Is walking good for fitness?

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Thursday, May 2. 2024

Is walking good for fitness?

Of course it's good to walk a lot. Swimming is good too. If general mobility is your goal, that's good.

Despite the article, I've never heard of anybody who lost fat by doing either of those things. Well, maybe if you decide to give a month to hiking the Appalachian trail you will lose fat.

I sort of admire, or envy, people who do not think about their fitness.

How Fit Can You Get From Just Walking? Walking is good for you, obviously. But can it whip you into shape?

Nope. Unless feeble, walks are recreation and not "exercise."

Posted by Bird Dog in Physical Fitness at 15:55 | Comments (11) | Trackbacks (0)

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OK. As usual, I am confused.

Walking is not exercise, but running is, yes?

So where is the dividing line between "no exercise" walking and "exercise" running? After all running is just really fast walking. That means there must be a line measured in steps taken per second that defines "exercise" and "not exercise". Yes? What would that number be?

Or is running "not exercise" as well?

#1 feeblemind on 2024-05-02 18:35 (Reply)

I respectfully disagree. Perhaps the difference of opinion is because you are imagining a "walk" like to a coffee shop and back and I am imagining a 10 mile walk with steep climbs and at higher altitudes. Something like you might find in a national park. One of my favorite park walks is Angel's landing. One year when we were at Zion we walked it seven days in a row, It's definitely exercise.

#2 OneGuy on 2024-05-02 20:09 (Reply)

I can guarantee that if you walk far enough, heavily laden, in rough terrain and limit your caloric intake, you’ll lose weight. Lots and lots of weight.

- US Army Ranger class 7-95

#3 Chadd Newman on 2024-05-02 20:41 (Reply)

Oh yeah!

To the point that running a few miles on a road in shorts is much easier.

#3.1 NJSoldier on 2024-05-03 13:28 (Reply)

In almost flat Florida, one must walk very quickly, or push a mower through heavy grass, to gain a decent benefit. I walk 7-12K steps daily, but am very out of shape and get easily winded. One of my retirement goals is to hit the pool and gym.

#4 Mark on 2024-05-02 21:07 (Reply)

Anecdotally, I lost 22 lbs since September last year courtesy of:
a) walking 2 x 20 minutes a day
b) cutting out all biscuits, chips, candy, chocolate, cakes
c) reducing alcohol intake to 2 drinks a week (man, do I enjoy those drinks...:)

Cutting the garbage calories did the heavy lifting - but I believe walking helps too. I feel great.

#5 Hans Tholstrup on 2024-05-03 00:58 (Reply)

I can assure you that if you are an Open water swimmer, especially in the ocean, in particular in Maine, and swim 45 minutes to an hour per day (I usually do two of these swims when at the sea), you will both lose weight and change your body.

#6 Elliot Scott Slater on 2024-05-03 13:08 (Reply)

Maine? Wow.

#6.1 BD on 2024-05-04 10:01 (Reply)

When I walk on the rail trails, there are no refrigerators there.

#7 Assistant Village Idiot on 2024-05-04 18:44 (Reply)

At 53 years old, I did the following last year to lose 40 pounds and keep it off (250 to 210, and am 74 inches tall):

1. Almost completely stopped drinking beer
2. Began strength training, alternating upper and lower body
3. Replaced simple carbs with complex ones
4. Last meal of the day is protein and vegetables
5. Began walking my neighborhood every morning weather permitting, 2.5 miles with 7 hills

Like someone else said, walking flat ground alone would either need to be very fast, or one would need to put on a backpack with some heft to create more exertion.

#8 john on 2024-05-05 20:18 (Reply)

I think it's all relative. If you are at a healthy weight, and exercise with some level of vigor 3+ times per week, then no, walking is not exercise. If you are 50 pounds overweight, and haven't worked out in years, then walking is absolutely exercise.

Moreover, the incremental benefits of the overweight, unfit person from starting a regular walking program are probably much greater than a fit person trying to "optimize" their training plan.

#9 bk on 2024-05-06 11:49 (Reply)

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Thursday, May 2. 2024

Is walking good for fitness?