Stooopidest Question ever ;)

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sweetnsassyfied
sweetnsassyfied Posts: 110 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
This question is going to sound dumber then the way I spelt stupid. :laugh: But I am asking anyway ... Nothing ventured, nothing gained. :wink:

What is the difference between a walk and a hike?

Is it time, terrain, the shoes? What's the qualifier? :laugh:

I was born and raised in Michigan. Lived everywhere from Detroit to Grand Rapids. A modern day hobo by nature. :blushing: Which is how I found myself living in Austria ( Mozart, Mountain, Sound of Music. No kangaroo's here! :laugh: ). Did I mention its an adventurous nature. :wink:

I love my home pennisula state! Its gentle rolling hills and water water everywhere! Did you know that in Michigan you are never more then 5 miles away from some sort of water? True, river, creek, stream, or lake 5 miles in any direction will get you to one! :smile: But to coin a phrase, Michigan is, comparatively speaking, a flatlander place. :smile: ( Unless you go up north. )

Austria, ga-gorgeous! But I swear there are times that I am firmly convinced that this country is all UP hill!! Kind of like my beloved waters of Michigan, I am never more then 10 minutes away from an upward climb to beat the band! There are 2 aka hills near my home that I am literally doing forward lunges just to get up. I love em but boy do I feel em. :laugh:

So do tell.. am I walking of hiking or wiking? What the heck is the difference?

Sincerely,

Sassy

Replies

  • sweetnsassyfied
    sweetnsassyfied Posts: 110 Member
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    This question is going to sound dumber then the way I spelt stupid. :laugh: But I am asking anyway ... Nothing ventured, nothing gained. :wink:

    What is the difference between a walk and a hike?

    Is it time, terrain, the shoes? What's the qualifier? :laugh:

    I was born and raised in Michigan. Lived everywhere from Detroit to Grand Rapids. A modern day hobo by nature. :blushing: Which is how I found myself living in Austria ( Mozart, Mountain, Sound of Music. No kangaroo's here! :laugh: ). Did I mention its an adventurous nature. :wink:

    I love my home pennisula state! Its gentle rolling hills and water water everywhere! Did you know that in Michigan you are never more then 5 miles away from some sort of water? True, river, creek, stream, or lake 5 miles in any direction will get you to one! :smile: But to coin a phrase, Michigan is, comparatively speaking, a flatlander place. :smile: ( Unless you go up north. )

    Austria, ga-gorgeous! But I swear there are times that I am firmly convinced that this country is all UP hill!! Kind of like my beloved waters of Michigan, I am never more then 10 minutes away from an upward climb to beat the band! There are 2 aka hills near my home that I am literally doing forward lunges just to get up. I love em but boy do I feel em. :laugh:

    So do tell.. am I walking of hiking or wiking? What the heck is the difference?

    Sincerely,

    Sassy
  • sgtinvincible
    sgtinvincible Posts: 2,559
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    Well, this is far from official, but in my personal opinion, a walk is something rather casual, on fairly even ground over fairly flat terrain. Something you might choose running shoes, or tennis shoes for their lightweight, 'springy' feels. Something urban probably fits this well.

    Hikes tend to be much more strenuous, over rough terrain, and often hilly or mountainous. The footwear usually chosen for hiking tends to be stiffer and more robust, and provides a much greater amount of ankle support due to the stresses that are put on the lower leg. Hikes tend toward 'off road' trails and long distances. Fording streams and climbing rocks are not uncommon features to hiking. Backpacks and camelbaks are often utilized in hiking as well.

    Again, far from official, but this comparison seems to suit my take pretty well. :wink:

    'Wiking' sounds like a fair take on what you might be doing. :laugh:
  • Helawat
    Helawat Posts: 605 Member
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    Walking: Last night I took a walk with my boyfriend down the Las Vegas strip. I wore my athletic shoes but strolled down The Strip at our leisure. We walked about 5 miles, but it wasn't considered hiking.

    Hiking: I wore my hikers and some gear to hike the rocks and steep incline of Red Rock in Las Vegas not too long ago. We went off road and saw waterfalls, plant life and donkeys. We hiked uphill and into a few caves for about 5 miles.
  • sarahbearbear
    sarahbearbear Posts: 14
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    I agree, I feel that hiking also infers some sort of vertical aspect to the walk (ie climbing a bit, slope, rougher terrain)
  • Katy009
    Katy009 Posts: 579 Member
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    Hey there.....I was born and raised in Michigan (north) as well...but am now in Italy. I know how you feel about missing the lakes! I went back last summer for the first time in almost 6 years and realised how much I had taken that for granted.

    Anyway, I would say you are hiking. Anytime in MI that we actually 'climbed' upward, it was considered a hike :)
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
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    see the big difference IMHO, is that a walk requires some light muscle stress and (depending on the distance) some endurance, not a whole lot of sweating going on. A hike, in my mind, is a somewhat strenuous activity, usually up hill, that is not always on a well traveled path. Where a walk primarilly uses the legs, a hike engages the core as well as legs for balance, stability, and strength during the times when you are not on even flat ground. Lastly a walk will give you a heart rate somewhere around 50 to 65% of HRmax where a hike can go from 60 to 80% HRmax with an average usually 15% higher.

    Does that help?
  • yoginimary
    yoginimary Posts: 6,783 Member
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    Ok, what about the downhill part of the hike? Is that hiking or wiking - like the term by the way. I've always called wiking a walk in the woods (thank you Mr. Bryson).

    If you notice on the exercise options there is "walking uphill" and "hiking" - I think most hiking involves a backpack - and ups and downs.
  • lizard9800
    lizard9800 Posts: 474 Member
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    This is not a "stoopid" question at all. I am enjoying everyone's answers actually.

    To me a walk is something you do around your neighborhood, the park, town, the mall. There may be a few slight ups and downs but you are going slow and leisurely. Your heart rate doesn't increase a whole lot and chances are you don't think to carry water with you unless it is hot outside.

    To me hiking is in the mts, the countryside, the forest, etc. Your heart rate is up because there are definite ups and downs. You plan to be gone most of the day and have a backpack with food and water and extra clothes. You have very sturdy shoes on.

    I say all this because I live in the mts and go "hiking" a lot during the summer. I can "walk" around the block anytime. Sounds to me like you are wiking around your town and hiking up the nearby hills. And I am jealous that you get to live in such an amazing place!
  • dragonscapes24
    dragonscapes24 Posts: 114
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    Hi fellow michigan girl here... If you are in the town or city you are walking and if you left the road behind you a while back you are hiking... I walk the dog... I go hiking for fun... although I apparently didn't get the memo about the footwear... lol... I just wear my running shoes...

    Jenn
  • arubabound
    arubabound Posts: 51
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    I'm just jealous that you are lining in an exotic locale!! Hiking ,wiking, walking....who cares AUSTRIA???!!! Beautiful mountains....have you met Heidi yet? or some cute sheepherder guy? I say you are walking uphill.....which would not exactly be hiking...beacause you probablly aren't carrying a bacpack and trail mix...thats the key right there...if you leave the house with trail mix its a hike. Oh and to the lady in Italy....Italy!!! I am sooo jealous you're living in the land of Pasta, tiramisu and and the tripoli fountain...so .....is the Sistine chapel amazing or what??....and did you meet any cute italian guys??
  • sweetnsassyfied
    sweetnsassyfied Posts: 110 Member
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    Anyway, I would say you are hiking. Anytime in MI that we actually 'climbed' upward, it was considered a hike :)
    If you are in the town or city you are walking and if you left the road behind you a while back you are hiking... I walk the dog... I go hiking for fun... although I apparently didn't get the memo about the footwear... lol... I just wear my running shoes...


    I've gotten a lot of great answers here, thanks everyone! :smile: ( Only quoteing 2 of the funnier ones from fellow michiganders. I didnt want to forget them. )

    And it seems to me the common conception is perseption. Even though I get what most of you are saying, its still pretty ingrained that anytime we from Michigan go up its hiking. :laugh: I will work on that. :wink:

    Also I didnt get the memo on the footware either. I just make sure when I go out for a serious walk... thats what I call my walks either a Serious or a Jaunt. A Jaunt takes me to the store or anyplace in under 30 minutes. Otherwise my water bottle is strapped to my hip, along with some cash, bankcard, and cell phone. I never know where I will end up. :tongue:

    I'm a "get lost" gal, forever getting lost. So much so that was the very first sentence I had to learn. "Ich hab di mich verherdt, Bitte." = " Help me I'm lost, please. " My husband who is Austrian wrote on a piece of paper his name, cell phone number and our address that I was suppose to show if ever I used that sentence! :laugh: For the record.... I've only used it twice. ( So far, shhh )
  • sweetnsassyfied
    sweetnsassyfied Posts: 110 Member
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    Double post... Maybe I really am stooopid! :embarassed: :noway: :laugh: ..

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