Walking isn't exercise- change my mind

[Anonymous]

PP who said that this attitude will encourage people to be more sedentary is correct. People assume that walking isn’t exercise, so they jump into more demanding physical activity, burn out because it’s not fun (if it’s too hard it won’t be fun) or because they injure themselves, and decide exercise isn’t for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used to think the way you did, but then I started using my apple watch. A long walk (like 1+ hours) at a moderate pace burns a lot of calories, even if your heart rate doesn't go up that high. So I think walking is a great form of exercise to prevent and maintain weight loss. It's also great because it's low-impact and doesn't require an special equipment, so it's much more accessible to people in all stages of fitness. Biking, hiking, and swimming all require a lot of additional planning and access to equiptment and transportation.

your maintaining weight by controlling your diet. Walking is at best 300 calories an hour depending on your size. Cycling is more than double the caloric burn

[Anonymous]

I don't think it satisfies a requirement for really intense exercise that will make you look like a fitness model, but as a whole, walking counts a lot for exercises and is correlated with less obesity.

Just look at Europe versus the US. People WALK more instead of drive. People are thinner.
Of course diet has something to do with it with portion sizes and all, but this is true within the US as well.

Why is there less obesity in DC and New York than in rural West Virginia or more sprawled suburban Texas? Again, walking vs driving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you so fixated on how other people get their exercise?

I had an injury/surgery and had to become a walker for a few months. I've gained weight! Still in better shape than all the walkers I see

I see we are still struggling with the idea that weight gain comes from a calorie surplus

And that generally speaking you have no idea how in shape somebody is based on their physical appearance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you so fixated on how other people get their exercise?

I had an injury/surgery and had to become a walker for a few months. I've gained weight! Still in better shape than all the walkers I see

Interesting...

I lost 3 pounds in a week and half, and the biggest change I made was walking. I walk 3 hours a day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A few caveats: not speed walks (4mph+), No weighted resistance.

The way most people walk it doesn't raise the heart rate enough. The wife's favorite analogy " walked a lot while shopping"----NOT Exercise, Walked for an hour at 20/min/mile- nope
A whole walking every day for a week won't even burn a pounds- worth of calories
I rarely see walkers that are fit

I do think its an ok form of exercise if your over 75 or have a physical impairment. Its ok as a way to loosen up the back after sitting or when your digesting dinner.

Have you really improved your fitness with just walking? Why not try something more challenging? Cycling, Swimming, even Hiking ( I say that is different than walking)

I know my fitness has suffered without all the walking I used to do pre pandemic. I used to walk an incredible amount in my neighborhood just as part of my day -- dropping kids off, going to the store, walking to work, etc. When on vacations, I had no trouble doing challenging hikes, etc., just based on the amount of walking I was doing as part of my day. I think the key is the amount done. I wasn't spending an hour grinding in the gym, but I was spreading my walking out all day long.

[Anonymous]

First, it’s 2021, people. Let’s not be so heteronormative as to assume the OP is a man.

I love walking and primarily walk for cardio (4 mph pace) but I agree that regular grocery shopping is not a good form of exercise. Walking a mile to the farmer’s market and back? Sure. But not shopping at Target or whatever.

[Anonymous]

If your definition of exercise is a consistently elevated heart rate above 120, and losing weight, or changing one's body shape, then you need to redefine your concept of exercise.

Exercise has benefits beyond visibly changing body shape. Cardiac benefits exists even when you don't elevate the heart rate beyond 100 beats per minute. Mental health benefits happen immediately with any walk.

So it depends what you want to get out of exercising, OP. If you want to lose fat, gain muscle, and slim down, walking is generally not enough. If you seek to clear your head every day, walking is excellent. If you want a gentle exercise that works your muscles, joints and organs without jostling any, it's the one that's most accessible. My mother credits her daily hour-long walk for keeping her Multiple Sclerosis from putting her in a wheelchair. She can't swim because her muscles can seize up unpredictably and she nearly drowned on two occasions. Walking keeps her alive, literally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Walking burns more calories than sitting on the couch. It’s all about your frame of reference.

I think that's it. If you're someone who's really fit already, walking isn't going to challenge your body in any meaningful way. But if you're not already fit, walking could make a difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I prefer to run to get more bang for my miles, but it’s ridiculous to say that walking isn’t exercise. Of course it is.

+1

I have vastly improved my personal fitness by making sure I walk at least a mile and a half a day at a brisk pace. I definitely get my heart rate up. My mood is better, I feel less stressed, have more energy, my digestion is improved, my skin looks better, my joints hurt less -- I haven't lost weight, but that's not my goal.

Walking is great exercise -- low impact, requires no special equipment besides comfortable shoes, can be done almost anywhere, and is sustainable throughout a person's life. You can do it on a whim -- if I feel an impulse to take a walk, I can put on some sneakers and be out the door in minutes. I can do it on vacation -- brisk walks are completely compatible with sightseeing or catching up with friends or enjoying the beach or the woods. My mom started walking daily when I was a kid, and she still does in her 70s. Her family is prone to all kinds of health crap that she's mostly avoided because she stays active.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to think the way you did, but then I started using my apple watch. A long walk (like 1+ hours) at a moderate pace burns a lot of calories, even if your heart rate doesn't go up that high. So I think walking is a great form of exercise to prevent and maintain weight loss. It's also great because it's low-impact and doesn't require an special equipment, so it's much more accessible to people in all stages of fitness. Biking, hiking, and swimming all require a lot of additional planning and access to equiptment and transportation.

your maintaining weight by controlling your diet. Walking is at best 300 calories an hour depending on your size. Cycling is more than double the caloric burn

But for many people cycling is less enjoyable than walking. Weight maintenance is assisted by engaging in exercise that you enjoy and is appropriate for your fitness level.

Yes it’s calories in v calories out but when you’re regularly exercising you’re less likely to eat when you’re not hungry because you’re less depressed and more in tune with your body.

[Anonymous]

I'm don't worry if it's exercise. I live in a walkable city, our BMIs are lower, and we live longer. I'll take my lack of exercise if it means I can be thinner than most while eating what I want.

I don't really mind if fat people who exercise think that it's not exercise. The only thing I care about are results.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A few caveats: not speed walks (4mph+), No weighted resistance.

The way most people walk it doesn't raise the heart rate enough. The wife's favorite analogy " walked a lot while shopping"----NOT Exercise, Walked for an hour at 20/min/mile- nope
A whole walking every day for a week won't even burn a pounds- worth of calories
I rarely see walkers that are fit

I do think its an ok form of exercise if your over 75 or have a physical impairment. Its ok as a way to loosen up the back after sitting or when your digesting dinner.

Have you really improved your fitness with just walking? Why not try something more challenging? Cycling, Swimming, even Hiking ( I say that is different than walking)

I know my fitness has suffered without all the walking I used to do pre pandemic. I used to walk an incredible amount in my neighborhood just as part of my day -- dropping kids off, going to the store, walking to work, etc. When on vacations, I had no trouble doing challenging hikes, etc., just based on the amount of walking I was doing as part of my day. I think the key is the amount done. I wasn't spending an hour grinding in the gym, but I was spreading my walking out all day long.

+1

Same here. I used to walk at least an hour a day, just not all at once. I had to consciously re-introduce walking because my fitness was tanking. I feel so much better now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your definition of exercise is a consistently elevated heart rate above 120, and losing weight, or changing one's body shape, then you need to redefine your concept of exercise.

Exercise has benefits beyond visibly changing body shape. Cardiac benefits exists even when you don't elevate the heart rate beyond 100 beats per minute. Mental health benefits happen immediately with any walk.

So it depends what you want to get out of exercising, OP. If you want to lose fat, gain muscle, and slim down, walking is generally not enough. If you seek to clear your head every day, walking is excellent. If you want a gentle exercise that works your muscles, joints and organs without jostling any, it's the one that's most accessible. My mother credits her daily hour-long walk for keeping her Multiple Sclerosis from putting her in a wheelchair. She can't swim because her muscles can seize up unpredictably and she nearly drowned on two occasions. Walking keeps her alive, literally.

+1

No, wandering around the mall isn't great exercise. But brisk walks are. If everyone who doesn't exercise at all now walked at a decent pace for 20-30 minutes a day, they would absolutely see health benefits.

[Anonymous]

I see this all the time, and it's annoying. Someone starts picking up running and thinks he/she knows it all.

It's bad enough that they're telling this to their family and friends, now they have to preach to an anonymous forum.