Is This Like my Dr said - Worthless Exercise!?

It sounds like you need a new doctor. I disturbs me that he can't see the benefit of you walking to work after not doing any exercise at all. He should be encouraging you to walk to work and then encourage you to do more if you can.

I've also read that you don't need to do your 30 minutes of exercise in one shot to see the benefits. If it takes you 12 minutes each way, then all you would need is a 6 minute walk on your lunch to make up your 30. Definitely try to get a lunchtime walk in. My mom does it and not only does it give her some exercise but she doesn't get that afternoon slump.

And definitely find yourself a new doctor. He doesn't sound very supportive at all.

You're doing great! You're making a great choice every day, how could it not not be beneficial to your mental and physical health?
Keep up the good work!

First, I will say that it is not worthless. My doctor has read studies that say as little as 10-15 minutes of cardio a day can help.
However, it can only replace exercise if you do it at the same pace you would do normal exercise. Of course, my doctor also says that, as someone who has a history of obesity, I'm likely going to have to be out there exercising 5-6 days a week if I want to change things. The longer I spend on this journey to living healthy, the more I see the truth of what he says. (Though this doesn't stop me resenting him for it.)

That said, walking to work should not be seen as a replacement for 3-5 workouts a week - 3 being the minimum - of 30+ minutes of exercise. Ideally, that number should be 45+ minutes but 30 is pretty good and more realistic. I know it seems like a lot and I know we all can find lots of good reasons not to do it but regular exercise is an essential part of living a healthy life. And living a healthy life is probably the reason you signed up for this site.

The one thing I've learned from this getting healthier stuff is that the time required for exercise looks worse than it is. The days that I do go out and spend 30, 45, 60 minutes exercising, I wind up feeling so good afterwards that I don't feel like I've really lost much time at all. In fact, my day goes better and I get more done because I'm not battling the lethargy that comes with not moving much.

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.

I totally agree!!!! Some activity is better than no activity! Good for you for taking the walk instead of driving.

Since I have been very unactive, my doctor recommended me starting out with 10-15 minute excercises a few times a day. Obviously as I become fitter, that will change but I think that is a great lifestyle change for you to make! I also think your doctor is nuts for telling you that it is worthless.

I don't see anything wrong with what your doctor said. I wish more doctors were this honest with their patients, most would not even bother and just see the next patient. Your short walk may make you feel better but will do almost nothing for real weight loss, he is right. I think this is what is wrong with society now days and why so many of us are FAT. We dont want to hear the truth, just sugar coat it and feed it to me DOC but never tell me the truth, I can't handle that!

I apologize ahead of time if I become part of a pile up.

Anyway, I know this tough love approach works for some people. But for others, it doesn't.

For many, losing weight is a scary idea. Who wants to bust their *kitten* in the gym 60 minutes a day? What fat person even wants to SHOW UP at a gym? Who wants to go hungry? Who wants to give up fast food? People are fat because they are intimidated by being healthy. If we make the idea of a healthy lifestyle too out of reach--which we have by setting the bar too high--most people will avoid it.

The original poster is doing fine, taking baby steps towards being healthy. If she weren't exercising at all, she could still lose weight with her diet. You can lose weight with just dieting alone, so saying her walks are useless is just plain wrong. The 20 minutes she's doing everyday is WONDERFUL. And for now, it's enough.

Your doctor is wrong!!!! If you walk one way 12 minutes...twice a day that is 24 minutes! That is a great start!!!! I am sure you have every intention of adding those 6-36 minutes of exercise in other ways. No exercise is worthless. That 12 minute walk is better for you than sitting in your car or on a bus for 12 minutes.
Your doctor may be correct in saying if your walk to work is a replacement for other exercise you were already getting, however if you are adding it, it is not worthless.

This is a healthy choice. Just like choosing an apple instead of a donuts. Keep walking, slowly add other healthy choices and prove to your doctor and to yourself that you know how to make good choices!

I say keep walking, maybe pick up the pace and make those 12 mins count. I walk around my office complex and its a little over a mile round trip. I do it at a pace of about 3.5 to 4.0 in order to get my heart rate up and make it really count as a calorie burning exercise. Also, no I don't think it is useless, at least you are doing something!

I "had" a doctor like that.... same doctor that kept telling me to "exercise more and eat less" when I was taking in about 600 calories a day.... that wasn't working.... you need to do what works for you... remember they are just practicing and mine had to practice with someone else.

I think you have a great start! just keep bumping up the exercise from there.

Ask a coach not a doctor. Walk as briskly as possible, but any exercise is better than driving

It's not worthless BUT if thats ALL you are doing then you need to do a lot more. I started riding my bike back and forth to work to get more exercise in. Its 16 miles RT and has made a huge difference because by the time I used to get home it was almost 7pm and I hadnt exercised. Now I burn almost 2,000 cals before I walk thru the door.


I bet your doc just wants you to put in 1 hour of cardio a day.

A few years ago, I worked out religiously 5-6 hours a week, both strength training and cardio. I kept increasing the weights, had a personal trainer. I was physically fit, but my joints hurt. So I didn't stay that active outside of the gym. I also needed to eat a fair amount or I wouldn't feel good, because I was exercising and buildling muscle (I build muscle easily).

Anyway, to make a long story short, exercising a few hours a week, regardless of how intense, is not that helpful if you don't move the other hours in the day. I was sitting around a lot outside of the gym.

You might find that in the beginning the amount of walking you're doing is fine. Over time, your body adjusts, and you'll need to do more if you want to lose more weight. That's where you can decide to do other things, or take the stairs more often, or something else.

I would bet if if you focus on moving more, that would help. Yes, it's true you need to get your heart rate up, etc, but why not do what works for you now, with the idea that you might have to increase it later? Don't worry about the doctor, you're headed in the right direction.

There are alot of rude unsupportive people answering this topic. I know a lady that started walking just to the end of her driveway in a walker with a nurse when she started 5 years ago....she now walks her dog throughout the neighborhood without any assistance. Where would she be today if she had been told her small effort meant nothing.