Do you feel walking is enough?

[Wonton]

Hi there.

My preferred form of exercise has always been walking. No wonder I bought a fancy pedometer, eh?

Anyways, I was wondering if anyone ever feels....like it's kind of wimpy...? I mean, when I hear people say "I go to the gym!" or "I'm a runner!" I always feel so silly saying "I try to walk 15,000 steps a day". It almost feels like such a firm disconnect that I doubt they even think I'm exercising.

I dunno. Maybe they're right. Hell, maybe it's all just in my head.

Let me know your thoughts!

[debb21]

I would love to learn speed walking.  I don't know if I can make my arms and legs move like that!  I work on walking faster every day.  I am 60 years old, and I want to lose 15 more pounds and I will be at my weight from 25 years ago.  I actually like walking, even though it takes me an hour!  Strider, keep up the good work.

[NY2TX]

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@debb21 wrote:

I would love to learn speed walking.  I don't know if I can make my arms and legs move like that!  I work on walking faster every day.  I am 60 years old, and I want to lose 15 more pounds and I will be at my weight from 25 years ago.  I actually like walking, even though it takes me an hour!  Strider, keep up the good work.

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Debb, I haven't done much of the Olympic style race walking yet. There's a guy here in town who teaches and coaches it though, and after I'm back on the road, I want to work with him.

Even without the race walking technique though, I've been walking at 13:00/mile or less. I do 5.5 miles M-F and then on weekends, I try to do 7-10 miles each day. It works. And walking is exercise, I did over 1600 miles in the last year and lost 80#. Can't do that if it wasn't exercise.

[Colinm39]

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@NY2TX wrote:

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@debb21 wrote:

I would love to learn speed walking.  I don't know if I can make my arms and legs move like that!  I work on walking faster every day.  I am 60 years old, and I want to lose 15 more pounds and I will be at my weight from 25 years ago.  I actually like walking, even though it takes me an hour!  Strider, keep up the good work.

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Debb, I haven't done much of the Olympic style race walking yet. There's a guy here in town who teaches and coaches it though, and after I'm back on the road, I want to work with him.

Even without the race walking technique though, I've been walking at 13:00/mile or less. I do 5.5 miles M-F and then on weekends, I try to do 7-10 miles each day. It works. And walking is exercise, I did over 1600 miles in the last year and lost 80#. Can't do that if it wasn't exercise.

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@NY2TX@debb21I had to alter my walk method because I found I was over striding and this image extract from a Polar handbook, and reading some Mark Fenton books helped me. I have sciatica and lower back issues and the best I can do over a 45 minute period is to average a 15 minute mile (4mph, 6.4 kmh) on a flat surface. I need a 13.3 minute mile (4.5 mph, 7.2 kmh) to achieve very active minutes (VAM), so I have to settle for moderate active minutes (MAM) under the new 10 minute Active Minute (AM) measuring system.

There are many web pages but this link also helped me

I was aggravating my lower back by too much arm swing and rotating on the hips.. I have just come back from my physio and we are treating some sciatica pain and he has established that changing my walking technique has helped strengthen my core area and we have no lower back pain. 

Thank you Fitbit because we have the stats....

[pidgeon92]

I don't think walking is enough for me. The gym I go to has a number of different kinds of classes, and I do a variety of them. I find that doing different kinds of exercise has benefits that just walking don't give me, like my recently buff upper arms. 😉 I started doing a barre class twice a week about 8 weeks ago, and it's really improving my lower back muscles. That and Pilates are strengthening my core muscles. I'm in the middle of doing a Couch to 5K program, and I can see a lot more definition in my leg muscles over the last several weeks, and my stamina is improving. I now feel like keeling over after jogging 4 minutes vs. 1.5 minutes a few weeks ago.

All that said, I still hate exercising. I hate being out of breath. I don't like my clothes sticking to me. I do it for the long term health benefits. 

[NY2TX]

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@pidgeon92 wrote:

I don't think walking is enough for me. The gym I go to has a number of different kinds of classes, and I do a variety of them. I find that doing different kinds of exercise has benefits that just walking don't give me, like my recently buff upper arms. 😉 I started doing a barre class twice a week about 8 weeks ago, and it's really improving my lower back muscles. That and Pilates are strengthening my core muscles. I'm in the middle of doing a Couch to 5K program, and I can see a lot more definition in my leg muscles over the last several weeks, and my stamina is improving. I now feel like keeling over after jogging 4 minutes vs. 1.5 minutes a few weeks ago.

All that said, I still hate exercising. I hate being out of breath. I don't like my clothes sticking to me. I do it for the long term health benefits. 

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To me, exercise equated to clothes being soaked through. I walk, I walk fast and I walk far. I do under 13:00/mile and I do a minimum of 5.5 miles a day.

Everyone has their own preferences. I walk. I compete and I walk fast.

[betpchem]

Here's an article that says even a moderately paced walk is beneficial - may be no more beneficial than a powerwalk:

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/06/23/416482690/take-a-hike-to-do-your-heart-and-spiri...

[fifofum]

Wonton,

For me, I don't think walking 10K steps a day is enough exercise. I'm a 60 plus year old male that sits behind a desk all day. On days that I can, I walk my hour at lunch so that I don't have to walk as much aftr work when I go to the gym.

I think it's important for everyone to weight lift, even if it's light weights and high reps.The body has more places to add muscle than just legs. Machines at the gym conentrate on various muscles. We all need strength in our arms to lift and carry, to turn things, etc. You can work on biceps, triceps, etc.

I also try to swim a few laps in the pool daily.

[kate_trek]

I will gladly second and third the opinions of people who agree walking isn't wimpy. Especially if you motivate yourself to include measured and timed "power walks" in with casual strolls, walking is IMO a perfect exercise and sport.

I picked up Nordic walking about 6 years ago when I had 35 pounds of menopause weight to get rid of, and just fell in love with it. (I lost the weight in 9 months.) It uses a much wider range of muscles than biking or running, and gives you a 20% to 40% higher cardio boost than plain walking alone. You can walk faster, with a longer stride, and feel more stable. Less pounding on joints. Great for sciatica. etc etc.

My upper body muscle tone -- arms, waist, abs -- has gotten better and better just from the Nordic walking, primarily because I've been doing 3-4 measured, timed routes that get me moving at 13-minute miles. 

Originally I was using MapMyWalk to chart my routes, and I wore a pedometer and sport watch with timer to figure out my pace. Ugh...too much gear! I got a Flex in March and was able to ditch the pedometer. And a few weeks ago I got a ChargeHR, so I was able to ditch the sport watch. After a walk, I love being able to pull up a route on the dashboard and review my exertion level along every step of the route. It's a terrific way to bump up the exercise benefits of the next walk, by knowing where and when I lose steam.

If there are any other Nordic walkers out there, do you think we could start our own thread? 

[TheMomminator]

I love to walk but I can't get my heart rate into the cardio zone so I've taken up jogging.  I jog 5 or 6 mornings a week to get my cardio workout then take a couple of walks to complete my step goal. The walking does so much for my stress level and mood. I also like to get some yoga in for strength, stretching and balance.

[Peggie]

LOVED THIS!!!! SO TRUE!!! 

"Your body only improves if it must, which means it must be given a load consistently over what it can handle well, and it will get stronger, faster, go longer, improve cardiovasularo system, ect."

TRANSFORM-EVOLVE-BECOME!

[Crank]

Imo walking isn't really excercise. If anything it's just a starting point to becoming more active in other fields and just being in the habit of going outside.

[NY2TX]

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@Crank wrote:

Imo walking isn't really excercise. If anything it's just a starting point to becoming more active in other fields and just being in the habit of going outside.

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Dear @Crank - IMO, your opinion is NOT supported by my experience and the experience of other people that I know. I was 255 lbs on March 21, 2014. I started to walk seriously around May 23, 2014. Since then I have covered over 2000 miles on the street (over 800 in 2015 and 280 since July 1, 2015). Now, I am a power walker (taking instruction on race walking technique). My doctor took me off of blood pressure medications in September 2014. My weight today is 173 and if I don't eat 5-6 meals a day with my exercise routine, I will lose more weight instead of gaining.

In December 2014 I walked a Half Marathon in under 3 hours. In April, I competed in the Texas Senior Games and while I did not "win" because I was competing against joggers and runners, I did my 10K at a pace of 12:48/mile. I now walk at a pace of under 13 minutes per mile. Yesterday, I walked 5.68 miles at a 12:41/mile pace. IMO, your opinion in DEFINITELY NOT supported by my experience.

And oh, I am 66 years old and in the best level of fitness of my life.

[kate_trek]

NY2TX ... Woot woot! Thanks for boosting the credibility of walking as an endurance sport.

[NY2TX]

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@kate_trek wrote:

NY2TX ... Woot woot! Thanks for boosting the credibility of walking as an endurance sport.

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@kate_trek I find people like @Crank who denigrate walking as a sport to be humorous. Everyone has their own methods. Some people go to gyms and lift weights, other people run...I walk, and I walk fast and long distances. I have plenty of friends on the Runkeeper discussion group on Facebook who don't run (jog) at a pace close to my walking pace. I have arthritic knees so I can't run (I can trot occasionally). At the Senior Games in April, I race walked the 1500 meter race in under 11 minutes. And like I said, I recently did a 5K in just under 38 minutes.

And by the way, I live in South Texas and I walk in 100 degree temps.

[Colinm39]

Well explained everyone and we all have our different goals and ages. I can't run or jog because of lower back wear and tear potential sciatica issues. No arthritis.

I'm 76 shortly and have averaged 10k steps/day for 4 years where some of that was very brisk walking. I set my tracker workout, and I know I need 3 cals/minute for Active Minutes and at least 6 calories/minute for Very Active Minutes. 

So mental arithmetic while walking, which is a normal 45 minute planned activity. and for the 10 minute rule I normally aim for 35 calories/10 mins cumulative for Active Minutes, and 70 calories/10 mins cumulative over another 10 minutes for Very Active Minutes. All of my trackers allow me to do that.

I'm currently down to 4.2k average steps/day because I had a Total Hip Replacement 6 weeks ago and on crutches. A wasting thigh muscle was the trigger point for me to have an examination. Walking didn't precipitate the hip problem, I was born with a slightly shorter leg and that wore the cartilage out and from earlier xrays it has taken about 15 years to occur. The Surgeon felt all of my walking had delayed the inevitable which was a surprise when it was diagnosed a month before the operation.

So in the 6 weeks I have recovered the muscle loss in circumference. I was walking with crutches on day 2 after the operation.  . I'm now 5/8" taller. Of course there are basic exercises of about a minute each to strengthen the area where the operation took place, and still on crutches because the Surgeon doesn't wan't me to develop a limp.

Think of the other benefits while you are in street clothes and all of this is opportunistic walking, no gym memberships, you can use body weight to do exercises because I have exercise equipment in my Council controlled parks.

1. Briskly walking around a large shopping mall and/or carpark. Good inclement weather track
2. Stop at a park and walk the perimeter
3. While visiting people in hospital there is normally waiting times and where I live there are parks around the hospitals with walking tracks.
4. Stop at a country shopping centre and explore the surrounds etc, etc......

So in summary, my weight has improved, only 12 lb off my safety goal weight, Doctor has me with flying colours for health and the Real Age test has me 8.7 years younger, that has improved this check, and that is another 2 years improvement from 2 years ago.  I also concede that food is 65% of our calorie weight issues and I'm a grazer as far as eating ..(Maybe the improvement is statistically expected because I'm getting older)

Enjoy your walking eveyone..

@NY2TX @kate_trek @LaTonya @LewWagner

[Peggie]

Hope you recover quickly, Colin!

[kate_trek]

Never had a doc suggest a "real age" test. What's involved? Ha ha, always assumed this was a post-mortem kind of thing: "We opened her up, and she turned out to look much younger than her age." 

Seriously, though...When I get my annual check-ups, they give me this line: "oh, your BMI is great." But they don't pinch any part of my body to see where/if there is a load of fat hanging around. They don't inquire about my physical activity. The BMI number is such a ruse. I'd love it if they said, "We want to put you on a treadmill." At least then, I could huff and puff into a mask and shock them with my endurance level from being a mere walker.

[Raviv]

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@kate_trek wrote:

I'd love it if they said, "We want to put you on a treadmill." At least then, I could huff and puff into a mask and shock them with my endurance level from being a mere walker.

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I'm still 30 pounds overweight, and I agree that BMI is BS.  Even this much overweight and being 50 years old, I can outlast most of the younger and thinner people on the treadmill.  It's actually kind of funny being underestimated like that.

But you don't want the treadmill test.  They're probably going to make you run at some point, and that's a whole different animal than even the fastest walking.  I could literally walk 20 miles at about 3.5 mph - I know because that's what I did for a living.  But I couldn't even run for more than a minute until I slowed it down to some crazy almost-crawling speed.  Now, after about 6 weeks or so of running like that, I'm finally able to run for 25 minutes solid without stopping to walk, and I've got a lot more to go.  They're two completely different kinds of muscle work and endurance.

[Mermaid3011]

When I started in January this year, walking was the best exercise I could do, being 100 lbs overweight. And after about 2 months I found a yoga class for "XLent" bodies, so I started gentle yoga that was adjusted to bigger bodies. Some yoga poses just cant be done if there is a big belly in the way. 

8 months in I have lost 55 lbs by walking and practicing yoga and eating right. (I have added a high quality protein shake to my daily diet to get vitamins and nutrients and protein in because it's EASY and FAST and I try to live vegetarian/vegan, so there is always that protein question that people ask me! LOL)

I feel fitter than 10 years ago. I can do a downward dog now without hurting my wrists and I can actually take a "normal" yoga class now with skinnier girls and keep up. 

And my heart rate has been so low these last few times that my GP measured three (!) times (105/70). The last blood check revealed that ALL my values are PERFECT. No issues with sugars, fats or anything.

So my answer is: YES! Walking is enough.

But the more exercise you can get in WHILE ENJOYING IT, the better for your health and overall fitness.

[Dustyskippy1]

Hi,I agree swimming,walking,cycling is all very good for fitness.