Anonymous wrote:I used to walk everywhere because I didn’t have a car and I remained overweight. Walking has no weight loss\maintenance benefits for me. I need more cardio intensity to burn calories and get my heart rate up. I hate walking and would never recommend it for weight loss.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no reason to not do both, walking and lifting. I walk significantly more than you, but it is just the way I live my life. I do not even consider it exercise unless I am hiking a mountain. Lifting is what I consider my actual workout. Also 45 minutes of walking would do nothing for your figure if you had a natural tendency to overeat. Your walk burns maybe 100 calories.

Not OP, but you're wrong here. Firstly, a 45 minute brisk walk burns far more than 100 calories. I wear a polar heart rate monitor occasionally to check that my apple watch workout data is accurate. When I do a 45 min brisk walk, I burn 300-400 calories, depending on how many hills I hit. Of course, this number varies, based on the individual, but, 45 minutes of brisk walking absolutely is a workout and I find that this is almost like a dirty secret that many fitness obsessed people pretend is not true. Any PPs who are overweight and unhappy with how they look and feel - ignore the people who want to neg you for walking. Get up and do it, and you will never regret it. At all. If 45 minutes feels daunting, start with 10-15. Add 5 more minutes every few days and you will be so surprised at how quickly your walking stamina will increase.

Do some reading about NEAT movement. For many people who do have a tendency toward overeating, intense workout can lead to more overeating and also more sedentary time after the workout, thus significantly lowering the overall calorie burn in a day. If you stick to less strenuous "exercise" you are likely to be able to better control calorie consumption. The caveat - this will not get you a hard, lean body. One does need to lift weights for that, but walking is a great place to start and is more beneficial to your longevity than any intense exercise program.

I agree with everything you have here, except the very last underlined part. Depending on your age, there is good science to support the need for some intensity to support longevity. Without getting into VO2Max and goofy watch calculators, just about anybody studying longevity projections suggests some sort of intense cardio exercise. If joints are a concern (which is an entirely different debate), a well fitting bike is a great solution that. Including a stationary bike.

And walking is 100% a gateway. I started my fitness journey walking during COVID. I can now run close to a 5:30/mile at 42, and I am most suited to longer distances on both a bike and running. I am in the best physical condition of my life. It all started by just walking around my neighborhood in NoVa.

OP here. To each their own but I believe high intensity exercise can be damaging. I don't think you have to do an hour of intense workout to get a fitness benefit. My resting heart rate is high 50s. Prior to becoming a consistently daily walker my resting rate was high 60s low 70s. When I walk four miles at a good fast pace my heart rate goes into the 80s and low 90s. A 3-4 mile walk is my weekend length. I only do just over 2 miles during the weekday. So many people I know say they can't get gym, don't have tome or money for a membership. I think everyone should just lace up their shoes and walk. Everyone can spare 30 min minimum. Walking also significantly reduces risk of osteoporosis and hip fracture. I like the example the person above gave as it being a gateway. In the past couple years i have gotten into mat pilates. I do these at home, not as consistently as I'd like. I do see the general attitude with some people as being an old person activity. And I agree a 2 mile walk burns more than 100 cals. But more importantly walking drops blood sugars fast, better than any drug on the market like metformin etc.

Anonymous wrote:It’s personal preference how much exercise, calorie restriction, and length of time one wants to engage in to lose weight or get to a certain level of fitness.

I started walking every day earlier this spring and, as of today, have lost 10 pounds. I’m in my forties.

Walking has been a great “gateway drug” that’s helped me be more mindful of what I eat as well. I haven’t severely restricted my diet, but I pay attention now, and that has helped.

Even if walking only burns 100 calories, if those calories are in deficit, one will lose weight. I told myself that I wanted to be at a deficit, no matter how small, and no matter how long it took to lose.

Now that I’m building the habit, I’m slowly adding and have started doing yoga once a week.

It’s a process - good luck to everyone on this fitness journey we’re all on!

Anonymous wrote:I think you are primarily thin due to genetics.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no reason to not do both, walking and lifting. I walk significantly more than you, but it is just the way I live my life. I do not even consider it exercise unless I am hiking a mountain. Lifting is what I consider my actual workout. Also 45 minutes of walking would do nothing for your figure if you had a natural tendency to overeat. Your walk burns maybe 100 calories.

Not OP, but you're wrong here. Firstly, a 45 minute brisk walk burns far more than 100 calories. I wear a polar heart rate monitor occasionally to check that my apple watch workout data is accurate. When I do a 45 min brisk walk, I burn 300-400 calories, depending on how many hills I hit. Of course, this number varies, based on the individual, but, 45 minutes of brisk walking absolutely is a workout and I find that this is almost like a dirty secret that many fitness obsessed people pretend is not true. Any PPs who are overweight and unhappy with how they look and feel - ignore the people who want to neg you for walking. Get up and do it, and you will never regret it. At all. If 45 minutes feels daunting, start with 10-15. Add 5 more minutes every few days and you will be so surprised at how quickly your walking stamina will increase.

Do some reading about NEAT movement. For many people who do have a tendency toward overeating, intense workout can lead to more overeating and also more sedentary time after the workout, thus significantly lowering the overall calorie burn in a day. If you stick to less strenuous "exercise" you are likely to be able to better control calorie consumption. The caveat - this will not get you a hard, lean body. One does need to lift weights for that, but walking is a great place to start and is more beneficial to your longevity than any intense exercise program.

I agree with everything you have here, except the very last underlined part. Depending on your age, there is good science to support the need for some intensity to support longevity. Without getting into VO2Max and goofy watch calculators, just about anybody studying longevity projections suggests some sort of intense cardio exercise. If joints are a concern (which is an entirely different debate), a well fitting bike is a great solution that. Including a stationary bike.

And walking is 100% a gateway. I started my fitness journey walking during COVID. I can now run close to a 5:30/mile at 42, and I am most suited to longer distances on both a bike and running. I am in the best physical condition of my life. It all started by just walking around my neighborhood in NoVa.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no reason to not do both, walking and lifting. I walk significantly more than you, but it is just the way I live my life. I do not even consider it exercise unless I am hiking a mountain. Lifting is what I consider my actual workout. Also 45 minutes of walking would do nothing for your figure if you had a natural tendency to overeat. Your walk burns maybe 100 calories.

Not OP, but you're wrong here. Firstly, a 45 minute brisk walk burns far more than 100 calories. I wear a polar heart rate monitor occasionally to check that my apple watch workout data is accurate. When I do a 45 min brisk walk, I burn 300-400 calories, depending on how many hills I hit. Of course, this number varies, based on the individual, but, 45 minutes of brisk walking absolutely is a workout and I find that this is almost like a dirty secret that many fitness obsessed people pretend is not true. Any PPs who are overweight and unhappy with how they look and feel - ignore the people who want to neg you for walking. Get up and do it, and you will never regret it. At all. If 45 minutes feels daunting, start with 10-15. Add 5 more minutes every few days and you will be so surprised at how quickly your walking stamina will increase.

Do some reading about NEAT movement. For many people who do have a tendency toward overeating, intense workout can lead to more overeating and also more sedentary time after the workout, thus significantly lowering the overall calorie burn in a day. If you stick to less strenuous "exercise" you are likely to be able to better control calorie consumption. The caveat - this will not get you a hard, lean body. One does need to lift weights for that, but walking is a great place to start and is more beneficial to your longevity than any intense exercise program.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no reason to not do both, walking and lifting. I walk significantly more than you, but it is just the way I live my life. I do not even consider it exercise unless I am hiking a mountain. Lifting is what I consider my actual workout. Also 45 minutes of walking would do nothing for your figure if you had a natural tendency to overeat. Your walk burns maybe 100 calories.

Not OP, but you're wrong here. Firstly, a 45 minute brisk walk burns far more than 100 calories. I wear a polar heart rate monitor occasionally to check that my apple watch workout data is accurate. When I do a 45 min brisk walk, I burn 300-400 calories, depending on how many hills I hit. Of course, this number varies, based on the individual, but, 45 minutes of brisk walking absolutely is a workout and I find that this is almost like a dirty secret that many fitness obsessed people pretend is not true. Any PPs who are overweight and unhappy with how they look and feel - ignore the people who want to neg you for walking. Get up and do it, and you will never regret it. At all. If 45 minutes feels daunting, start with 10-15. Add 5 more minutes every few days and you will be so surprised at how quickly your walking stamina will increase.

Do some reading about NEAT movement. For many people who do have a tendency toward overeating, intense workout can lead to more overeating and also more sedentary time after the workout, thus significantly lowering the overall calorie burn in a day. If you stick to less strenuous "exercise" you are likely to be able to better control calorie consumption. The caveat - this will not get you a hard, lean body. One does need to lift weights for that, but walking is a great place to start and is more beneficial to your longevity than any intense exercise program.

Anonymous wrote:There is no reason to not do both, walking and lifting. I walk significantly more than you, but it is just the way I live my life. I do not even consider it exercise unless I am hiking a mountain. Lifting is what I consider my actual workout. Also 45 minutes of walking would do nothing for your figure if you had a natural tendency to overeat. Your walk burns maybe 100 calories.