong with building your time up when if feels right.
  • GemmaRowlands
    GemmaRowlands Posts: 360 Member
    I always say that ANY improvement is better than nothing. For example I work from home so lead a largely sedentary life, however I have recently bought a mini cycler which I can cycle on under my desk at in my study. Friends have laughed at me and are saying that this is nothing to be proud of, but I simply do not agree at all.
  • LilMissFoodie
    LilMissFoodie Posts: 612 Member
    Ugh, this makes me think of all the patients I see with drs that have told them there is no point in losing any weight at all (coming from 200kg/400lb-ish) if they don't get down to their healthy weight range. Keep up the good work!
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