How effective is walking?

Ella1

Ella1

New member
Hello :)

I live in a very hilly town, I live at the bottom and my university is at the top of a steep hill, until recently I haven't been brave enough to walk it and have caught the bus. Since I've started walking up it I've found it easier then I expected. My question is how effective is walking as a form of exercise? Do any of you prefer it other forms of exercise?

Thankyou very much :)
 
There are calculators on the web that will tell you how many calories you're burning, given the distance and your pace.

Walking certainly burns calories, but personally I don't have a lot of time for exercise compared to the number of calories I wish to burn, so walking feels like a waste of time. I run or use an elliptical-type machine.

There's no reason to hop back on the bus. If you don't feel like walking is doing enough for you, try adding some other exercise.
 
Check out Omega's weight loss diary. She has lost over 150 lbs just by watching her diet and walking.

Walking can be very effective.

I recommend you add some strength training (body weight type exercises if you don't have access to a gym) to help maintain muscle mass ...

But overall walking is great exercise!
 
There's walking and there's walking. With that uphill walk, if you do it at a good pace, you will get all the exercise you can handle. Even on the level, if you walk at a good brisk pace, you can get a good workout. I've started to time myself with a stopwatch over a measured course, trying to improve my pace, and that makes a big difference.
 
Thanks for all your help :) I can do the walk in about twenty minutes, so i'm thinking in the new year, i'll time myself and see if i can get it down to fifteen minutes, and so on.
Thanks again :)
 
Walking is an excellent form of exercise and can be very effective in aiding weight loss. As Kara mentions - feel free to check out my diaries.
 
Ella said:
Hello :)

I live in a very hilly town, I live at the bottom and my university is at the top of a steep hill, until recently I haven't been brave enough to walk it and have caught the bus. Since I've started walking up it I've found it easier then I expected. My question is how effective is walking as a form of exercise? Do any of you prefer it other forms of exercise?

Thankyou very much :)
Click to expand...

I've lost weight by walking before. (I also live in a hilly area.)
About 2 years ago now, I joined WeightWatchers, started eating healthily, and went walking... I lost a total of 26lbs, and all of my exercise was walking as I can't run to save my life. I found walking to be very effective, for me, as a form of exercise. :)

I did put the weight back on when I left home to go to university, but that's another story.
 
as an expert in all things geek, including internet english, I'd translate that into: Walking will improve your health and make your muscles better, I'd be unsure what better muscles meant but yeah.. there ya go. Not all people have english as a first language.
 
Walking is super important

Walking is very important to everyone. Whether you are trying to lose weight or not it should be on everyone’s list to walk daily. Walking helps with belly fat reduction but it also helps with pre-existent medical concerns like diabetes, high blood pressure and even cancer. You should start by just walking 30 minutes a day, once you have successfully administered 30 minutes and feel good doing it then you should move it up to an hour. Set your own pace though, never push yourself. Walking should be an enjoyable exercise. Drink plenty of water while walking.
 
'walking your ass off' if an entirely reachable goal, especially if you can push yourself a little where possible. Hilly areas are even better as I understand it as well.
 
comet1482 said:
Walking is very important to everyone. Whether you are trying to lose weight or not it should be on everyone’s list to walk daily. Walking helps with belly fat reduction but it also helps with pre-existent medical concerns like diabetes, high blood pressure and even cancer. You should start by just walking 30 minutes a day, once you have successfully administered 30 minutes and feel good doing it then you should move it up to an hour. Set your own pace though, never push yourself. Walking should be an enjoyable exercise. Drink plenty of water while walking.
Click to expand...

Hmm... you can substitute any form of exercise in there instead of walking and it'll still be true, nothing magic about walking. But walking is good :)
 
clever_plant said:
as an expert in all things geek, including internet english, I'd translate that into: Walking will improve your health and make your muscles better, I'd be unsure what better muscles meant but yeah.. there ya go. Not all people have english as a first language.
Click to expand...

Apparently, proper capitalization isn't a geek thing I take it?

:leaving:

Jay slash kay.
 
Extremely effective alongside a proper diet. Without good eating habits it doesn't matter what form of exercise you do. I lost most of my weight just by walking, because it's easy to do every day (no recovery time) and if your diet is in shape you shouldn't need to do demanding workouts or HIIT to lose weight because most of your deficit will be coming from your diet not from your workout. That being said, cardio does have its own benefits beyond weight loss.
 
Yes.

When I started my journey here - I had not done ANY exercise for over 20yrs.

I'd become more and more sedentary. (Desk bound job, working from home - no excuse to even leave the house - and some weeks I didn't).

So, when I started, walking was all I could do - and that was uncomfortable. (The first improvement I noticed, was in how far I could walk before my shins started burning (shinsplints?) - Now - my shins never burn)

But it was a start. Over time, it got less uncomfortable. I could walk a little faster, walk a little further.

So, "How effective is it" - depends what you want to achieve. It probably wouldn't be effective in helping someone like Paula Radcliffe prepare for her next marathon - but I'm sure it's a great way for an average jo or joanne to improve their health and shed a few pounds. Which I'm assuming is closer to what you wish to achieve.

And who knows where it might lead. Maybe, you'll reach a point where you want to do more than "just" walk - when you do, I'm sure there will be no shortage of gyms willing to take your subscription and let you play on their machines - but for now - just keep walking up and down that hill - don't underestimate the good it will do you - or what it might lead onto.

Walking - and it wasn't even up hill -sure helped me - I'm sure you'll soon look back and see the benefits you've achieved by "just" walking.

All the best.
 
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